Religious Tolerance: Made in America | 5 Minute Video
Religious tolerance is a given in the West. But it’s a historical aberration — an ideological revolution created by the Puritans and pre-1776 Americans. What was it that led to the religious tolerance revolution? Was there something unique in Protestantism and Americanism? Or would tolerance have eventually arisen elsewhere, perhaps in Europe? Larry Schweikart, best-selling author and professor of history at the University of Dayton, explains.
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Script:
Each year the President of the United States lights a national Christmas tree, hosts a Hanukkah party at the White House and issues a proclamation honoring Ramadan. Only in America.
Indeed, America is known for religious tolerance. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that America, where people of all faiths are free to worship (or not worship) as they please, invented modern religious tolerance. This tolerance, which Americans take for granted, didn’t exist anywhere in the world before America invented it. How did this happen?
To answer that we have to look to America’s origins which were overwhelmingly religious and, to be precise, overwhelmingly Christian. To put it another way, America became the religiously open nation that we know today because it was first a Christian nation, specifically a Protestant one.
Let me explain.
Until the beginning of the 16th Century religious life in Europe was dominated by the Catholic Church. All religious power was concentrated in the Pope and the Catholic clergy. They determined religious doctrine. The power structure was top down. All that changed in 1517 when Martin Luther, a German priest, led a revolt that came to be known as the Protestant Reformation. The theme of the Reformation was that people should be free to interpret the Bible and manage their houses of worship as they saw fit — a bottom up power structure.
The most zealous of England’s Reformers were known as the Puritans, so called because they wanted to purify the Church of England. Some of these Puritans became so disenchanted they decided they had no choice but to leave England. Only in the New World of America, untainted by European prejudices, could they practice their Protestant Christianity in its purest form. We know these hardy souls as Pilgrims. The strength of their conviction can easily be measured by the incredible risks they took in crossing the North Atlantic on small wooden sailing ships, of which The Mayflower was only one.
True to their religious background these early settlers, and those that followed, were fiercely independent. Given that the Puritans believed that people should read and interpret scripture for themselves, how could it be otherwise? Not surprisingly, it didn’t take long before disputes broke out among the settlers regarding doctrine. In fact, the colony of Rhode Island was established in 1638 as a haven for some of these dissidents.
Throughout the 17th century more colonists arrived, including Catholics and Jews but their numbers remained small relative to the Protestant majority. All the way through American Independence in 1776 and the Revolutionary War that followed Protestants remained dominant. But with more settlers came more religious discord. The only thing that everyone could agree on was that religion, specifically Christianity — firmly rooted, it is important to note, in the Hebrew Scriptures — was central to the new nation’s life.
For the complete script, visit https://www.prageru.com/videos/religious-tolerance-made-america
source
https://youtu.be/mciQZ14L4Ic
Mahatma Gandhi writes from Yeravda Central Prison in year 1932
We should not be respecting any religion in America. Tolerance, on a legal level, is one thing. But f**k off with preferential treatment by the government. And also, all religions are invalid and shouldn't exist in modern society.
This video is bad
The USA was founded and established by christians 1500s-1809. While protestant and catholic hypocrisies were discriminating and killing each other 1500s-1980s. That was enough. Then like idiots out corrupted government 1810-2023 let masses of asses of other religions into the USA. While religions have much original wisdom, they exist in societies that are run by people's racist, class or caste mentalities. Adhering to being better than the people in their own countries, sometimes an indigenous native population. Even here among the Christians. IT IS WISE TO GRASP THE WISDOM REVEALED IN FAITHS AND LEAVE THE CULTURAL SOCIETY THAT HYPOCRITIZES THEIR TRUE CORE VALUES. ALL SOCIAL DIFFERENCES RAMPANT AMONG RELIGIOUS ENTITIES MUST CEASE. IF NOT YOU ARE JUST A BIG PROBLEM FOR THE AMERICAS. WE DONT FIGHT WARS DEFENDING THIS NATION SO OTHERS CAN BRING Their IGNORANT DISPUTES HERE. WE HAVE ENOUGH ALREADY. WHICH WILL ALSO BE ERADICATED ONE DAY. BUT DONT THINK BECAUSE WE LET YOU COME TO LIVE HERE YOU CAN BRING YOUR ETHNIC SOCIETAL PROBLEMS AGAINST OTHER ETHNICITIES OR RELIGIONS TO OUR COUNTRY. YOUR JUST ADDING PROBLEMS TO OUR NATION. IF THAT'S YOUR THINKING, "GET OUT" BEFORE WE JUST BAND ALL YOUR RELIGIONS. SO IF YOU HAVE RADICAL IDEAS FROM YOUR ETHNIC RELIGIOUS FAITHS AGAINST ANYBODY, EVEN FROM YOUR OWN COUNTRY BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT FAITH FROM YOURS, THROW THAT GARBAGE THINKING AWAY, OR GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM. NO APOLOGIES!
