Religious Intolerance Quotes

“To Judaism Christians ascribe the glory of having been the first religion to teach a pure monotheism. But monotheism existed long before the Jews attained to it. Zoroaster and his earliest followers were monotheists, dualism being a later development of the Persian theology. The adoption of monotheism by the Jews, which occurred only at a very late period in their history, was not, however, the result of a divine revelation, or even of an intellectual superiority, for the Jews were immeasurably inferior intellectually to the Greeks and Romans, to the Hindus and Egyptians, and to the Assyrians and Babylonians, who are supposed to have retained a belief in polytheism. This monotheism of the Jews has chiefly the result of a religious intolerance never before equaled and never since surpassed, except in the history of Christianity and Mohammedanism, the daughters of Judaism. Jehovistic priests and kings tolerated no rivals of their god and made death the penalty for disloyalty to him. The Jewish nation became monotheistic for the same reason that Spain, in the clutches of the Inquisition, became entirely Christian.”
― John E. Remsburg, Christ

“I mean, that guy who wants to be President, that Jarret, he would call you all heathens or pagans or something."

Indeed, he would. “Yes,” I said. “He does seem to enjoy calling people things like that. Once he’s made everyone who isn’t like him sound evil, then he can blame them for problems he knows they didn’t cause. That’s easier than trying to fix the problems.”
― Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Talents

“Jarret supporters have been known, now and then, to form mobs and burn people at the stake for being witches. Witches! In 2032! A witch, in their view, tends to be a Moslem, a Jew, a Hindu, a Buddhist, or, in some parts of the country, a Mormon, a Jehovah’s Witness, or even a Catholic. A witch may also be an atheist, a “cultist,” or a well-to-do eccentric. Well-to-do eccentrics often have no protectors or much that’s worth stealing. And “cultist” is a great catchall term for anyone who fits into no other large category, and yet doesn’t quite match Jarret’s version of Christianity. Jarret’s people have been known to beat or drive out Unitarians, for goodness’ sake. Jarret condemns the burnings, but does so in such mild language that his people are free to hear what they want to hear. As for the beatings, the tarring and feathering, and the destruction of “heathen houses of devil-worship,” he has a simple answer: “Join us! Our doors are open to every nationality, every race! Leave your sinful past behind, and become one of us. Help us to make America great again.” He’s had notable success with this carrot-and-stick approach. Join us and thrive, or whatever happens to you as a result of your own sinful stubbornness is your problem.”
― Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Talents

“Stalin and Kim made human idols of themselves because they believed, as utopian idealists always do, in the ultimate goodness of themselves and the unchallengeable rightness of their decisions. There was no higher power, and so there could be no higher law. If people disagreed with them, it was because those people were in some way defective--insane, malignant, or mercenary. The rulers could not tolerate actual religion, because they could not tolerate any rival authority or any rival source or judge of goodness, gratitude, and justice.”
― Peter Hitchens

“I have zero tolerance for intolerance - If you want me to acknowledge you as a human being, first learn to behave like a human being.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Vande Vasudhaivam: 100 Sonnets for Our Planetary Pueblo

“Christ stands for love and compassion, christian nationalism is Christ's death.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Tum Dunya Tek Millet: Greatest Country on Earth is Earth

“Atheism has never been the focus in any of my work. If your own exploration of nature and the universe makes you outgrow the influence of ancestral myths, that's great - if not, it doesn't matter to me one bit. So long as you are a decent human being, your psychological necessity of a personal deity or the lack of it, is irrelevant outside our personal life.

If you stop believing in God, that won't magically make you a better person than you already are - in the same way - if you start believing in God, it won't magically make you a better person than you already are. Neither faith nor intellect makes a person good - if a person is good, they know how to use their faith or intellect for good. So, I repeat, what's needed, is not the end of religion, but the end of religious intolerance.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Yaralardan Yangın Doğar: Explorers of Night are Emperors of Dawn

“All scriptures are blasphemy, when peddled as exclusive, infallible handbook to divinity.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Dervis Vadisi: 100 Promissory Sonnets

“She seemed to feel now, what she had only vaguely suspected before, the restraint which would be put upon her the moment she should submit to his will.

Must you know why I have broken down and run away? she said at last. Well I will tell you. It was because, after a violent struggle with myself, I found I could not enter a church without a feeling of-- of hostility. I can only be friendly by staying away from it. I felt as though it were pat of a different world. You will be angry with me for saying it, but I never saw you conduct a service without feeling as though you were a priest in a Pagan temple centuries apart from me. At any moment I half expected to see you bring out a goat or a ram and sacrifice it on the high altar. How could I, with such ideas, join you at communion?

Her little speech was not meant in ridicule of Hazard, but it stung him to the quick.

What you call Pagan is to me proof of an eternal truth handed down by tradition and divine revelation, he said at length. But the mere ceremonies need not stand in your way. Surely you can disregard them and feel the truths behind.

