The New "Tolerance"
 

I recently read a book called The New Tolerance. I forget who the authors were. Although it is written from a Christian perspective, it really can be related to any part of society. The basic gist of the book is this - A new cultural movement is sweeping through America's schools, media, and government. Under the guise of "Tolerance", it is changing the way people think about everything. It is so prevalent, that many people don't even realize that it exists.

It is basically a changing of the definition of tolerance, in which it changes from a respecting of anothers opinions, to being forced to wholeheartedly agree with everything everyone says, or risk being labeled "intolerant" which can put one at a wide range of disadvantages, especially being considered liable in court (anyone notice a lot of people suing because they were "offended"?). As a result, any declaration of absolute moral values, absolute ANYTHING is treated surprising intolerantly. Any comments, observations etc.?

Like any philosophy, it gets silly when taken to extremes. So it even applies to itself.

How are you supposed to respond to someone whose sole argument against your position is "my moral code says so, and you must live by my code"?

My general response is to end the conversation ASAP, discount their opinion, lose respect for them and avoid them in the future. You will get nowhere.

My observation is that it's the new "intelligent design".

Christianity (and let's not kid ourselves about "applicable anywhere", that's what we're talking about here) used to enjoy a free ride as the unofficial official religion in the US through the 1950s and 1960s...and that's no longer true.

There's a big difference between "being persecuted" and losing the leverage of being the default religion in the culture.

...treading lightly because I'm new.....

Every day I find myself being asked to "tolerate" things that go against my upbringing and life experiences. Some I can, some I can't, some I won't.

Adversity does not build character it reveals it.

Corporate speak calls it "embracing cultural diversity". I'm instructed to "celebrate diversity", every day.
If they hire a cannibal, I'm not allowed to say I don't approve of cannibalism.

Of course, I don't care what Mama don't allow, so I'm in trouble anyhow.:rolleyes:

When you put "tolerate" in quotes, what do you mean?

Ew, I unfortunately have to agree that this is happening. I think of myself as pretty damn tolerant, but there are some things I will never, ever agree with. Does it make me 'intolerant' to not agree with white supremacists? Most people would say no. Does it make me intolerant to not agree with arch-republican grandmothers who are against just about everything I believe in? Some would say yes. Does it make me intolerant to go beat up that grandmother for her views? Absolutely. But to disagree with or be opposed to her opinions, and still not actually do anything about it, that is the essence of what tolerance is, living with what you don't agree with.

What is funny is how it is ok to intolerant of some things. You mention white supremacists.
I am fine with them. They have a right to feel the way they do and utilize their freedom of speech.
On another board I called a young man a tyrant for wanting to enact laws against white supremacy and I spoke out against the laws in Europe that suppress certain political parties from having rallies or from white groups from having concerts. They have become Fascists to try to avoid Nazis, it is hilarious!
Half the board jumped on me. I found it funny... then quoted several Holocaust survivors from a tour I saw twice (once in Central Florida and once at FSU with different survivors)... "the first sign of this plague (Nazis/Fascism) will be the removal of freedoms... to divide us".
The new "tolerance" is selective... it is about what is cute and cuddly, what feels good.
TJ said it very clearly, freedom of speech is the freedom to hear unpleasant speech. Every time I am offended and think "OMG that is WRONG" part of me feels good, it means America is still a little healthy, still with us... for now.
What is sad is how seldom that happens.

True all. it takes it to EXTREME EXTREMES in the book, but if you filter that out, it can still be an enlightening read. It's tone (THIS COULD BE YOU!!!) could use some work hovever.

Which really is kind of what I said at the end there... Tolerance really is living with and accepting, however grudgingly, what you don't agree with.


On a bit of a side note: What gets me is that, even though Asia is much more conservative in general than the US, people are more tolerant, though less accepting. In the States there's very little middle-of-the-road left, most everyone is either liberal or conservative, with a lot of people polarizing to radical levels. Most issues (abortion, gay rights, intelligent design, etc) are very love-'em-or-hate-'em issues, with few people saying "Yeah, okay, there are gay people, great for them, if I'm not gay it's not really my business" or whatever. It's all very accept-lovingly-or-reject-completely. Asians, on the whole, are very good about tolerating things they disagree with.

Believe it or not, there is a suprising increase in students who are actually attempting to avoid saying that the Nazis were morally wrong! Especially on the college levels, if the subject is brought up you will hear comments like "Of course I don't like what they did, but who is to say that they were morally wrong?" it's a little scary.

See... that is not tolerance. What are you tolerating if you don't have an opinion, a mind, at all?
Tolerance if a verb... those morons are not doing anything at all.

"Tolerance" in its current P.C. incarnation is a disease. It's a blanket term that essentially means "you have to like everything religious people are against, because religious people are evil and want to take away your fun." It has nothing to do with the dictionary definition of the word.

By the dictionary definition of "tolerance," I'm the epitome of the word. I don't try to force anything on anyone. However, because I hold certain beliefs, I am branded "intolerant", regardless of what I actually do.

It's okay, the pendulum will swing back again. I will be an old man when it happens though. I wish I had paid more attention when I was a kid. I didn't realize I was witnessing the end of common sense in the world. Maybe my grandkids' generation will revitalize it. We have to wait for the current middle-aged vapor-brains to die off though. Maybe the stress of trying to organize antiwar rallies, topple the tobacco industry, stuff envelopes for the Rainbow Coalition, and get all the Kwaanza shopping on time done will speed things along.

Unfortunately, you are getting blowback from the people who actually do do things. Take gay marriage, for example. The only people it could possibly affect are the people it will help, but huge swaths of people rise up and scream that it should be illegal. It was part of the Republican campaign strategy to get people to think that gay marriage would somehow affect them. My view of tolerance would be: If you don't believe in gay marriage, don't get gay married. People who complain that they are being persecuted because gays can marry in Massachusetts are being extremely disingenuous.