Ninth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

The ability to tolerate the religious creed of others is a requisite for harmonious and peaceful co-existence in a pluralistic state such as Nigeria, more so, among future police officers. This study asked: if ones’ religious orientation and personality traits play any significant role in religious tolerance. It is instructive that this study attempts to link traits, which literature is yet to relate to the criterion- religious tolerance. Standard measures of religious orientation, six personality traits and religious tolerance were administered to police cadets (N= 250, Age range = 18 to 28 years, Mean = 22.29, SD=2.167, 79% males). Result of hierarchical multiple regressions showed that some of these traits significantly predicted and accounted for variations in religious tolerance (Openness to experience: β = .255; Humility: β = .125; Intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation: βs = .192 & .142 respectively; all p-values < .05). As independent blocks (steps), Personality traits indicated: R-squared =.185, F (5, 244) = 10.096; Humility indicated: R-squared = .016, F (1, 243) = 4.542; and Religious orientation indicated: R-squared = .077, F (3, 240) = 7.746; all p-values < .05. Simply, some of the traits explained significant variance in religious tolerance. The capacity to put up with the religious beliefs and practices of others seems to come from peoples’ internal dispositions and the very way they practice their own different religion. In the light of these, it can be surmised that religious tolerance is a product of open-mindedness and adherence to wholesome religious values.