The Caribbean is diverse which ranges from the mainland territories to the archipelagos. There are many ways one can define the Caribbean. The location of the Caribbean is one reason which contributes to its diversity. However, the European colonizers have made a significant impact on the Caribbean from the exploitation of the indigenous people to independence, this influence can be seen today. The Caribbean today is impacted by intolerance and mistrust on a large scale. One can understand this by relating history, society and its impact on identity. One aspect of intolerance and mistrust can be viewed through religion.

The Caribbean is dominated by Christianity which was the acceptable religion that emerged from the arrival of the Europeans during their exploration. Spain, France, and England were the governments of maritime nations. These nations financed seafaring trips which consisted of numerous ships and sailors who ventured out into unexplored and dangerous waters. One of the main factors which influenced the exploration of the New World was the religious, economic and political ideologies at that point in time. Other factors included the development of nautical techniques, reconquest, and renaissance. The reconquest can be seen in the eleventh century when the Muslim empire declined because of the conflict which leads to division. The Spaniards took advantage of the fall of the Muslim stronghold of Granada and were successful in reclaiming Granada. Also, the Spanish attempted to convert the people on the newly found land to Christianity. In 1492, the Spaniards were successful in completing the religious was against the Muslim  Moors in Europe. The Spaniards were also interested in bullionism and the three G’s: God, Gold, and Glory. This is evidence of intolerance because the Spaniards were unwilling to accept the beliefs of the Muslims. However, to a small extent, religious intolerance can be viewed from the perspective of the East Indian indentured labourers. Hindu and Islam religion was viewed as paganism and their laws were criticized. Although the Europeans views were negative towards the indentured labourers, they were still able to exercise their religious freedom. In the colonial era, Roman Catholicism was used by the Spaniards to establish colonial dominance towards the enslaved and the indigenous people in the Caribbean region (Edmonds and Gonzalez 44). In accordance with history, there has been a significant amount of religious intolerance towards religions that were not in keeping with Christian beliefs.

The LGBTQ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer, which is a growing community in the Caribbean, but it is discriminated against by numerous religious organizations. Homosexuality is viewed as illegal in nine of the Caribbean countries, such as Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica. Presently, the anti-buggery law has been decriminalized in Trinidad and Tobago. Before this issue was brought to the parliament, there was a joint group of various religious leaders who disproved the removal of the law. The Catholics, Hindus, Muslims, and Seven-day Adventists created a Faith-Based Network where they could voice their opinions. However, the government ignored the opinions of theses religious leaders. The religious organization was significantly intolerant towards the LGBTQ community because it opposes the teachings of their religions.  On the other hand, a person who is viewed a non-religious are more tolerant and even involved in the LGBTQ community. In some cases, an individual who grew up in a home where there is a predominant religion- they are frowned upon because of their choices and intolerance. The Archbishop asked a member of the government to amend the act on marriage to exclude members of the LGBTQ community (Sambrano et al, 2018). The level of intolerance is significant in relation to the religious leaders. However, there are varying views present in society. Some persons are accepting and tolerant of the LGBTQ community. Others agree with religious leaders that LGBTQ should not be tolerated and should not be given the same rights as ordinary citizens.