The word tolerance when used concerning people of different groups is so very racist even the word diversity has a negative connotation to it when applied in America. Tolerating someone means you really rather not associate with them but you do because of tolerance. This is such BULLCRAP and all of it comes straight from hell. In other words we hate your guts but because of our laws we have to tolerate you. Nothing has changed in this country not one bit. The NO BLACKS ALLOWED signs are not in store windows anymore they're in the hearts and minds of hateful people that are tolerating right now. NOTHING HAS CHANGED IT'S JUST REARRANGED.
The Puritans were the reason why the founding fathers created the first amendment, but not because of this absurd nonsense. Fact is most of the founding fathers didn’t want the Puritans to try and establish a National church, so the first amendment was created to keep that from happening.
When does tolerance threaten our freedom?
During the time of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Jews went to Medina to escape Christian persecution
Lol… This is such a "LOAD OF HORSESH*T".
THERE IS NO COUNTRY MORE RELIGOUSLY MOTIVATED AND INTOLERANT TOWARDS OTHER FAITHS THAN USA.
I had a catholic man stand on my door and lecture me about how my faith and religion is wrong and how Jesus is the only one and bla bla bla. I was shoved a bible within a week of landing in US.
I currently have more bibles in my home than they may have in a chruch (I dont like to throw away any religious text, whichever faith it maybe).
We had Christian men shouting foul words and slogan when we were celebrating our festivals, because they found it blasphemous.
As an immigrant, I have never faced as much religious in-tolerance and hate, as I faced in USA.
This is nuts! The puritans burnt catholics at the stake and famously carried out witch hunts. Modern america's attitude to Islam and abortion hardly makes it religiously tolerant. England granted freedom of religion in 1688, almost a century before america became independent, and nowadays most of Europe is far more religiously tolerant than america. Sorry USA, you're not that exceptional.
Power and control is what religion is all about and has absolutely nothing to do with right or wrong. In other words they will do something wrong to prove their particular religion is right which defeats the entire basis of what religion is supposed to be.
invented in america? no, it existed for thousands of years in the pagan cultures of the mediterranean. there first i terfaith house of worship was in the island of cyprus. This temple was dedicated to many different Gods and Goddesses from different religions around the mediterranean including persian, greek, egyptian, and Syrian traditional religion. india also has a history of religious tolerance, theere are so many faiths and religious sects that developed and and were respected. it wasn’t until muslims and christians (which have religious intolerance as part of their theology) that india had these conflicts. Polytheistic religion is inherently flexible, accepting, and open to new interpretation. it was monotheism that had a hardline on how people where allowed to worship.
The US definitely didn't create religious tolerance lol
From the treaty of Tripoli; "the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." ratified by the US Senate unanimously without debate. Signed by John Adams June 10, 1797. Case closed, PragerU is lying.
"America invented modern religious tolerance". My God, the copium in these videos is legnedary.
Inaccurate and biased video
Not as many mentions of the mongol empire as expected.
Why US have different diversity of religion it's all due thanks to secularism. That's it!
The Dutch Republic had religious tolerance.
Religious liberty and tolerance was the norm before Judaism declared all other gods as false gods and the adherents as heathens whose murder was commanded by the very loving God they created in their own barbaric image. To claim the Pilgrims invented religious tolerance is nothing short of delusion. The Pilgrims simply realized they had brought the religious intolerance/sickness with them from Europe and decided to change in order to have a chance at surviving and prospering. I believe had they not chosen this path, this country would have relished in poverty and ignorance and its citizens would have been too prone to superstition and conspiracy theories that they would refuse free vaccines against a deadly virus that killed many among them.
This video is wrong on many levels. There were many countries and empires since Antiquity that granted different degrees of religious liberty – like in Persian or Roman Empire. Many countries, both Muslim and Christian countries during Middle Ages and early modern era granted religius tolerance (Abbasid Caliphate, crusader states in Levant, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth,…). Idea of tolerating non-Christians was present since early days of Christianity and Church Fathers and Catholic Church many times affirmed that no one can be forced to be Christian. It inspired Edict of Toleration made by Constantine and toleration of Jews in medieval times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-aZnbXVOpQ
Protestants all throught Europe and America definetly were not granting religious freedom to Catholics and Protestant groups they disagreed with. You forgot to mention that Maryland was created to give freedom to Catholics becasue they were not tolerated in other colonies by Puritans. Anti-Catholicism was strong in America all up until 20th century. Even today there is anti-Catholic sentiment among Evangelicals. That is also why Puritans were flying from England – they were persecuted by other Protestants. Catholics were also persecuted in England, Scandinavia or many German states that were given right to impose protestantism on their subject by the emperor. Saying that idea of religious freedom is connected to Protestantism (especially when contrasting with Catholicism) is plainly wrong.
Lmao human freedom. Free to be brainwashed smh dumbasses