Americans continue to be suspicious of the Mormon religion. What has changed is not the amount of trepidation but rather the commitment to tolerance.

The 21st century American religious narrative contextualizes the embedded tenants of tolerance, compassion, and respect. Today, Americans are no longer threatened by religious ideas and streams that differ from the traditional and historical faiths. Globalization, the internet, and sectarian violence have succeeded in transforming the pillars of religious orthodoxy from preservation via intolerance to preservation via accommodation.

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If the struggle of our lifetime, as some Muslim scholars have argued, is best defined as one between religious totalitarianism and religious pluralism rather than the Islamic World versus the West, then one must ask, what fundamental change can offer an alternative course?

Simply stated, the Muslim community may very well benefit from a Reformation, a Wittenberg moment of sorts in order to subjugate the impetus of the current transnational movement of militant Muslim totalitarianism. September 11th, 2001, provided an opportunity for the Martin Luthers within the Muslim community to rise up and post the grievances on the doors.

Surely, some argue that the reformation already commenced and what we are seeing on behalf of the militants is a counter reformation. For certain, change in the Muslim community will not come from Western intervention, prompting or coercion. Change in the Muslim community will come from within via a viable and sustainable reformation. A reformation that embraces pluralism and rejects totalitarianism.

At the end of day, Reformation stems from pluralism. Pluralism gives birth to tolerance, tolerance breeds respect and respect invites collaboration.

If the world’s major religions coalesce around the virtues of love, compassion, and forgiveness, then why does the early 21st century religious narrative witness hatred, apathy, and intolerance? Is this a case of religious dissonance?

It may very well be another Pollyanna articulation of faith; yet reality speaks otherwise. Arguably, while the world’s major religions may include the aforementioned virtues and traits within each corresponding belief system, the laity and the followers of these religions seem to ignore, neglect, or circumvent these virtues.

While some religions preach love, compassion and forgiveness to members of that particular community; great religions go beyond the framework of self-preservation and with audacious hope extend love, compassion, and forgiveness towards all.

At times, this generation bears witness to the hijacking of good faith by extreme ideologues. At the end of the day, if love, compassion, and forgiveness unite the world’s major religions, then the leaders of these religions have failed miserably to disseminate this message to the followers.

When the oracles of love, compassion, and forgiveness outnumber the prophets and evangelists of hatred and intolerance, then once again, religion will play a major role in reconciling humanity rather than separating God’s children.

Christ and The Cookie monster both stand as victims of 21st Century American political correctness. Surely these two characters, left uncensored, pose a serious threat that can undermine Western Civilization and catapult America into a downward spiral resulting in the collapse of our society as we know it. Or some may argue.

What is about the Christ that makes Americans so uncomfortable? What is about the boy in the manger that provokes us to convert a Christmas tree into a Holiday tree, Merry Christmas into Happy Holidays and Christmas break into Winter Recess?

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