From: CurtAdams@aol.com
Date: Sun Dec 26 1999 - 21:39:06 MST
In a message dated 12/26/1999 4:36:41 AM Central Standard Time,
asa@nada.kth.se writes:
> I don't think this is true. Intolerant small sects are abundant (as a
> rule, they become more intolerant the smaller they are), while Islam
> was much more tolerant than Christianity in the middle ages even when
> both dominated their societies totally.
Surprisingly, although Islam was the dominant religion, it was often a
minority religion during its scientific/tolerant era. Egypt, for example,
was majority Christian until the tenth century, over 300 years after the
Arabic conquest.
My impression is that small sects are usually tolerant simply as they
have no choice. Certainly Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are all
pro-tolerant in the minority but less so in dominance. Christianity
is more tolerant these days but I think Christian tolerance comes from
the gruesome and inconclusive Wars of the Reformation. Christianity
was in general extremely intolerant before.
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