Our Definition of Religious Intolerance

Religious intolerance is prejudice against individuals or groups based on religious convictions, affiliations or practices. This prejudice can manifest as violent action and/or intimidation, with the intent to deny the right to practice religion freely or to deny basic human rights. Religious intolerance can also take the form of propaganda, hateful speech or any other means of disseminating discriminatory ideologies. While these prejudices can be formally endorsed by particular groups, there are subtler forms of intolerance informally embedded within a larger cultural context, such as stereotyping or scapegoating. While one’s religious sensibilities can inform discriminatory thoughts or actions, holding one’s beliefs to be absolutely true is not in itself intolerant; rather it is when those beliefs are used to deny the rights of others that constitutes religious intolerance.

Manifestations of Religious Intolerance

Religious intolerance can take many forms. We have created the following list, which includes just a few of the ways religious intolerance manifests in the United States.

• Lynching
• Murder
• Bombings
• Attacks
• Mob Violence
• Cross Burning
• Vandalism
• Threatening notes and letters
• Parades
• Public Protests
• Publications: books, pamphlets, posters
• Hate speech
• False Charges and Allegations
• Legislation
• Court Rulings

Other Definitions of Intolerance

“The fact or habit of not tolerating or enduring (something); inability, or unwillingness, to tolerate or endure some particular thing; incapacity of endurance.”  ~The Oxford English Dictionary

“A denial of the right to differ.”  ~Olivier Burckhardt

“An unwillingness to recognize and respect differences in opinions or beliefs; an inclination to criticize opposing opinions and and excessive intolerance of opposing views; narrow mindedness, bigotry, dogmatic.”  ~Debra P. Blackwell

“Unable or unwilling to endure; unwilling to grant equal freedom of expression especially in religious matters; unwilling to grant or share social, political, or professional rights:  bigoted.” ~Merriam-Webster

Other Definitions of Religious Intolerance

“Not respecting the fundamental human right of other people to hold religious beliefs that are different from your own.” ~Religioustolerance.org

“Religious intolerance is the refusing to acknowledge and support the right of individuals to have their own beliefs and related legitimate practices and the unwillingness to have one’s own beliefs and related practices critically evaluated.”  ~Sexual Assault Centre of Brant

“The practice of keeping others from acting in accordance with their religious beliefs.”  ~Stanford’s Encyclopedia of Philosophy