Religious pluralism: Religious wars and religious tolerance

Abstract

One of the permanent paradoxes of human history is that during several thousand years religious pluralism was one of the major causes of conflicts and wars and a challenge for eventual religious tolerance, which seemed to be just a well-wishing attempt (that could not be permanently established, so far). Thus, one can follow two lines - the history of religious conflicts and wars, and the history of (religious) tolerance (or standpoints which advocate tolerance, in particular religious tolerance). Although one can find examples of ideas of tolerance in various times and cultures, one can also find religious conflicts and wars repeating in various times and cultures, from very ancient times, to present day.