It is difficult for the tolerant to tolerate the intolerant
Tolerance is the positive and cordial effort to understand another’s beliefs, practices, and habits without necessarily sharing or accepting them. Respect and love ought to be extended also to those who think or act differently than we do in social, political and even religious matters. In fact, the more deeply we come to understand their ways of thinking through much courtesy and love, the more easily will we be able to enter this dialogue with them.
If you do not like me because I am ignorant, I can be sent to school and educated. If you do not like me because I am dirty, I can be taught to wash and be clean. If you do not like me because of my social habits, I can be taught how to live in society. But if you do not like me because of the colour of my skin, I can only refer you to the God who made me. (A Negro priest)
I need to look at my life and see how tolerant am I in my family, workplace and in facing the daily realities?
Tolerance of evil is a dangerous error for no one is free to behave just as he pleases.
While Pope Benedict XV was giving his blessing from the Vatican balcony, a fanatic drew a pistol aimed at the Pope, and pulled the trigger. The gun failed to go off. Guards seized and imprisoned the criminal. Brought before the Pope the gunman was regretful that the gun had failed to fire.
The unruffled Pope said, “I tell you why your gun failed. You were in the crowd and I had blessed you also, my son. Return to your home; your wife and children must surely have heard of this and are worried”.
The most impressive evidence of tolerance is a golden wedding anniversary.
