This article:
Religious Freedom and Tolerance   Definitions    Anticult/Countercult organizations and Freedom of Religion
Apologetics and Religious Freedom/Tolerance   Religious Pluralism and Religious Diversity   

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The concepts of religious freedom and tolerance - allowing individuals to believe in, practice, and promote the religion of choice without repercussions - are legitimate and worthwhile.

However, in recent years, certain organizations (e.g. Unification Church and the Church of Scientology) have tried to use these concepts in their efforts to a) prevent or attack critical evaluations of their teachings and practices, and b) to militate against efforts to establish guidelines or laws governing such issues as unethical recruitment tactics, fraudulent fund raising, and other unlawful acts.

Aided by cult apologists (e.g. CESNUR, J. Gordon Melton, and Jeffrey K. Hadden) and certain governments (notably, the United States of America), these movements also use the concept of "religious freedom" in trying to force sovereign countries to accept them as legitimate religious organizations.

In evaluating claims of "persecution" and "intolerance," it is helpful to keep the following definitions in mind:

• Religious Freedom
  The freedom of individuals to believe in, practice, and promote the religion of choice without (government) interference, harrassment, or other repercussions - as long as practices based on, or resulting from, those beliefs do not break the law (e.g. do not encourage or result in fraud, tax evasion, murder, terrorism, acts designed to undermine the government or the constitution, the use of unethical persuasion tactics, etcetera).

• Religious Persecution
  The practice of discouraging religious freedom and the freedom to express and/or promote all or certain religious beliefs - with repercussions ranging from discrimination and harassment to prevention and prosecution (by legal and/or illegal means). Does not cover legitimate legal measures designed to prevent and/or prosecute illegal practices such as fraud, tax evasion, murder, terrorism, acts designed to undermine the government or the constitution, the use of unethical persuasion tactics, etcetera.

• Religious Intolerance
  a) Refusing to acknowledge and support the right of individuals to have their own beliefs and related legitimate practices.
  b) Also, the unwillingness to have one's own beliefs and related practices critically evaluated.
  The following do not constitute religious intolerance:
  • Excercizing the right to challenge a religion's claims (e.g. regarding alleged compatibility with, or superiority over, other religious beliefs)
  • Condemning and disallowing illegal practices
  • Rejecting a movement's claim to be a ''religion'' when there is sufficient evidence showing religion is used as a cover (e.g. the Church of Scientology).

• Religious Tolerance
  Acknowledging and supporting that individuals have the right and freedom to their own beliefs and related legitimate practices, without necessarily validating those beliefs or practices.

Cults and their defenders frequently charge that anticult- and countercult professionals are "anti-religion." The facts, however, show otherwise.

• Anticult organizations and individuals generally fight cults for reasons other than theological ones. Their prime concern is with the sociological (behavioral) aspects of cults.

• Countercult organizations and individuals for the most part have an evangelical, Christian background, and primarily oppose cults for religious/doctrinal reasons.

Since they operate from different perspectives, anticult and countercult professionals do not always agree on what constitutes a cult. After all, the former evaluate movements using sociological and psychological criteria, while the latter do so using theological standards.

Often, though, concerns overlap. For instance, a movement like the International Churches of Christ is considered cultic by those who evaluate it sociologically, as well as by those who consider theology only. It should be noted that countercultists generally are more apt to also look at a movement's sociological aspects, whereas non-Christian anticultists are - understandably - not as willing to include theological considerations.

But neither group is, as cultists claim, "anti-religious."

Such baseless claims illustrate the revisionist tactics used by cults and their supporters. Under the guise of promoting "religious freedom," they have in recent years launched vigorous attacks against the anticult- and countercult movements. By trying to portray these movements as "anti-religious" "hate groups" motivated by "intolerance" and led by "bigots", cults and cult apologists alike are themselves actively promoting - and engaging in - misinformation, bigotry, hate speech, and intolerance. A prime example of this approach is Scientology's so-called "Cult Awareness Network."

Apologetics Index is part of, and supports, the countercult movement. It also supports the legitimate concerns and lawful actions of the anticult movement.

Apologetics is the logical presentation and defense of a particular belief system. Thus, Christian apologetics is the intelligent presentation and defense of the historical Christian faith.

The publisher of Apologetics Index supports the right to freedom of religion in thought and expression, but also the right and freedom to present relevant information about religions, movements, leaders, doctrines, and practices in order to help people make informed decisions about various belief systems and world views. In our case, that information is provided from an orthodox, evangelical Christian point of view.

Such information includes pointing out significant doctrinal differences between historical Christianity and, say, religions that claim to be compatible with it. In addition, we believe it is important that people know how to tell apart destructive cults and abusive sects from other religious movements.

Those who deny others the right to hold and express religious views that challenge the validity of competing and/or contradictory religious views, in so doing promote religious intolerance. Supporting legitimate legal actions against unlawful practices (e.g. fraud, tax evasion, murder, terrorism, acts designed to undermine the government or the constitution, the use of unethical persuasion tactics, etcetera) does not constitute religious intolerance.

We must also take a look at the concepts of religious pluralism and religious diversity:

• Religious Diversity
  The concept that society includes and allows for a plurality of religious beliefs, movements, and expressions.

• Religious Pluralism The theory that there are more than one or more than two kinds of ultimate reality and/or truth - and that therefore more than one religion can be said to have the truth (way to God, salvation, etcetera).

Acknowledging and allowing religious diversity is a necessary component of religious freedom and religious tolerance. However, in recent years, revisionist have attempted to subtly change the meaning of these concepts. Charles Colson observes:

And Anglican theologian John Stott noted:

The publisher of Apologetics Index agrees with Charles Colson when he concludes:

At the very least, the attempts by cults and their defenders redefine any of these concepts in such as way that their beliefs and actions can not be examined, evaluated, and countered, should be be challenged by Christians and non-Christians alike.

- Articles -

Are Evangelism, Missions, and Apologetics a Hate Crime? An overview of recent media portrayals of evangelical fulfillment of the Great Commission. From Watchman Fellowship
Are you tolerant? (Should you be?) by Daniel Taylor, professor of literature at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the Jan. 11, 1999 issue of Christianity Today "Deconstructing the gospel of tolerance."
The Ugly Side of Tolerance by Charles Colson, in the March 6, 2000 issue of Christianity Today. "How to be offensive without really trying."

- See Also -

» Council of Europe advisory on Illegal Activities of Sects
» France's cult crimes law
» France to crack down on sects
» Interfaith Activities and Interreligious Dialogue
» Religious Intolerance
» Religious Persecution
» Religious Pluralism
» Religious Tolerance
» U.S., the Germans - and Scientology, San Francisco Examiner, May 13, 2000 (Editorial)