Tolerant of the “Intolerance of Tolerance”

 I am becoming intolerant of those who claim that I am intolerant of those who say they are tolerant.  This is not just a play on words.  Allow me to explain.

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.