Religious Tolerance

Here's a fun premise: Christians are more tolerant of non-Christians than non-Christians are.

People who do not believe in the Christian faith ought to be thankful that this is a Christian country," Mr. [Tom] Minnery [vice president of public policy at Focus on the Family] said. "Christianity is voluntary. No Christian can force anybody to accept the Christian faith. "Christians, above all, recognize freedom of conscience. They realize some will turn away," he said. "Therefore, a country governed by Christian principles is a country that guards religious freedom religiously."

Clear as day. Obviously, lots of Christians are tolerant and understanding and loving and wonderful. Equally obviously, lots are not. And the history of Western Civilization raises some questions for Minnery's claim that "no Christian can force anybody to accept the Christian faith" -- it seems clear, at least, that some Christians can try. On the whole, are Christians more likely than non-Christians to be tolerant of non-Christians? That seems somewhat unlikely. On the whole, is a Christian government more likely to protect the religious freedoms of non-Christians than a secular one? That also seems unlikely.