Intolerance of Religious Intolerance

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I am not sure what bothers me more; religious intolerance of secular beliefs, or intolerance of religion for its own sake. In this regard, I am quite neutral on issues of theology. While I maintain as rational a position as I can on the unknown, I am also not as likely to dismiss something simply because I can not physically touch it. I am agnostic to religion, but also to atheism. I see neither as right nor wrong, simply two systems of belief that can potentially coexist. Dismissing other perspectives off the cuff is a display of ignorance. 

Unfortunately, there are those in both camps that seem determined to position themselves aggressively toward anything that differs from their own position, never giving in to even discussions about positions or ideas that differ from their own. Tolerance does not imply acceptance of diversity, but it is a good start. 

Evil begets evil. 

There are parallels in the political sphere here as well, with the devout left- and right-wing followers believing that theirs is the only true faith. This is why I tend to be agnostic not only toward faith, but toward top-down social systems as well. 

Society can thrive in absence or abundance of faith, but faith can also be used as a weapon to destroy diversity and beauty in the world, and there is a history of such tragedy. As one political ideology after another professes to be the one true social faith, we need to remember that only by promoting voluntary society can we realize the same sort of social harmony that sometimes exists theologically.