The State of Tolerance in America

A recent study determined that America is the most tolerant nation among developed nations. It is particularly interesting to evaluate just how that has come about. We recognize that, for the most part, we live in a melting pot in America. Unlike most other developed nations where there is a fairly homogeneous population, Americans experience exposure to people of other races, ethnicities and religions personally and through the media. At the workplace, in school, at the community center, at play, and while participating in communal projects, we are continually exposed to people of different races, ethnicities and religions. In fact, due to a significant increase in religious and racial inter-marriage, many of us have an Aunt Tilley or Cousin Jack who represents a cultural contrast within our family.

Breaking from the Religion of Parents

One particularly interesting statistic is that 41% of Americans no longer follow the religion of their parents or grandparents. Exposure to the beliefs of others has directly influenced these changes. Some changes in religious affiliation have resulted from inter-marriage. Others have come about because of schisms within the church that we were introduced to by our parents and grandparents. Mainline Protestant churches have been particular susceptible to these schisms. For instance, we now have 31 Lutherans organizations and 16 Baptist organizations. The figures are similar for Methodists and Presbyterians. There are said to be over 300 breakaway independent Catholic organizations, ranging from very liberal to very conservative.

Americans, as individuals, appear to want to follow a belief that is comfortable to them and aligns with their personal beliefs. Many others have joined independent mega-churches; these are defined as churches with over 2,000 members. The Evangelical movement in this country has attracted many followers from mainline religions. Others have thrown off religion and simply follow a spiritual path. That is belief without dogma.

Exposure to Other Beliefs

An excellent example of the influence of exposure to other beliefs is the fact that 34% of Americans have come to believe in reincarnation; while 22% of Christians have likewise come to accept belief in reincarnation. This exposure to Eastern religious philosophy has had a direct influence on the views of tradionalists.

Gallup Survey on Tolerance in America

How does this influence our sense of tolerance? The following are the definitions for categories that were studied in a Gallup Survey.  These definitions will help in the evaluation of the level of influence.

"Isolated" respondents as those that are unlikely to be members of any particular faith group and who tend to believe in the truth of their perspective above all others. They do not want to know about other religions. They also neither respect nor feel respected by those of other faiths.

"Tolerant" individuals that have a "live-and-let-live" attitude toward people of other faiths, and they generally feel that they treat others of different faiths with respect. However, they are not likely to learn from or about other religions.

"Integrated" respondents as those who go beyond a "live-and-let-live" attitude and actively seek to know more about and learn from others of different religious traditions. They believe that most faiths make a positive contribution to society. Furthermore, integrated people do not only feel respect toward people from other faith traditions, but they also feel respected by them.

The result of the study demonstrated that 52% of Americans were categorized as tolerant; 32% as integrated and just 15% as isolated. These numbers by far surpassed surveys of other nations.

Fostering Tolerance

The next step is to see if there are other influences besides exposure to diverse beliefs. It appears there are national and communal organizations hard at work fostering tolerance.

By far the oldest is Chautauqua Institution in Western New York State. Having initially set up as a training ground for Christian Sunday school teachers in the late 1800s, it has become an educational and recreational phenomenon. The Institution holds nine weeks of programs during the summer months. Each week has a different theme. There is an annual program on religion bringing in experts from around the world on the subject.

Practical programs have grown out of Chautauqua’s programming. St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Denver, Colorado drew on the Chautauqua experience and developed a community-wide program bringing members of the Christian faith, Judaism and Islam together in dialogue. It was not meant to convince one another of the superiority of one’s religion, but basically to increase understanding.

The Tanenbaum Center for Inter-Religious Understanding develops programs that have impacted the nations via delivery by other organizations. Likewise, Brandeis University Center “Creative Resources for Coexistence and Reconciliation” also makes its programming available.

Communal Diversity: Embracing Our Differences

An excellent example of a private, community sponsored program is one in Sarasota, Florida. An organization, Coexistence annually sponsors one of the most creative programs focused on diversity. It is called “Embracing Our Differences.” Under the leadership of Coexistence, they solicit visual artists from throughout the world to contribute themes that are placed on thirty nine billboards in a park located in the downtown Sarasota area for a month each year. In 2009, almost 2,000 artists representing 44 countries and 36 states submitted entries. Over 500 quotations were submitted. In this case, the art is being used as a catalyst to promote the value of communal diversity. The artists range from youth to accomplished artists. The creativity is extraordinary. Public support is widespread. It is estimated that more 700,000 have visited the displays since inception in 2004. School children get to visit the billboards, and then discuss the concepts when back in the classroom. They are supplied with prepared workbooks that are distributed to assist teachers in this effort. Additionally, Coexistence publishes a book featuring the posters and the poetic inspiration for each one.

Raising Awareness, and Tolerance

In addition to the efforts and accomplishments of institutions, individuals also work together to raise the consciousness and awareness of others within their community and to lay the groundwork for reconciliation and healing. This is not to say that more work wouldn’t be beneficial. It is likely that these types of programs will always be needed. What we can suggest is that the growing number of individuals that have become integrated and tolerant have largely influenced the landscape of America in making it the most tolerant Western nation.

Personally, I have found diversity in relationships integral to the person I have become. By not having treated race, ethnicity or religion as a barrier to association, I have formed lifelong friendships that have greatly enriched my life. I believe that this has also made me a better person. It has without question made me a happier person.

This article was written by the author of the book:

Spiritual Transformation in America: What it means to all of us
by Carol B. Green.

Click here for more info and/or to order this book.

About the Author

What inspired this book is Carol B. Green's intense interest in the current state of religious debate in our country. The United States is experiencing a period of transition in religious and spiritual beliefs, as well as in religious affiliations. In the years she spent researching and writing Spiritual Transformation in America, she became committed to organizing this information to enable others that are similarly motivated to better understand these changes and to identify the impact on their lives. Visit her website at www.carolbgreen.com.