Battle Number Seven

 

 

 

My last and final battle that I will be talking on is the battle that we all fight in our day to day lives. 

The battle of Tolerance, and what that word really means.             

 

The definition of the word tolerance has changed over the years to something in the opposite of its original meaning. Tolerance is identified as “a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry” (Dictionary.reference.com 2014). To be tolerant of another person’s ideals, religion, or belief system sounds reasonable unless one looks at the living evidence that show this is no longer an accurate description.

The following excerpt comments on this subject: “Moral relativism is the view that ethical standards, morality, and positions of right or wrong are culturally based and therefore subject to a person's individual choice” (Moral Relativism 2011). Essentially, it is the idea that while there may be some reason for believing that there is a right and a wrong, everyone can make up their own mind about this. Since when has it been neither right nor wrong to murder a man?

From the beginning of time, murder has been punishable by death. Taking the life of another human being is not man’s right, but God’s. Therefore, how can this be justifiable? Man is taking the responsibility of being god, and setting himself up as greater than any other. He can then say it is his right to kill if he feels led to for whatever reason he believes applies.

A Christian apologetics blog speaks on the idiocy of this ideal: “…here appears a non-refutable self-refuting moral statement. What if another culture exists that does not share the same value of tolerance?...The moral relativist’s own belief system forbids him to judge the moral belief system of the other culture based on his own moral belief system and thus forbids him from making his original statement about tolerance” (Moral Relativism Failure 2011)

Tolerance is defined in modern culture as tolerating all beliefs except those beliefs that do not tolerate others. An obvious example is Christianity. Christianity is coming under relentless fire because it cannot tolerate homosexual relationships. This is simply because the teachings that Christianity is based upon condemn those that live this lifestyle. Therefore, while tolerance is a good thing, without a correct definition, there is no hope for a “tolerant” society.

~Marissa