Religious pluralism is the state of being where every individual in a religiously diverse society has the rights, freedoms, and safety to worship, or not, according to their conscience.

Conditions for the Existence of Religious Plurality

• One of the necessary conditions for the existence of religious pluralism is the existence of freedom of religion. Religious diversity can exist only if there is freedom of religion. To have freedom of religion it is not necessary that an individual religion accepts that other religions are legitimate or that freedom of religion and religious plurality in general are good things. What is necessary is that religions accept to coexist, acting within a commonly accepted law of a particular region. Freedom of religion exists when different religions of a particular region possess the same rights of worship and public expression.
• Some argue that religious freedom alone is not enough for religious pluralism to flourish. For religious pluralism to flourish there has to be mutual respect between different religious traditions. The required respect can be promoted by societal and theological change aimed to overcome religious differences between religions and denominations within the same religion. Such a change can be introduced by a non-literal view of one’s religious traditions and by emphasizing fundamental principles rather than more marginal issues. It is basically an attitude which rejects focus on immaterial differences, and instead gives respect to those beliefs held in common. It is clear that in such an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation religious pluralism can flourish.

Conditions That Hinder Religious Pluralism

• If religious freedom and respect for other religions promote religious pluralism, absence of religious freedom shuts out religious pluralism. In atheist countries there can be no religious pluralism, since in such countries there can be no religion at all.
• Another factor that hinders religious pluralism is exclusivism. Exclusivist religions teach that theirs is the only way to truth and salvation; some of them would even argue that it is the duty of a true believer to wage jihad against the falsehoods taught by other religions. Some fundamentalist groups like the Taliban argue fiercely against other religions and teach that religious practices of liberal Muslims and of other religions are pernicious. This attitude led to the destruction of the Alexandrian library by Caliph Omar and of the ancient Buddha statues of Bamyan as well as to the Crusades and witch hunt of the Early Modern Period. Exclusivism cannot see any good in other religions or tolerate them. It is easy to see that where such an attitude prevails, there can be no religious pluralism. This situation obtains in certain Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia where no religion other than Islam is permitted.
• A lesser form of exclusivism consists in giving one religion or denomination special rights that are denied to others. This situation obtains in certain Islamic countries where Shariat law is promulgated. Though less deplorable than exclusivism, this sort of preferential treatment is detrimental to religious pluralism.

Examples

• Religious pluralism can be witnessed in many countries around the world where immigrants from different cultural backgrounds are welcomed. For example, in the United States, there are several cities which are referred to as ‘Little Italy’ or ‘ChinaTown’ where immigrants from those countries reside in these cities while keeping up with their cultural identities. Moreover, there are some native American tribes in the US with a separate government who have preserved their traditions and religious beliefs for their future generations. Thus, the United States can be seen as a ‘melting pot’ where the locals and the immigrants are living in harmony while maintaining their cultural and religious identities.
• India can be seen as the best example of religious pluralism. It is a nation with a Hindu majority but it is also home to various minority groups with different religious and cultural backgrounds. India is a nation with deep communal history, yet it is one of the largest democracies in the world where every religion is considered equal. However, the idea of secularism faces difficulties every day in such a nation where communal identity is more prevalent than national identity. In India, secularism cannot exist peacefully because the private and the public always flow into each other. Pluralism in India is resulting in intense religious fundamentalism and intolerance among the masses.
• The foundation of pluralism is the harmonious coexistence of religious groups, their cooperation, understanding, and mutual respect that contribute to a better world. The supporters of pluralism believe that there can be many ways to reach salvation. Reality can have different interpretations according to different religious groups. On the other hand, critics argue that pluralism can often result in the creation of communal differences.