Real respect for others beliefs [View all]
If I hear the words "Merry Christmas", I do not assume any motivation other than a seasonal greeting.
If I hear "God bless you" after a sneeze, I do not assume any motivation other than courtesy.
If I hear "God damn" in a conversation, or "go to hell", I do not assume that the speaker is asking God to damn me, or that the speaker is praying that I go to hell.
If, as regularly happens, a person comes to my door with a religious pamphlet, I do not assume that they are attacking my own faith or even asking what faith I might have. That has literally never happened. What happens is that they ask if they can talk to me about whatever it is that they believe. When I say no, I am not interested, as I always do, they thank me for my time and wish me a good day.
And that is the entirety of the interaction.
It seems to me that true tolerance lies in not assuming any negative motivation on the part of another unless there is direct evidence of such negative motivation.
Others may disagree. Others may feel that there is literally no place for any personal expression of faith outside of the home, and they are welcome to those undoubtedly sincere feelings.