Tolerance… Again. « Just Wondering

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Tolerance… Again.

12 April 2006 by Gil

For those who have endured my previous ramblings on the subject of tolerance, there is an interesting discussion going on around a ‘Christian’ legal challenge for the ‘right’ to be intolerant. Do religious believers have the ‘right’ to propagate their views (in this case on homosexual behaviour) or is that ‘right’ trumped by tolerance? Interesting questions with (in my opinion) significant implications.

Posted in pluralism, tolerance | 4 Comments

4 Responses to “Tolerance… Again.”

on 12 April 2006 at 8:421 Chris

Tolerance is a funny word. People tend to use it to mean “approval,” but it doesn’t mean that. It means to “put up with,” usually in the context of not being able to do otherwise. Semantics, perhaps, but here’s my point: I may tolerate homosexuality in the world around me, but that is merely because I am afforded no other alternative. However, I will “go to the wall” in protest against ever approving of it, just as I think Christians should do for any sin (gluttony, laziness, callousness, lies, lust, the list goes on).

Now, I should also point out that I thoroughly do approve of this student taking the issue to court, but I would probably hesitate to use some of the language that was chosen. I would likely not identify my cause as being driven from Christianity, though I might claim some of it stems from a faith. As a Christian, it seems defeating to drag Christianity through the mud in the minds of my critics. Much better would be to simply resist someone telling me what to think.

Ah, and now I’m ranting. So, I’ll quit and hope I was clear…
on 13 April 2006 at 3:302 Incoming...

So in what way might we see Jesus behaving this way? I have a hard time seeing Jesus taking this to court. On what basis are we going to claim a sort of religious trump card? So we can force other people to give ‘respect’ to our religious point of view. Great! What have we really accomplished. I would say it is sad to think that our view of our faith is so small that we have to defend it with a lawsuit like this. Isn’t the real power of the gospel the willful regeneration of the person? But then again maybe we need to help God out a bit…
on 14 April 2006 at 2:413 Andrew Bergen

Another interesting development, right here at home:

The Canadian Press
Published: Thursday, April 13, 2006

REGINA - Saskatchewan’s highest court has ruled a Regina man did not violate the human rights code when he published a newspaper ad that criticized homosexuality.

In rejecting the decision of a human rights tribunal, the appeal court ruled that while Hugh Owens’ ads were no doubt blunt and upsetting, they didn’t violate the code.

Owens was charged after he saw newspaper ads publicizing gay pride week in 1997.

He then published his own ad in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, which featured passages from the Bible that appeared to condemn homosexuality

There was also a drawing of two stick men holding hands surrounded by a circle with a line drawn through it.

A human rights board of inquiry found he affronted the dignity of gays - a decision that was upheld by a Queen’s Bench Justice in 2002, but has now been rejected by the high court.
on 14 April 2006 at 2:514 Paul Johnston

While we can argue the merit of specific cases, I’m not sure it is right to suggest that a Christian citizen is in some way being hypocritical or demeaning the Holy Spirit by giving his belief political expression.

If we say it is right for Christians to live out their faith and that it is right for the citizen in a democracy to actively participate according to his belief, why should it not be proper then for the Christian citizen to participate accordingly.

It seems we applaud many other interest groups when they seek to affirm their status through political expression, yet demean the Christian when he does.