Hop

The first is obviously that your solution to discrimination shouldn't be eradicating the difference. I get wanting no institutionalised religion, but personal beliefs SHOULD remain diverse and close to the individual.

The second is that I HATE when they assume that religions can't coexist. Because I've not only seen it happen, but also the differences make the people THRIVE.

For context, I'm greek catholic. We make up less than 1% of the population. We're called names like betouvinos and flaounos which signal to our originally poor status. After the ottoman attacks on chios and psara, rich orthodox people from these areas foynd refuge in Syros. They treated the catholics like dirt. They call us "Fragkosyrianoi" from the word "Fragkos", implying that they don't see us as real greeks because of our religion. The rest of greece is just as bad. I moved to Athens when I was 6 and I had to change schools because the parents didn't want their kids near a heretic. I can't count the times I've returned home bruised.

But you know what Syros did? When my parents were growing up? The people refused to keep up this idiocy. They refused to forget and sat down to make amends. They spoke up about the issues of the opressed and refused to continue the cycle. Then more different religions came. More different ethnicities. And the island refused to not embrace them. They refused to continue being ignorant and hateful. I go there every easter, summer, any chance I get, to see them not only accepting but FIGHTING for those who are different. I see palestinian flags and disability friendly pavements and people shaming and excluding bigots, refusing to be enablers.