Intolerable Tolerance!

Sometimes we build such a strong case for the great virtue of tolerance that, in doing so, we fail to remember that tolerance, like all other great virtues, can be abused, at which point it ceases to be a virtue. The misuse of tolerance, or any other virtue, may cause it to defeat its own purpose. With this is mind, attention is invited to a kind of tolerance that is intolerable⎯the kind of tolerance that fosters indifference⎯the tolerance of a man who doesn’t care enough to know, or know enough to care, whether or not his convictions or his rights are being compromised⎯the tolerance of a man who has a reputation for tolerance because he lacks that sense of responsibility which would lead him to find out whether he is really tolerant, or merely asleep! There is yet another kind of mistaken tolerance that has been grossly overdone, and that is tolerance for sin, for evil, for vice in all its forms, because these things affect the lives of all us, and of our children, and we have exceeded all reasonable bounds of tolerance when we tolerate things which pollute the atmosphere and environment which we live. Things which negatively affect the good of every man cannot be the special privilege of anyone, and for them we can have no tolerance. We may have tolerance for the sinner, especially if he is repentant; he needs our help⎯but not tolerance for sin. It is one thing to forgive the repentant sinner, but it is quite another to tolerate sin and evil in and of themselves. We may have tolerance for al men without partaking of their vices of their manner of living, but we cannot have tolerance for evil without compromising ourselves. To tolerate anything that contributes to the downfall of men is not tolerance⎯it is an unforgivable abuse of a great virtue⎯an intolerable tolerance!