Tolerance & Doubt

by thinker 1 Replies latest jw friends

  • thinker
    thinker

    What makes a person tolerant of others' views ?
    "The men who have fought for tolerance, whatever their differences, had all of them one thing in common; their faith was tempered by doubt; they might honestly believe that they themselves were right, but they never reached the point where that suspicion hardened into an absolute conviction.
    They knew that the problem which faced them (the nature of God) was so vast that no one in his right senses would ever expect it to be solved. And while they might hope and pray that the road which they had taken would eventually lead them to a safe goal, they could never convince themselves that it was the only right one, that all other roads were wrong and that the enchanting by-paths which delighted the hearts of so many simple people were evil thoroughfares leading to damnation."
    Hendrik Van Loon 1925 "Tolerance"

    It is my opinion that deep down inside we all have doubts; no matter what our background or current status with the WT. Perhaps if we were strong enough to admit this we could become a little more tolerant of each other.

    p.s.
    Van Loon also mentions the cause of intolerance: FEAR
    "No matter what form or shape a persecution may take, it is caused by fear..."

  • Gopher
    Gopher

    Thinker,

    This is a good reminder. I see a good deal of tolerance among people on this board. There's been a good number of posts where people have admitted to not knowing all the answers. (How different from the organization that had "all the answers", so they say!!)

    But since it isn't strictly moderated (and who would want that?), we'll occasionally find some intolerance. It comes with the territory.

    For those who insist on intolerance, please know that we know "FEAR" motivates your behavior. It'll also help those of us who see intolerance to get less upset at it, so we can concentrate on contributing positive things (to this board and to the world at large).

    GopherWhy shouldn't truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense.
    Mark Twain (1835-1910)

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