Tolerant of the “Intolerance of Tolerance”
A new book has been released with the title, “The
Intolerance of Tolerance”. The basic
premise of the book it that the new tolerance is actually very intolerant. Tolerance as a word has seen its definition
change in the past few years. It has
gone from being respectful of different statements or ideas to accepting those
different statements or ideas. You might
say it has gone from just acceptance to endorsing and even celebrating those
different ideas. Measuring a statement
or an idea against the truth is no more.
Truth is in the eye of the beholder.
It is a relativist endeavor that has meaning only to the one holding
it. Truth really doesn’t exist in our
society today. Truth has been
neutered. But you cannot find the truth
unless you have the freedom to explore differing and competing ideas. If everyone’s feeling is true, then how can you ever discover that which really
is true?
Everyone has a right to believe in whatever they want to
believe in, but that does not mean that what they believe is right! I recently met a man on the golf course who
was very eager to tell me the many things he believed in. Some of the points he made were valid and
reflected a very healthy view. Others,
however, were very suspect and on the fringe of common sense. So I said to him that you can believe
anything you want, but at some point, you need to ask yourself if what you
believe is true; does it reflect reality?
To find coherent answers, the ideas or beliefs you hold must
pass the tests of logical consistency and empirical adequacy and relevance. What do I mean by this? First, a belief or worldview must be
logical. It must pass the test of simple
logic. It cannot be inherently contradictory. Any statement that is inherently
contradictory cannot be true!
Secondly, the worldview or idea must pass the test of
empirical adequacy and relevance. Does
it pass the test of your own experience?
People can say to me they believe in the man in the moon, but it doesn’t
pass the test of my experience. I have
never seen the man in the moon nor have I ever personally experienced the man
in the moon. If I go to search for
evidence of the man in the moon, I would probably find it severely lacking. Therefore, my experience tells me that this
belief is probably misguided or false.
All ideas must pass the test of truth. What is truth? Truth is the same for all persons, at all
times, and in all places. It never
changes. Truth does not have versions. It is what it is. How do we find truth? How do we know if we have found truth? The reliable old tools of research, logic,
and experiential relevance apply. Find
the evidence for the statement or idea.
As in a court of law, prove your case beyond a reasonable doubt, then
you have a foundation for the worldview or belief. Anything without a sound foundation
falls. Be open to the truth and the
evidence when you search for it. Let the
evidence take you wherever it takes you.
Be open minded and unlike those who say they are tolerant today, because
in reality, they are intolerant and unwilling to search for and accept the truth.
