Tolerance

Sorry if I'm a bit jumbled, that's the Percocet. I got my wisdom teeth out this morning, and narcotics supposedly make people loopy. I'm feeling quite lucid and mostly fine (except the pain), but forgive me if I make any egregious errors in this post, grammatical or otherwise. So. I'm also extremely bored at the moment, since my parents won't let me leave the house or do anything "strenuous."

I've been thinking a lot lately about tolerance, and how it's been distorted in recent years. Dictionary.com defines tolerance as "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race religion, nationality, etc. differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry."

It's always interested me how people who want tolerance from others are often the most intolerant. The Puritans, for example, fled England because of the religious persecution they faced there. Once in America, however, what did they do? Persecuted anyone with a religious viewpoint different from their own.

Recently, I read an article talking about the "Top Ten Most Bizarre Mormon Beliefs." I thought it was kinda funny. It's all about perspective--and to most other people, we LDS are indeed a "peculiar people." Later that same day, I heard my parents discussing Muslims as "religious wackjobs." This is where I absolutely disagree. Part of the LDS faith states that "We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." How does that fit in with ridiculing other faiths?

It doesn't. The problem is, many LDS people have given the impression (especially in Utah!) that we are all extremely judgemental. And oftentimes it's absolutely true. I can't go a day with my parents without them criticizing, in other words judging people, who live a different lifestyle. If I say one of my friends drinks coffee, they just have this expression they reserve for people who do such horrible things.

My perspective is that as long as you aren't hurting other people, you can live life however you want. You might not be happy, but you might be. I don't think the Church has a monopoly on goodness or morality. Hence, I have friends who live a different lifestyle than I do. I don't care about race, smarts, appearance, sexual orientation, niceness, whatever. If you're a human being, I'll do my best to be nice to you. If you're a nice person, I'll be your friend. I think diversity makes life a lot more interesting.

In the scriptures, it says that God can't look upon sin with any degree of allowance. But when Jesus talked to the adulteress, he treated her with love and respect. He chastened her accusers, and then gently but firmly told her to "go, and sin no more." It's hard to separate behaviors that may not be right from people, but it's necessary. Love the people. Don't love stuff they've done that you don't believe to be right.

Tolerate other people, in the true sense of the word. Especially if you claim to follow Christ, actually follow his example. Bottom line, respecting others is hard to do, but it's necessary in this world. And I think you have to accept others if you want them to do the same for you.

So... think before you comment about people who have different views/religion/nationality/etc. They're children of God just like you, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.