Does tolerance, of the intolerant, promote tolerance?

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  • bsd777
    Member
    • Nov 2009
    • 261

    Does tolerance, of the intolerant, promote tolerance?

    I thought this would be a fun one, seeing as there seem to be so many liberals around here. We are constantly told that liberals are tolerant, but it's not how I see things. Most liberals are very intolerant of people with strong christian faith or who believe in traditional judeo-christian western values. But preach tolerance for every dysfunctional third world society and for religions which are, at their core, intolerant. Why do they not condemn societies or religions which relegate women to second class status and how does ignoring or accepting these flaws promote tolerance?
  • daruckis
    Member
    • Jul 2009
    • 2277

    #2
    i myself, would consider myself intolerant of those with strong christian faith. thats because it is retarded. but thats how i feel about every other religion also. its just that where i live, if you meet someone who is religious, then they are christian. if you meet someone who isnt religious, youve made a friend.

    i wouldnt say im a liberal, really. but im sure as shit not a conservative. i couldnt give a shit about tolerance.

    Comment

    • danielan
      Member
      • Apr 2010
      • 1514

      #3
      LOL

      You got me. I have no idea.

      In fact, I've always wondered why US liberals hate evangelical Christians but support radical Muslims. Those two groups (Christians and Muslims) agree on much more then liberals and Muslims agree on (which seems to be basically that the US and Israel suck).

      When the Muslims take over ( ), it will be the liberals up against the wall, not the Christians.

      It's hard to be a liberal when you are uneducated, in a burkha, stoning gays, beating rape victims and bowing down to pray 5 times a day.

      Comment

      • shikitohno
        Member
        • Jul 2009
        • 1156

        #4
        I'd call myself liberal, but I'm not intolerant of Christianity. What I am intolerant of is asshats who don't understand not everyone wants to worship Jesus every Sunday. I'm not directing that at you, but at certain groups I know. I'm sick of being told I'm a bad person for not going to church, or that God will strike me down and kill me some day for having the nerve to be a male with long hair and pierced ears. I kid you not, these are things I've been told face-to-face in NY, which from what I hear is pretty damn liberal. I don't really care what you want to do in your spare time, or what you choose to pray to, as long as you respect my right to do as I wish, so long as I don't harm you through it. Unfortunately, the problem I have with Judeo-Christian religions specifically, and more generally just about every religion, is that they aren't content to let others have the same freedoms they do. Freedom of religion for Christians but not Hindus, Jains, Muslim, Buddhists, or anyone else doesn't fly with me. Every religion has it built in to them though saying, "No, we're the only right ones, nobody else deserves what we have. You want our privileges, convert." I've got plenty of very religious friends who have no problem with this, and they do their own thing without constantly trying to get me involved. I also know plenty of people who are religious and won't accept that I have no interest in it, and are constantly trying to coerce/trick me into coming to church with them, or else telling me how I'm such a bad person for it. It's that second group I have issues with, not the first.

        As for the second part of your argument, I wouldn't say that I agree with them, but I don't know how to solve those problems. I mean, walking in an saying "Hey, this way that you live, the one generations of your people have lived by? It's stupid, you're doing everything wrong." just reeks of arrogance and cultural imperialism. I think industrialised nations can help them to change the way things are, but I doubt that we could force it.

        Comment

        • NonServiam
          Member
          • May 2010
          • 736

          #5
          Your question is kind of like the whole "if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it" puzzle. This thread has a real hot-button issue and if seen by enough people here it will surely spark a heated debate, but I could be wrong.

          In my opinion, both parties display the same level of high intolerance, they just choose different issues to be intolerant about. It's just a big game of chess. But that is destined to occur as both parties are on opposite ends of the political spectrum as opposed to being in the middle. But even if you're in the middle, you're intolerant of the left and right wings. You've got double duty.

