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oa Are religious people intolerant?
An empirical study of the perceptions of committed religious and humanist youth in the Netherlands and Flanders
- Amsterdam University Press
- Source: NTT Journal for Theology and the Study of Religion, Volume 74, Issue 1, Mar 2020, p. 39 - 65
Abstract
The central question in this article is: ‘Are committed young Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and humanists in the Netherlands and Flanders intolerant towards other groups?’ To answer this question, we analyse survey data and interviews collected in this research population. We first look at intergroup attitudes, which mainly show a pluralist approach towards the plurality of worldviews. Subsequently, we discuss the levels of religiocentrism and perceived intergroup threat among these young people. Finally, we search the interviews for practical examples concerning interviewees’ willingness to accept a plurality of worldviews in the public square. Although liberal values are dominant, much depends on the specific topic and how it is presented in the media. Generally, interviewees are tolerant towards other worldviews.