: McSpotlight: Since when has any major world religion tolerated differences of opinion?You're dead wrong about that. All major world religions have historically had tolerant wings and intolerant wings, although perhaps only in Hinduism and in animism (I'm lumping together all the tribal, nature-worshiping religions of Africa under this label) has the tolerant wing been dominant. No check that, Buddhism has also been highly tolerant.
Hinduism, among other pronouncements, makes the following.
1) There is one God, with an infinite number of different faces., Hence Christianity, Buddhism, islam etc. are true because they are all looking at different faces of God.
2) It is in general bettr to stay in one's own religion than to convert, regardless of whether you are not a Hindu. 'staying in one's faith is a sign of fortitude". In other words, it's generally better for a Muslim to eb a good Muslim than to become a Hindu.
3)Hinduism does not even require you to believe in God to eb a Hindu. There are four ways to reach salvation, corresponding to teh four 'temperaments of Man", and only one or possible two of them requires you to acknowledge God.
4) Hinduism does not require you to hold to a certain creed to be a Hindu. Ther are Hindus who regard meat eatinga s a sin, and there are those (Kashmiris) who indulge freely. there are those who believe in one God and thsoe who belive in 33,000. there are those who believ in caste and thsoe who abhor it. there are those who be;lieve in birth control and thsoe who abhor it. tehre are evolutionists and creationists. There are capitalists and there are socialists. there are those who pray publicly and thsoe who pray in their own heart.
Nehru (an agnostic and certainly no friend of Hinduism) was right when he called india "the most tolerant country in the realm of ideas and teh least tolerant in the realm of social forms".
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McSpotlight: Buddhism is a philosophy rather than a religion ;) - it does not predicate a deity. I'll grant you Hinduism has a slightly better record than the big two. However, it does espouse the dangerous idea of the dharma of a kshatriya as coming above the desire for peace; as stated in the B-G; not a view I personally agree with.
(Any further discussion on these lines I'll respond to in person, rather than via footnote).
