The Whole Point of Toleration and an Outcry for Peace and Tranquility

Good evening friends. So lovely that all you who read this are enjoying the fine weather outside. It may be chilly, but it's fr pretty..... chill. XD

'Nuff said, let's cut to the chase.

I really wish to say what I think Locke would want all of us to hear and ...well... live by the ideas behind the Letter of Toleration (because it's pretty biblical). If you didn't read the first two pages, let me show you what I think he's all about: "Tolerating those who differ from us in matters of religion is so fitting to the Gospel and to reason that it seems monstrous for men to fail to see this clearly." (Locke, pg. 2)

So here's the deal, folks: Locke does not want a continuation of intolerance and-for lack of better terms-disrespect for the people who believe different things than you do. Rather, he wants people to respect each other and therefore govern out of respect for each other and love for the cause that they are working for. We can't sit around like angry dwarves, shouting out our angry little cries against people who don't believe in "our Jesus" and expect to be right. Whether you're right or not, the way you're going about being right is wrong, and you are therefore more in the wrong than the people who were actually wrong in the first place. This is why Locke wrote this letter of toleration: so that we wouldn't get so fired up in religious debate and never get a thing done other than shove our rash opinions up another's bum. This is why toleration is important. It keeps the peace.

So my call for us this evening and for the rest of this semester (at least) is to tolerate each other. Respect one another, especially those who have gone before you and even more especially those who have the sheer bravery to come back and show you what they've learned over the years. We are all in this thing together, like it or not. And I don't know about you all, but I'd much rather have a good time than a bad time.

'Nuff said. time for some kind of refreshing beverage. Until next time, friends.

I commented on Anna Kate and Clabo's posts.

Comments

Moriah Nelson said…
I really like the point you made to let toleration lead us to respect those around us and especially those who come back to share their experience and wisdom with us. Sometimes we can have such prejudices about people that we don't even consider the possibility of tolerating their beliefs or considering that they have something to teach us if we don't agree with their beliefs...
Sydney Snow said…
YES! I agree with your post. We should be tolerant of everyone. We are all living on the same plant and going through some of the same problems. I blogged on a similar topic, and I am so happy that someone else has put this out there. There is a right way and a wrong way to be right. Most of the time I see the right way being implemented, but there are always those who still do it wrong. The difference in those two can be the difference between a good time and a bad time. And I'd much rather have a good time, too.