Religious Tolerance Practices: A Case Study of Family With Different Religions in Toraja Ethnicity South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia is a plural country and becomes the foundation to build and manage tolerance in various aspects of life. It applies in overcoming conflicts between adherents of different religions, although it still happens in some cases. Indonesian society has a history of living side by side with one another. Therefore, the country does not rule out intermarriage between different religions, both among relatives and among the wider community. The results of previous studies indicated that intermarriage of different religions in Indonesia resulted in a family life which was based on religious differences, living in harmony/tolerance environment. This scenario can be seen within the Toraja ethnic of South Sulawesi Province. Compared to the previous studies, this study mainly analyses the practice of building and managing tolerance by using constructivism approaches or theories. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with a sample of four Toraja ethnic families. The results show that each of the four families interviewed has a history of practicing tolerance among family members. Religion of the children born from interfaith marriages was not always determined by the parents. There are also parents who give freedom to children to choose their own religion or by agreement. When the children grow up, they have the freedom to choose the religion of their own belief and their family or other relatives will accept it with tolerance.

Keywords: Family, Different Religions, Interfaith Marriage