Beth of Obeyance gives some insight from a discussion with a Hindu friend about various religions getting along. It’s probably one of the better analogies that I don’t agree with. 🙂
I have some nice friends of various faiths (or no faith at all) that I get along well with. We even discuss our faiths – a Hindu friend is happy to explain why he’s vegetarian, all of my my old Singapore friends were Budhist, and a new atheist has explained her basis of morality. It’s easy to get along as long as you don’t attack their beliefs. No matter what religion one is, attacking their beliefs sends them into a tizzy.
Someplace in the conversation I’m able to explain my faith, and how Jesus explains there is no way to Heaven except through him (which, explained to somebody that doesn’t believe in Heaven in the first place has almost no impact, I’ve found). So the first disagreement I’d have is that all the religions are not part of the same tower; one can’t have that view and the “Jesus is the only way” belief. Still, it’s a nice analogy and a model for us to get along.
The second disagreement would be “except for that one religion” part. I’ve had several Muslim co-workers over the years, all nice as can be. Farida, the Filipino, was very nice. If this was limited to “Muslim extremists” I would agree – Muslim extremists are even fighting Muslim moderates.
But the analogy of extremists wanting to “blow up the tower” is very apt.

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