We must have faith in tolerance

[snuka12000]

I’ve endured some very contentious exchanges with some very belligerent people about religion, faith and God. When I saw this editorial article in New York’s Metro Newspaper I knew that it had to be placed on here for people to read and be enlightened.

WE MUST HAVE FAITH IN TOLERANCE
By. Thomas Keown - (From the August 19, 2009, issue of New York’s Metro Newspaper.)

“You really can’t be an intelligent and thinking person with trust in science and also faith in God. Of all the new attitudes that welcomed me to when I moved from Europe this was among the most mystifying. Coming from the sheltered, potato-breeding backwaters of rural Northern Ireland to the Ph.D.-sprouting soils of Massachusetts many years ago, this supposedly “liberal” attitude to faith is puzzling still.

Last weekend I was having a chat with a pleasant young lady in a pleasant old bar and everything was going pleasingly well. My jokes were landing, my puns performing and she was laughing even when she didn’t realize the full extent of their cunning. But then the subject of church came up and she shut down. She saw people of faith as narrow-minded, unthinking and a little backwards. Not as those who do more charity and volunteer time more than anyone else in America, or led the civil rights movement or sequenced the human genome.

And fair enough. Every day there are bagfuls of examples of faith misused and folk claiming to be ‘Christian’ who wouldn’t recognize compassion if they saw it in their soup.

But could I get her to see that judging a product by its user is nonsensical and unworthy of her? That one doesn’t judge a car by its driver or a painting by its painter? I suggested reading books by smart Christians who were also scientists. Or C.S. Lewis. But, ‘I don’t want to read anything trying to persuade me of one side of something.’ Better steer clear of the Op-Ed page then. Or most books on most subjects in most libraries.

That so many clever folk can be so vociferously open-minded and tolerant of all things and all thoughts – but so closed-minded and intolerant of the merits of faith – is a contradiction that should be smacked down with a wet fish.

A few Sundays ago a brunch of God-lovers were singing songs and praying prayers at a picnic on Boston Common. The senior pastor was a Harvard physicist, the bloke holding up the words a Psychology Ph.D. Among the crowd were lawyers, doctors, grad students and MIT types.

Faith and intellect, God and science, learning and leaning appeared compatible that day. Will you tell the open-minded folk or should I?”

[Gennee]

Great post, Snuka. I am a college grad who plans on getting a master's degree in the near future. A doctorate is a possibility. I am also a Christian who happens to be transgender. God has embraced me as his child because he has created me as I am. My prayer is to bring the love of God to transgender people who have rejected anything to do with Christianity because of the mistreatment by 'Christians'.

Reconciling faith and being transgender was very liberating to my soul. If it wasn't for my faith I wonder if I could have accepted the fact that I'm transgender. Thank God that his ways and thoughts aren't like ours.


Gennee

[Vanessa White]

I have met so many Christians that seem pretty unloving toward persons that are homosexual; well at least, they view homosexual persons as sinners who must seek redemption.

I have also met Christians who have yet to understand, but want to gain a better understanding, because they have questions about some churches' stance on homosexuality.

And, I have met Christians who are almost militant in their desire to advocate on behalf of LGBT persons openly, and become incensed that we are discriminated against in the name of God.

So, to judge based on being a member of a group, is what gets done to us. It is unfair, and it breaks down the opportunity for dialogue and purposeful discussion. Let's do better than that.

[Rick336]

What about people whose religious faith commands that all infidels (unbelievers) should be put to death? Do they deserve the same tolerance?

"In our religion, there is a special place in the hereafter for those who participate in jihad.

We--with God's help--call on every Muslim who believes in God and wishes to be rewarded to comply with God's order to kill the Americans and plunder their money wherever and whenever they find it.

Acquiring weapons for the defense of Muslims is a religious duty. If I have indeed acquired these weapons, then I thank God for enabling me to do so."

- Osama bin Laden


If we say that faith in invisible gods is a good thing, aren't we really enabling the extreme fringe groups? Do they deserve the same open-mindedness?


Rick

[bnmoore]

No exceptions.

If one would have an exclusion list there's no reason for anyone else to remove your name from theirs.

[Rick336]

Originally Posted by bnmoore

No exceptions.

So we should respect the religious faith of people who believe it is their duty to God to crash a jetliner into the World Trade Center Towers?

I don't think so.


"To kill the Americans and their allies -- civilians and military -- is an individual duty for every Muslim..." - Osama bin Laden


Rick

[krobbyzw]

"That so many clever folk can be so vociferously open-minded and tolerant of all things and all thoughts - "

This is a good point on tolerance/intolerance. I see that our human intolerance of whatever point(s) or issues there are in our world has us as humans intolerant to the point of killing or physically hurting others.

Even Jesus Christ was intolerant of the money-changers in the temple. Obviously He kicked them out and did not kill them, we are not told to what extent He whipped people physically.
He was also intolerant to an extent of the Pharisees and scribes of the day, but again He did not kill them.

I also ask myself the question 'Do I also not have to be intolerant of certain people in this world?' That would be people like rapists, pimps, drug peddlers and child-molesters, who hurt others for their own profit or 'amusement'.

I cannot reason with a drunk, abusive man who is hurting his wife, but I cannot tolerate his behavior towards her either.

I cannot tolerate a peddler who gives a child a narcotic which will end up destroying the child's life, but the peddler is so blinded by his greed for money, or his own selfishness that he will not listen to me, so how do I stop him?

I cannot tolerate a police officer who accepts bribes, but his own wage is so small that he has been deceived into thinking that the bribe will help him with his family.

This world certainly has been cursed, no mistake.