Tolerance is a virtue. But the common view of tolerance requires allowing everyone to do whatever they want. That raises the problem of being tolerant to obviously intolerable actions such as rape and genocide. To generalize, the common view of tolerance entails the paradox of being tolerant to those who are intolerant.
For example, conservative Christians sometimes argue that tolerance requires allowing them to oppress homosexuals. To argue that Christians should accept homosexuals, they argue, is to stifle Christian freedom. Tolerance, they argue, requires allowing Christians to oppress homosexuals.
The common view of tolerance is flawed. Tolerance is allowing individuals to have their own private life of their own choosing while we also behave according to fair rules in public / social / legal spheres. The sanctitiy of a private life of one's own choosing is paramount. While it is difficult to draw a clear line between the private and the public, it is evident that there is a difference.
Tolerance requires tolerance only to those who respect the sanctity of the private life -- by implication tolerance is consistent with stopping those who are trying to interfere with other individuals' private lives. Rape and genocide are clear violations of this sanctity.
The conservative Christian believes that they have a God given right to interfere with the private lives of others. This cannot be tolerated.
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This is not a diary. I am capturing ideas and developing some thoughts. I hope to have three good ideas.
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