THOUGHTS ABOUT TOLERANCE AND CONCERNS ABOUT THE PASSIVE AGGRESSION IT HIDES
Tolerance is wrong when it means putting up with somebody bad. Accept that
person but ask them to rethink the things they are doing that are harmful. The
good thing about tolerance is that it requires that you respect those you have
differences with but in such a way that they can learn from you and overcome
their errors if they wish. Real tolerance tackles evil and error so that the
truth may emerge and glow and inspire. This paradoxically is a way of accepting
the person doing evil or erring. Time is the best teacher of truth but you must
give it a helping hand and put no barriers in its path.
Cowardice masquerading as tolerance is the enemy of tolerance - tolerance has to
be real if it is to do any good.
Tolerance is not the same thing as approval. It is putting up with what you
think is wrong. True tolerance does not urge people to agree that all points of
view are equally valid or truthful. Nobody can live out that kind of belief.
Some views do harm and others don't. And many points of view are mutually
contradictory. If tolerance requires that we pretend that all beliefs are equal
and true then tolerance is really intolerance and bigotry. It will lead to
hypocrisy for we know fine well that some views are right and others wrong.
It is important for us to be good as human beings. Religion needs to be
abandoned for there is enough around to demand tolerance without it.
Instead of religious tolerance, we represent the view that it doesn’t matter
what you believe. This needs explaining. What a person believes now is right for
them now. It may be wrong in itself but it is right for them at the stage they
are at. But nevertheless we must let the truth shine forth - all must get the
opportunity. We must give all the chance to get interested in the truth and be
vitalised by it. We must remember that those who reject the chance now may not
do so in a year’s time. People have the right to see what the truth can do for
them. Social interaction is all about getting people interested in new things
and new information.
Perhaps you should love your mistakes for they only happened to bring you to the
right way? No the challenge to them did that! Love the challenge!
We are all forced to be intolerant towards something. We have to be a bit
intolerant to be able to live. We don't tolerate brain surgeons who think they
should use a hammer and chisel during surgery! Libertarians tend to be
intolerant of stricter people. But it is obvious that strict people are more
intolerant than libertarians! It is a matter of choosing the most tolerant
position. That requires abandoning religion and ignoring its message.
Be eccentric if you want to be - you are only being different.