Tolerance and Acceptance

I have recently come across a rather heated debate on religion, those who don't tolerate it and those who mock it. One person posted a response that basically stated that a person who mocks a religion is pretty much guaranteed a seat in hell (I'm paraphrasing here). I normally avoid discussing such topics, but felt compelled to voice my opinion this go 'round. The following is something I posted on a forum about a day ago:

I usually steer clear of religious debates since it rarely ends well, but I must admit that if it were left to us to decide who goes to hell or not, the entire earth would be a massive fireball.

I think it's unfortunate for anyone to be ridiculed for their personal beliefs--religious or otherwise. I like humor as much as the next person, but I also believe some things are sacred and shouldn't be made fun of--especially since such mocking can fuel violent actions and lead to intolerant behavior. Whether we like it or not, we all share one planet even though we don't share the same beliefs.

We get so wrapped up with trying to label each other instead of viewing each other as human beings. Not everyone chooses the same path in their lives and that's fine. What's important is what we do with our own. If we spend our entire lives trying to govern another person and dictate how they should live or the choices they should make, we often lose sight of our own lives. It's like being on the road and trying to drive someone else's car and your own at the same time--someone's liable to get hurt. Just because we all have different beliefs and views doesn't mean it's impossible to get along.