Quotes

Quotations concerning or
exhibiting religious intolerance

By persons with last names beginning A to E

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Quotations which are religiously intolerant, or which discuss religious intolerance:

We regret that most of the intolerant quotations are by fundamentalist
and other evangelical Christians.  We have been unable to find any by
liberal or progressive Christians.  If you run across one of the latter, we
would appreciate receiving a copy so that we could provide a better balance.

Anon: A Washington Post op-ed piece 1997-APR-19 called "Cult or Religion?:"

"Every religion is 'bizarre' for those who do not accept its tenets."

Anon: From an Email sent by a conservative Christian to this website:

"There is no such thing as 'religious tolerance' as far as God and Heaven is concerned. We are either 'in' Christ or not."

Anon: Bumper sticker by Harbor House Gifts of Fullerton CA.

"Truth, not tolerance." 

Editor's note: The bumper sticker also shows a clenched fist on the left side and a Christian cross on the right. 

Sheik Abdel-Aziz Ibn Baaz, Supreme religious authority, Saudi Arabia and author of a Muslim religious edict, 1993:

"The earth is flat, and anyone who disputes this claim is an atheist who deserves to be punished."

George H.W. Bush, (R) as Presidential Nominee for the Republican party; 1987-AUG-27:

"No, I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."

G.W. Bush (R), as Governor of Texas.

"I don't think witchcraft is a religion. I would hope the military officials would take a second look at the decision they made." ₁

Editor's note: He was interviewed on ABC's Good Morning America, 1999-JUN-24 by Peggy Wehmeyer. Bush's comment was in response to the Wiccan soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas being given the right to meet together on base -- the same right as has always been given to Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc.

Most Rev. George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, 1997:

"We have lobbed verses of Scripture, like hand grenades, into the camps of others, convinced we only have truth."

Bob Chell, University Lutheran Center. South Dakota State University, 1996-OCT-10:

"In the Bible, the ones who were most certain about what they were doing were the ones who stoned the prophets."

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G.K. Chesterton, ILN, 1906-JAN-13

	"There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions."  ILN, 1906-JAN-13
	"These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own." - ILN, 1928-AUG-11

Hillary Clinton:

"In every religion, there are those who would drape themselves in the mantle of belief and faith only to distort it’s most sacred teachings -- preaching intolerance and resorting to violence."

Aleister Crowley Author and occultist:

"The supreme satisfaction is to be able to despise one's neighbor and this fact goes far to account for religious intolerance. It is evidently consoling to reflect that the people next door are headed for hell."

Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), "Known as a dandy, a novelist, a brilliant debater and England's first and only Jewish prime minister:" ₂

"The Jews are a nervous people. Nineteen centuries of Christian love have taken a toll."

Will Durant, writing in The Age of Faith:

"In Constantinople, more Christians were slaughtered by Christians in the years 342-343 than by all the persecutions by pagans in the history of Rome."

Editor's note: We wonder about the accuracy of this quote. It is true that an army in the Fourth Crusade, authorized by the Pope in Rome, did sack Constantinople and kill a massive number of fellow Christians. However, this was in 1203/1204 CE.

Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist:

	"The bigotry of the nonbeliever is for me nearly as funny as the bigotry of the believer."
	"I have always believed that Jesus meant by the Kingdom of God the small group scattered all through time of intellectually and ethically valuable people."
	"A man who is convinced of the truth of his religion is indeed never tolerant. At the least, he is to feel pity for the adherent of another religion but usually it does not stop there. The faithful adherent of a religion will try first of all to convince those that believe in another religion and usually he goes on to hatred if he is not successful. However, hatred then leads to persecution when the might of the majority is behind it."

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References used:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. Bush was referring to the Army's decision to grant soldiers of all faith traditions equal rights. Following the requirements of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, they allowed Wiccans to hold religious rituals on an army base in Killeen, TX.
2. Taken from "Britannia: America's Gateway to the British Isles," at: http://www.britannia.com/bios/disraeli.html

List copyright © 2002 to 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.
Copyrights for the individual quotations held by their creators.
First published: 2002-FEB-19
Last updated and reviewed: 2009-NOV-14
Compiled by: B.A. Robinson

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