The Religion Called Tolerance

[Big Don]

The Religion Called Tolerance
Posted By Greg Gutfeld On August 25, 2010 @ 4:41 pm BIG HOLLYWOOD

EXCERPT:
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/g...ion-called-tolerance/print/#comments_controls
So AP writer Allen Breed begins his recent mosque piece by defining the word, “tolerance.” It’s a traditional rhetorical device, one learned back in sixth grade while plagiarizing the Encyclopedia Britannica.
His piece focuses on religion, of course, – but not Islam, Christianity or even my favorite, “the universal life force of the Grand Unicorn.”
His all powerful religion? Tolerance.Of course, for him, tolerance can only play one way. As Yanks we must kneel before the alter of acceptance, while everyone else uses us as a footrest.
I mean, I doubt Breed would MENTION tolerance to the mosque developers. Instead, true to the predictable mind grazing on hysterical cliches, he hearkens back to the witch trials – the most overused example of intolerance ever – and one that probably deserved it. I mean, witches suck.
Breed then quotes a reverend who says this is all due to a “dominant religious lens factor” – meaning, i guess, when one group thinks their religion is better than others.
<<<SNIP>>> After all, it would be a sign of intolerance to question the intolerant, especially when their intolerance is protected by tolerance!

 

[Omar B]

Interesting read, Greg's always funny.

The thing he touched upon "Breed then quotes a reverend who says this is all due to a &#8220;dominant religious lens factor&#8221; &#8211; meaning, i guess, when one group thinks their religion is better than others" is interesting to me because I've seen in in action around me many times. Not 3 weeks ago at a family backyard party this woman was walking around handing out handwritten notes with the information on her church because we "must" show up tomorrow.I thanked her for the invitation but I told her I'm an atheist and, plus if I were to get all religious it would be Hindu. She seemed genuinely shocked that someone was not only an atheist, but christianity was not even in my scope of options.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

After all, it would be a sign of intolerance to question the intolerant, especially when their intolerance is protected by tolerance!

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tolerance

Tolerance: (noun):

a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry.

Our nation was founded on the notion of tolerance.

http://books.google.com/books?id=YG...age&q=jefferson "religious tolerance"&f=false

The following extract is taken from one of the last editorials written by the late Henry Waterson, for many years the gifted editor of The Louisville Courier-Journal:

"America's unique contribution to the net sum of human progress is religious tolerance. The first amendment to the American Constitution had this point in view. Jefferson enforced the idea in his fight to dis-establish the Church of England in the state of Virginia. On his tombstone, his epitaph, written, by himself, includes 'the statue of religious liberty in Virginia,' as one of the three things he wished to be known as the author of, the other two being the Declaration of Independence and the University of Virginia.

"Is this precious deposit of American faith—religious tolerance—being properly safeguarded? Are Americans as religiously as tolerant as once they were, or as men like Thomas Jefferson would have them be! Not religiously 'liberal,' but religiously tolerant'? The American boast is that Jew, Catholic or Protestant may, in America, profess and practice without restraint or criticism the religious faith that pleases his conscience. Is this boast justified by fact? Propaganda aspersing various religious faiths is abroad in the United States. Basically, the purpose of this propaganda is political.

"Through religious prejudice certain vicious men seek power—power at the express sacrifice of American institutions and in clear violation of the constitution of the United States each citizen is obliged to obey and to defend. The point needs not be either argued or demonstrated. It is recognized by all sober-minded Americans. The thing to do is to reckon with it promptly and intelligently. Enemies of the American spirit of religious tolerance work covertly. Friends of American laws, to combat successfully this insidious propaganda, need to work openly. It is time to do so— time to re-enforce throughout the country the spirit, as well as the letter of the first amendment to the constitution of the United States."

Does religious tolerance work both ways? Certainly. However, one does not withhold tolerance of another religion until that religion has shown tolerance towards them; that is not tolerance.

Many nations have far less religious freedom than the USA does. One would certainly wish for all nations to have tolerance towards all religions. However, we are not them. We do not distribute tolerance only towards members of those religions where their ancestral home has shown tolerance themselves.

Tolerance is not the law in the USA - it is one of our principles. Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers insisted on freedom of religion and no established state religion. That he also wanted us to show tolerance towards each other is his wish for us to be moral and decent people. Religious tolerance required by law is not tolerance; it is in fact a religious law itself. It is something we should do, something we should want to do; especially if we honor the spirit and wishes of the Founders of our nation.

People who do not or cannot show religious tolerance are, by definition, religious bigots. If I were a religious bigot, I would hope that I would have the courage to claim the label proudly, defend my bigotry, and stop crying like a big baby about people claiming that I was one. But that's just me.

 

[Empty Hands]

Many nations have far less religious freedom than the USA does. One would certainly wish for all nations to have tolerance towards all religions. However, we are not them. We do not distribute tolerance only towards members of those religions where their ancestral home has shown tolerance themselves.

This argument, about Islam and many other topics, is made by the moral giants who also justify prisoner mistreatment and torture because other countries or the "terrorists" do it. I would expect nothing different when the topic is American Muslims and their right to worship.

The real truth is that those who advance this argument don't believe in freedom or the founding principles of the US at all. At best, they believe in it for themselves and those like them. If they actually believed it, then their actions would be radically different. Do not listen to the words, watch the actions.

To the extent that we ever lived up to the ideals, those advancing this argument are profoundly un-American.