          I think intolerance is a basic trait of human nature though. It is natural for us to reject ideas and cultures different from us while we embrace our own. It is a way to defend our convictions, though not necessarily a healthy one. The reason that even some christian liberals appear to be intolerant of christianity, is because that is the role they have to play, that is the side they have chosen to be on, and the voter demographic they are aiming for. That is also the ones that the media exposes you to. There is plenty of politicians on both sides who do not share the same views as their constituents.

          Comment

          • bsd777
            Member
            • Nov 2009
            • 261

            #6
            Originally posted by shikitohno View Post
            As for the second part of your argument, I wouldn't say that I agree with them, but I don't know how to solve those problems. I mean, walking in an saying "Hey, this way that you live, the one generations of your people have lived by? It's stupid, you're doing everything wrong." just reeks of arrogance and cultural imperialism. I think industrialised nations can help them to change the way things are, but I doubt that we could force it.
            Who's forcing? No one is even suggesting, but it's difficult to do, if you do not believe in American/Western Judeo-Christian exceptionalism. Where's NOW?

            Comment

            • bsd777
              Member
              • Nov 2009
              • 261

              #7
              Originally posted by shikitohno View Post
              I'm sick of being told I'm a bad person for not going to church, or that God will strike me down and kill me some day for having the nerve to be a male with long hair and pierced ears. I kid you not, these are things I've been told face-to-face in NY, which from what I hear is pretty damn liberal.
              Sounds like someone could use a haircut. :-)

              Comment

              • danielan
                Member
                • Apr 2010
                • 1514

                #8
                Originally posted by shikitohno View Post
                that God will strike me down and kill me some day for having the nerve to be a male with long hair and pierced ears
                Didn't Jesus have long hair - you should be good there.

                Although... Pirates wore earrings...

                Tough call....

                Comment

                • shikitohno
                  Member
                  • Jul 2009
                  • 1156

                  #9
                  Also, depending on what you're meaning by intolerant, I might well fall under your definition. If you mean I don't think abortions should be outlawed for everyone simply because they go against your religion, then yes, I'm an intolerant liberal. As I see it though, those legislators who push laws like that are just as intolerant of everyone who isn't Christian, by trying to force everyone else to live by their beliefs.

                  And if I need a haircut, judging by the images I've seen of him, a certain Mr. J. Christ needed one much worse than I, as did some old guy named Samson.

                  Comment

                  • NonServiam
                    Member
                    • May 2010
                    • 736

                    #10
                    Originally posted by danielan View Post
                    LOL

                    You got me. I have no idea.

                    In fact, I've always wondered why US liberals hate evangelical Christians but support radical Muslims. Those two groups (Christians and Muslims) agree on much more then liberals and Muslims agree on (which seems to be basically that the US and Israel suck).

                    When the Muslims take over ( ), it will be the liberals up against the wall, not the Christians.

                    It's hard to be a liberal when you are uneducated, in a burkha, stoning gays, beating rape victims and bowing down to pray 5 times a day.
                    The funny thing is that Christians, Muslims, and Jews have always been at one another. They are the Abrahamic religions, and all three are really the same religion, they just interpret the writings differently and follow different prophets from the writings. They are the three primary monotheistic world religions, although some Christianity borders on Dualism. They became world religions through force and fear.

                    But here is a short history lesson on how all three religions are in fact siblings. Originally, everyone was polytheistic (belief in multiple deities). This Zoraster dude came along and said "Hey, we've got too many gods, let's simplify it." So he created a religion, Zorastrianism. Ahura Mazda was the "good" god and Angra Mainyu was the "evil" god. Both of these gods were at war with each other. Zorastrianism spread to the land of the jews and they put their own interpretation to it and created Judaism. Judaic writing held the prediction of a messiah to come. Jesus shows up, performs some shock and awe, and holy shit, he must be the messiah prophesized. Jews didn't think so, but those that did formed Christianity and used Judaism as their foundation to build on. Then you have Islam, which is just more of the same, based on the same writings, just different prophets.

                    Hmmmmm..... I think I strayed from the topic. I have a bad habit of going off on tangents, but I'm gonna click the "post" button anyway.

