We need true religious tolerance, not religious pluralism

Our PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak

Religious pluralism is once again in the limelight following our Prime Minister's well-publicised warning to Muslims against religious pluralism. Reaction to the PM's statement has been mixed - understandably, even from within Christian circles.

Some appear to link the fact of Malaysia being a pluralistic nation to a supposed necessary implication: embracing a truly Malaysia spirit therefore means embracing religious pluralism. However, such a leap appear to misunderstand what religious pluralism truly entails, as well as what it means to truly embrace people of other faiths with true neighbourly spirit.

Why religious pluralism cannot deliver

While addressing the challenge of pluralism, John Dickson helpfully points out some problems with the two forms of pluralism commonly advocated:

1. With popular pluralism, i.e. the idea that all religions are the same, Dickson points out a fundamental problem:

The basic problem with popular pluralism is that in trying to affirm all religions IT PAYS CLOSE ATTENTION TO NONE.

 (EMPHASIS mine)

Dickson goes on to cite examples of how Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism differ on the very fundamental issue of whether there is many or one or no God! Likewise, the central Christian belief of the incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus as the Christ is clearly disputed by Judaism and Islam. These are just the tip of the iceberg of the many many contradictions once closer attention is paid to each religious faith.

Truth of the matter is this:

... in reality you can only insist on the harmony of the great religions (popular pluralism) by ignoring some of their most important beliefs.

Popular pluralism crumbles upon closer scrutiny.

2. Dickson mentions a second and more sophisticated approach to pluralism, what he terms 'sophisticated pluralism', which operates on the following premise:

... while there are few explicit ideas common to world religions, there is an implicit BIG IDEA [i.e. spiritual reality] made apparent by them all ... Individual religions do not describe this reality; they merely express a longing to experience it. They are spiritual emblems.

(EMPHASIS his)

Dickson points out that, while at first glance, sophisticated pluralism may seem to offer what so many want - a way of thinking about all religions as equally valid - this brand of pluralism is actually assuming an intellectual higher ground that exceeds all of the world's religions.

although the world religions are entitled to their perceptions of Reality (believing in Christ, Buddha, etc.), the truth of the situation, understood only by the pluralist, is that this Reality defies their attempts to describe and embrace it.

Pluralism, in other words, claims to have discovered a bigger truth that none of the religions has observed before; it then suggests that the smaller truths the religions thought they could see (Jesus' death for sins, for example) are in fact mistaken ...

In other words, sophisticated pluralism essentially renders all world religions (except pluralism) as fundamentally wrong. At the end of the day, it is deeply arrogant, and hugely offensive.

The alternative to religious pluralism: true tolerance

Despite the flaws of religious pluralism, many continue to advocate for it out of fear of what they think is the alternative: religious intolerance. Examples are often cited from history on the horrible violence that resulted from those who held their religion to be the only truth - hence the attractiveness of the pluralist's response that there really is no absolute truth (except pluralism!).

But Dickson points out that there is a better path to true neighbourliness in our pluralistic age than religious pluralism: true tolerance.

Tolerance does not involve treating another person's opinion as valid; it involves treating with kindness and respect someone whose opinion you believe to be untrue and invalid.

True tolerance is the ability to treat with friendship and respect those with whom you disagree. 

 I am inclined to agree with him.