Oh yes! answered Esther, plunging still deeper into the morass. The ceremonies are picturesque and I could get used to them, but the doctrines are more Pagan than the ceremonies. Now I have hurt your feeling enough, and will say no more. What I have said proves that I am not fit to be your wife. Let me go in peace!”
― Henry Adams, Esther

“Religion organized is religion lost..”
― Abhijit Naskar, Mukemmel Musalman: Kafir Biraz, Peygamber Biraz

“Interfaith dialogue doesn't mean, 'come, let me tell you something about my faith.' Interfaith dialogue means, 'come, tell me something about your faith - I want to learn - I want to grow'.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Mukemmel Musalman: Kafir Biraz, Peygamber Biraz

“I have found unorthodoxy to be quite rare in the domain of religion, yet that very unorthodoxy is what brings religion to life, whereas orthodoxy turns religion into a vessel of death.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Girl Over God: The Novel

“Theology is my second faith,
My first faith is interfaith.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Visvavictor: Kanima Akiyor Kainat

“Hijab and Habit are both
symbols of sacred humility,
Yet the latter receives respect,
while the former faces cruelty.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Visvavictor: Kanima Akiyor Kainat

“Khalsa isn't Khalistan
(The Sonnet)

Khalsa means freedom from hate,
Khalistan means nationalizing hate.
Christ stands for love and compassion,
Chistian nationalism is Christ's death.

Sanatana Dharma is advaita sanskriti,
that is, a culture of nonsectarianism,
Hindutva means mindless saffronization.
Islam means working for peace and welfare,
Islamism is the ruin of synchronization.

Intolerance is a worldwide pandemic,
only terminologies vary culture to culture.
Vaccine for the mightiest swords of hate,
is the gentle glint of one heart, hatebuster.

Give me ten unarmed transformers of love and light,
I shall wipe out hate from its roots of fright.”
― Abhijit Naskar

“Khalsa means freedom from hate,
Khalistan means nationalizing hate.
Christ stands for love and compassion,
Chistian nationalism is Christ's death.
Sanatana Dharma is advaita sanskriti,
that is, a culture of nonsectarianism,
Hindutva means mindless saffronization.
Islam means working for peace and welfare,
Islamism is the ruin of synchronization.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Tum Dunya Tek Millet: Greatest Country on Earth is Earth

“If you stop believing in God, that won't magically make you a better person than you already are - in the same way - if you start believing in God, it won't magically make you a better person than you already are. Neither faith nor intellect makes a person good - if a person is good, they know how to use their faith or intellect for good. So, I repeat, what's needed, is not the end of religion, but the end of religious intolerance.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Yaralardan Yangın Doğar: Explorers of Night are Emperors of Dawn

“Over the years I have walked and explored various uncharted territories of integration, but for some inexplicable reason, I find myself drawn back to my psychological homebase - to my original intervention - the original purpose for which Naskar was born - the purpose of religious assimilation.

That is why, atheism has never been the focus in any of my work. If your own exploration of nature and the universe makes you outgrow the influence of ancestral myths, that's great - if not, it doesn't matter to me one bit. So long as you are a decent human being, your psychological necessity of a personal deity or the lack of it, is irrelevant outside our personal life.

If you stop believing in God, that won't magically make you a better person than you already are - in the same way - if you start believing in God, it won't magically make you a better person than you already are. Neither faith nor intellect makes a person good - if a person is good, they know how to use their faith or intellect for good. So, I repeat, what's needed, is not the end of religion, but the end of religious intolerance.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Yaralardan Yangın Doğar: Explorers of Night are Emperors of Dawn

“What's needed, is not the end of religion, but the end of religious intolerance.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Yaralardan Yangın Doğar: Explorers of Night are Emperors of Dawn

“Every religion is right religion, or none are.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Dervis Vadisi: 100 Promissory Sonnets

“By saying your religion is the only right religion,
you only prove, your religion is the wrong religion.
Religion as an excuse for separation is always wrong,
till you transcend religion, all faith is delusion.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Dervis Vadisi: 100 Promissory Sonnets

“By saying your religion is the only right religion, you only prove, your religion is the wrong religion.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Dervis Vadisi: 100 Promissory Sonnets

“Islam means working for peace and welfare,
Islamism is the ruin of synchronization.
Sanatana Dharma is advaita sanskriti,
that is, a culture of nonsectarianism,
Hindutva means mindless saffronization.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Tum Dunya Tek Millet: Greatest Country on Earth is Earth

“Christ ain’t a cult but a voice against animosity.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Little Planet on The Prairie: Dunya Benim, Sorumluluk Benim

“What an irony in that the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims remain doctrinally sundered by their self-same Semitic God and the diverse pantheon of Hindu deities render their respective devotees into the social fold of sanatana dharma!”
― B.S. Murthy

“What an irony in that their self-same God turns Jews, Christians and Muslims religiously antagonistic to each other and the pantheon of diverse Hindu deities unifies their respective devotees in sanatana dharma’s social fold!”
― BS Murthy

“What’s needed, is not the end of religion, but the end of religious intolerance.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Yaralardan Yangın Doğar: Explorers of Night are Emperors of Dawn

“There is no original sin except organized religion.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The God Sonnets: Naskar Art of Theology

“Don't take a hammer to the pulpit, to defy those selling mindless creed, just don't visit, it's that simple - because vandalizing pulpits is just as fanatic as religious fanaticism.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The God Sonnets: Naskar Art of Theology

“Don't take a hammer to the pulpit, to defy those selling mindless creed, just don't visit, it's that simple - because vandalizing pulpits is just as fanatic as religious fanaticism. Mocking faith doesn't end fanaticism, extremism doesn't cure extremism.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The God Sonnets: Naskar Art of Theology