Are you tolerant?

Answer 1

Your question is intentionally ambiguous, I imagine. Perhaps you want to see how we will interpret it more so than how we will answer it.

Most of us recognize tolerance as the willingness to "put up" with people whose choices or beliefs differ from ours so long as they are not hurting anyone, and for the most part, I would agree. As such, I am careful not to place blame on or hate people on the basis of superficial differences such as skin color, national or ethnic origin, maternal language, sexual orientation, or religion. In fact, I try to take things a step farther and actually befriend people from other backgrounds. I also consider it important to study other cultures and languages in order to broaden my horizons.

As far as people of faith go, I have Christian friends, Mormon friends, Muslim friends, Hindu friends, Pagan friends, and atheist friends. (I was even married to a Lebanese Shiite Muslim -- who was educated in French Catholic schools -- for 18 years; we are divorced now but still friends and parents together.) I suppose I am able to stay friends with people of so many religions first and foremost because we concentrate on what we have in common rather than what we don't have in common. In other words, I don't go around trying to prove to my Christian or Muslim friends that their religion is stupid, and they don't go around telling me I'm going to Hell. What they believe on their own time is fine by me so long as they don't try to shove it down my throat.

That said, I would have to add that "Tolerance of intolerance is not tolerance." When someone is bashing, oppressing, harrassing, or otherwise mistreating someone purely on the basis of their race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, faith, or sexual orientation, it is wrong, and I am not being tolerant if I sit by and let them do it. In fact, I'm assisting them in their intolerance. And although it's acceptable for people to express their own views, even argue about them in certain contexts, I think one always has to consider whether there is any disparity of power between various groups. When two equally powerful or populous groups disagree and argue their points vehemently, this doesn't necessarily worry me as much, because no one has any power to exclude the other group from the dialogue or from participation in any activity. However, if one group largely outnumbers, outpowers, or outspeaks another, then what might otherwise pass for simple disagreement often crosses over into the realm of intolerance, harrassment, or even oppression.

In such cases, I think it's especially important that the more powerful group exercize a little more discretion than usual. Thus, in a country that is populated primarily by Christians but which is nevertheless quite diverse, it bothers me that some Christians are so hateful and disrespectful towards people of other faiths as well as towards atheists and agnostics. Given the amount of control that right-wing Christian groups wield over what happens in the government at federal, state, and local levels, disagreements between Christians and non-Christians that shouldn't amount to anything more than a few minor verbal disputes can very quickly transform themselves into legislative attempts to block the rights of anyone and everyone who disagrees with the Christian majority.

This type of intolerance, when it occurs, is not something I feel I should just sit by and watch. Failure to act in defense of those who are being oppressed is not tolerance, after all, so if I have to become somewhat argumentative in order to defend the rights of a few against the power plays of a wilfully oppressive majority, then so be it. Even then, however, it usually works out best for everyone in concern if I try to argue my point rationally rather than relying on threats, accusations, and ad hominem attacks.

So am I tolerant? Of diversity, yes. Of intolerance, no.

Answer 2

As long as you don't deliberately harm yourself, others, or the world at large, then yes, I am tolerant. The moment you do any of those things, I become judgmental (which may lead to intolerance), for it is incumbent on all members of a society to judge the actions of the rest, so that order is maintained.

If you disagree with this thinking, you are either oppressing someone, being oppressed, or live alone in the woods.

Answer 3

Ill be honest- no. Dont get me wrong- I WANT to be tolerant. But of course, I'm just human and not perfect. I would say im tolerant 95% of the time though :)

"Intolerance is Ignorance"

Answer 4

You need to be more specific. For example im not tolerant of people learning fables as science in school. I am tolerant of gay people. Im not tolerant of injustice. Im tolerant of certain things but not others.

Answer 5

Sometimes more than I can tolerate myself!

Answer 6

Insanely vague question, tollerant of what? One doesn't have to either be tollerant of everything or intollerant. For example, one could respect other people's beliefs, but hate fundimentalists in all beliefs as a rule, and that person (myself) would still be tollerant. Of course, most people who don't think everyone else is going to rot in hell would consider them tollerant regardless of how they actually act around them, so I'm not sure how valuable people's answers to this are to begin with.

Anyway, I'm tollerant of a lot, but not all...

Answer 7

I am tolerant of different opinions than mine because a different opinion can't hurt me or anyone else.

Answer 8

funny how Leo (above) persecutes Christians then says that he tries to be Tolerant... Typical Atheists bigot

Answer 9

No. I am one of the most intolerant people I know. I try very hard to get people to think the way that I do about things.

Answer 10

Tolerant of other people - YES
Tolerant of injustice, crime, atrocities against other people - NO