Tolerance

[funguy2121]

Firstly, this is not about people's opinions. Do NOT use this to start flame wars about personal beliefs like religion. This is a discussion about tolerance.

Basically, I've always considered myself a tolerant person. I have never thought any less of a person because they are gay (or bisexual or pansexual or whatever), or Christian (or Muslim or Jewish etc) or black (or other... ethnicity? Is that the right word?), so I must be a tolerant person who accepts everyone for who they are, right?

But then my parents came out about their views on homosexuality, and told me that despite saying they'd love me and my brother no matter what sexuality we were, in my mums words, "It's just not natural, is it?"

Of course to me, this was ridiculous. Being gay doesn't make you unnatural, it just makes you attracted to people of the same sex.

But more recently she said something else that got me thinking. "Our generation cannot judge yours, because you were brought up differently, just as you cannot judge us based on the way we grew up." And she's got a fair point there.

I'm not about to say you have to agree with every single person you ever meet. But surely taking the moral high ground over someone who was brought up with different beliefs, morals and ideas is just what those we consider intolerant are doing, so we are just like them.

So, what do people think? Can you consider yourself a tolerant person if you do not tolerate those who disagree with equality?

I think your mum's an amateur propagandist. I mean no offense to her, of course. But that is bullshit. I'm a Texan, and let me tell ya, there's a whole lotta people around me who do not share my tolerant views of the LGBT. So no, your environment is not an excuse. Perhaps it is to a degree if you're still growing up and figuring out who you are, but I don't think the controversial comments made a year ago by Harry Reid and Joe Biden about race were wholly acceptable, simply because they're old farts.

I think you're confusing "taking the moral high ground" with "righteous indignation" and the two are very different. What it comes down to is that all arguments should be welcome, at least outside of the workplace. In schools, it should be fair game. But if someone is obviously condoning, say, terrorism or racial profiling, instead of simply telling that person that he/she is an asshole (which they clearly are), you can debate them and try to get them to back up their argument. A bigot normally can't because his/her thought processes are generally wired to shut themselves down quickly and move on before they have the chance to face big questions.

But I could be wrong

 

[Daffy F]

Im tolerant, even if I don't like a specific thing, I keep my mouth shut and deal with it.

I am the opposite. If something bugs me. I do something about it.

 

[Ham_authority95]

I'm pretty tolerant of differences.

unless their dickheads, or try to shove their beliefs down my throat,I'm fine with anyone for the most part.

 

[dont_blink]

I'll never understand people who exhaust themselves hating other people. The world is so much a better place if everyone is happy.

seconded