By Jacob Waiswa Buganga
I may have to narrow this down to reasons, justification and human development gaps of either of the two.
One maybe intolerant just because they have no new alternative to life as convincing as what they already know, and any new positions are threats to one's own, also perceived as having best explanation to life and determinant of existence. Any new, alternative view acts as a threat thus of other individual or group existence cannot be tolerated.
After a considerable period of observations and interactions, disagreeing parties are able to learn about limits of interaction and boundaries, opening up new knowledge presented by other party for a difference over what is known, learning and identifying areas of common needs and interests to nurture across the positional divide.
Overtime there comes a time when areas of cooperation are stronger than positions and each position begins to adopt interesting features in each other, mixing up traditions' elements for what can help all to survive and live together in peace on the basis of respect of boundaries, space a and time for nurturing co-existence values, relationships and goals.
Indeed religions are only a subject matter that can be identified and given its place separate from the human being. That way, it is easier to develop better religion time and again as we adapt it or them to new global challenges.
The moment we fuse religion with the being and with it part of the being, it complicates efforts to discern outdated, antisocial and anti-ecological aspects of religion, or even anti-peace religious elements as life continues to evolve. This is so as religions attain more personal, group and organisation values or culture and textures than any thing else. At this point, it will be easy to reserve humanity as superior to these other so called religious, given the fears associated with those sophisticated processes of religions.
More to say, religions and their out of control rituals demands are very enslaving than humanity is demeaned and threatened or even destroyed. Here the question of rationality comes into play.
Without humanity there cannot be good religions. Of course, no 'liberty', no innovations and above all, no development.
Ubuntuism is an interesting case for humanity, at such times when it is abused under the guise of religious or faith groups, and its irreversible, sometimes irrational values by aspects of religion; their competitiveness, unwavering strive to dominate others rather than respect, cooperate and work together towards better beings, render religions, indeed, unfashionable and lacking future in the World of the sane, the peaceful, holistically and sustainably developed.
Ubuntuism is a foundation of human existence as defined from interactions with non-human beings to achieve life meaning and peace - both immediate and eternal. In Africa, the foundation of Ubuntu is still strong despite introduction of new religious movements by the outside world. New religious movements act mostly on the sensory levels and trying to take them deeper causes unsustainable conflict -instead. Ubuntu represents human-nature and supernature interaction from earliest times, and experiences formed to understand evolutionary states and development conflict in order to thrive into highest states of peace as individuals, families and communities.
Across Africa, it is still alive, awake and often rises from the subconscious levels to influence new religious and faith movements to operate in its way. Ubuntu is functional humanity. While the philosophy is African, it is possible practice that it is practiced elsewhere since the strive for humanity is universal.
Africa socialism and socialism elsewhere, or even Buddhism have a harmonious point of intersection. It is a "religion" and philosophy but best understood as a philosophy.
Particularly, as an academic and researcher, Ubuntuism is a very exciting aspect to adventure into and inform best yourself and World of knowledge.
Religious intolerance and tolerance, then, represent development level conflict elements present for anyone to encounter, experience and discern in order to get to the next levels -evolutionary and revolutionary. From being religiously intolerant individuals become tolerant as part of the adaptation process to survive and thrive.
Therefore, it is important to have ego states in check and at rest, understanding, respect and build relationships basing on positives and common goals as key to building religious tolerance, achieving sustainable peace and development.
Rooting for good Buddhism in Africa. http://www.buddhistmissionafrica.org/events/bma-fundraiser/ http://www.facebook.com/buddhistmissionafrica