Tolerance, pt. 1

I am working on a larger article on the subject of tolerance. I am beginning to find sources and quotes and thought I'd put a few of them up here as food for thought. I would love comments on these, especially if you find yourself disagreeing with them. As these quotes convey, our culture is losing its ability to discuss differing opinions with respect and reason. We need more of this.

Here is a quote from Meic Pearse's book, "Why the Rest Hates the West", as quoted in D.A. Carson's recent book, "The Intolerance of Tolerance."

“The currency of the term tolerance has recently become badly debased. Where it used to mean the respecting of real, hard differences, it has come to mean instead a dogmatic abdication of truth-claims and a moralistic adherence to moral relativism-departure from either of which is stigmatized as intolerance…Where the old tolerance allowed hard differences on religion and morality to rub shoulders and compete freely in the public square, the new variety wishes to lock them all indoors as matters of private judgment; the public square must be given over to indistinctness. If the old tolerance was, at least, a real value, the new, intolerant “tolerance” might better be described as an antivalue; it is a disposition of hostility to any suggestion that one thing is “better” than another, or even that any way of life needs protected space from its alternatives.”

And a couple more quotes from Carson's book.

In this tolerant world some things are intolerable-especially those judged to be intolerant. (30)

Genuine pluralism within the broader culture is facilitated when there is a strong Christian voice loyal to the Scriptures-as well as strong Muslim voices, skeptical voices, Buddhist voices, atheistic voices, and so forth. Genuine pluralism within the broader culture is not fostered when in the name of tolerance none of the voices can say that any of the others is wrong, and when this stance is the only ultimate virtue. (35)

What is unhealthy is derisive criticism that does not engage with the views of a particular party, but merely dismisses them and tries to expel them from the discourse on the ground that they are intolerant. (43)