                    Comment

                    • texasmade
                      Member
                      • Jan 2009
                      • 4159

                      #11
                      If most people were to actually follow their religions as faithfully as they claim they do then things would be a lot different. You wouldn't see christians with tattoos or short hair. You would see women being submissive, you would see slavery be it by war, relation, sex, or race. You see religious people gay bashing and you see gays whining its not their fault. Religous people are more likely to bigoted and close minded because the people that told them what was in that good book didnt know shit about it. most religious people dont even know what the bible says or they just pick certain scriptures and void the rest.

                      i am intolerant to people that blindly believe something without actually looking into and then try to force feed the shit down everybody else throats. if God is real I'll see all the hypocrites in hell. i could care less what you believe and all i ask is that you do the same for me.


                      GOD DAMN and fyi i didnt just use his name in vain because his name isn't god, but how many people know that O_O

                      Comment

                      • shikitohno
                        Member
                        • Jul 2009
                        • 1156

                        #12
                        Actually, texasmade, you'd still see Christians with tattoos. Catholics at least. The Council of Northcumberland declared tattoos okay for Catholics so long as they weren't defamatory to the faith and weren't liable to lead one into sin.

                        Comment

                        • NonServiam
                          Member
                          • May 2010
                          • 736

                          #13
                          It was six men of Indostan
                          To learning much inclined,
                          Who went to see the Elephant
                          (Though all of them were blind),
                          That each by observation
                          Might satisfy his mind.

                          The First approach'd the Elephant,
                          And happening to fall
                          Against his broad and sturdy side,
                          At once began to bawl:
                          "God bless me! but the Elephant
                          Is very like a wall!"

                          The Second, feeling of the tusk,
                          Cried, -"Ho! what have we here
                          So very round and smooth and sharp?
                          To me 'tis mighty clear
                          This wonder of an Elephant
                          Is very like a spear!"

                          The Third approached the animal,
                          And happening to take
                          The squirming trunk within his hands,
                          Thus boldly up and spake:
                          "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
                          Is very like a snake!"

                          Yada, Yada, Yada, the point is......

                          And so these men of Indostan
                          Disputed loud and long,
                          Each in his own opinion
                          Exceeding stiff and strong,
                          Though each was partly in the right,
                          And all were in the wrong!

                          MORAL.

                          So oft in theologic wars,
                          The disputants, I ween,
                          Rail on in utter ignorance
                          Of what each other mean,
                          And prate about an Elephant
                          Not one of them has seen!

                          -Saxe

                          Comment

                          • daruckis
                            Member
                            • Jul 2009
                            • 2277

                            #14
                            Originally posted by NonServiam View Post
                            It was six men of Indostan
                            To learning much inclined,
                            Who went to see the Elephant
                            (Though all of them were blind),
                            That each by observation
                            Might satisfy his mind.

                            The First approach'd the Elephant,
                            And happening to fall
                            Against his broad and sturdy side,
                            At once began to bawl:
                            "God bless me! but the Elephant
                            Is very like a wall!"

                            The Second, feeling of the tusk,
                            Cried, -"Ho! what have we here
                            So very round and smooth and sharp?
                            To me 'tis mighty clear
                            This wonder of an Elephant
                            Is very like a spear!"

                            The Third approached the animal,
                            And happening to take
                            The squirming trunk within his hands,
                            Thus boldly up and spake:
                            "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
                            Is very like a snake!"

                            Yada, Yada, Yada, the point is......

                            And so these men of Indostan
                            Disputed loud and long,
                            Each in his own opinion
                            Exceeding stiff and strong,
                            Though each was partly in the right,
                            And all were in the wrong!

                            MORAL.

                            So oft in theologic wars,
                            The disputants, I ween,
                            Rail on in utter ignorance
                            Of what each other mean,
                            And prate about an Elephant
                            Not one of them has seen!

                            -Saxe
                            tl, dr.

                            Comment

                            • shikitohno
                              Member
                              • Jul 2009
                              • 1156

                              #15
                              Daruckis, here's a summary. Everyone's arguing and fighting over something none of them really know for sure.

                              Comment

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