To hell with tolerence, let's celebrate.
I have a mug on my desk with the motto "Good is the enemy of Great". A cheesy slogan, but most anything they write on company freebies is destined to be cheesy. Cliches like that are helpful though for points of departure. One such point happened to me to day as I was listening to an podcast from Speaking of Faith (http://www.speakingoffatih.org). Something said by Douglas Johnson (http://www.icrd.org) and commented on by Krista Tippet inflamed my small brain.
Tolerance is not good enough, what is needed is respect. I invite you to listen to the interesting interview for the context of this idea but it sparked my thinking enough to search out a place to write about it. So here it is.
I don't think that the New Testament encourages tolerance in any fashion. I am even driven to the idea that tolerance could be one of those lukewarm Laodecian axioms spewed out of the mouth of the Amen (Rev 3:14-16). Why? Because tolerance is another way of saying "I'll put up with you. I'll allow you existence in my consciousness. I may ignore you, but oh well, you have a right to exist."
The practice of tolerance may just even be on of the paths on the wide way that leads to destruction (Mt 7:13). The two things I find evil about the practice of tolerance as we know it today. One evil is that the one practicing 'tolerance' is taking on a egotistical position of superiority. The second, related, is the diminishing of the one tolerated.
Jesus Christ did not tolerate. He either opposed, celebrated or encouraged. Tolerance is passive, Jesus actively engaged individuals, societies and ideas. We should do the same.
PS: This is not a great post but I suppose it is good enough.
Tolerance is not good enough, what is needed is respect. I invite you to listen to the interesting interview for the context of this idea but it sparked my thinking enough to search out a place to write about it. So here it is.
I don't think that the New Testament encourages tolerance in any fashion. I am even driven to the idea that tolerance could be one of those lukewarm Laodecian axioms spewed out of the mouth of the Amen (Rev 3:14-16). Why? Because tolerance is another way of saying "I'll put up with you. I'll allow you existence in my consciousness. I may ignore you, but oh well, you have a right to exist."
The practice of tolerance may just even be on of the paths on the wide way that leads to destruction (Mt 7:13). The two things I find evil about the practice of tolerance as we know it today. One evil is that the one practicing 'tolerance' is taking on a egotistical position of superiority. The second, related, is the diminishing of the one tolerated.
Jesus Christ did not tolerate. He either opposed, celebrated or encouraged. Tolerance is passive, Jesus actively engaged individuals, societies and ideas. We should do the same.
PS: This is not a great post but I suppose it is good enough.
posted by Steve Matten at
10:27 AM
1 Comments
