Saltmeister
The Dangerous Dinner
Isn't that what I said, though? If you can't stand the intolerant, yet you are also intolerant, does that not make you the same thing as you dislike?
Actually, Brian I agree with Raksha/Linda's views on the intolerance of the intolerant. The people Linda doesn't like are intolerant of something that is not intolerance. Intolerance of non-intolerance often should not be tolerated.
Cracking down on crime and criminals doesn't make you a criminal yourself.
Haven't you also said recently that racism and multiple aliases can't be "tolerated?" So it seems now that you are intolerant towards racism and multiple aliases.I am quite satisfied for an "intolerant" person to simply have their intolerant views, opinions and attitudes as long as they don't gain power and influence. But if they start gaining power and influence, that is when I believe that I must oppose them. If they are patronising and condescending, that's when I'm going to turn up the heat. I don't want them to be king of the hill. I want to hold them accountable and keep them humble.
Fundie Christians promote their ideology of what they consider to be Truth and holiness (often boastfully, "holier than thou"), but sometimes I think they just want to be powerful and influential socially and politically, but neglect the mission and purpose to contribute something positive socially and politically. Anger at homosexuals and killing doctors performing abortions are two examples. "Whoever is first in this world will be last in the kingdom of God." I apply that saying to them. They want to be first, so I make them last. They promoted themselves, so I shall demote them. Tall poppies must be cut short.
I am not absolutely intolerant towards these people. There are limits. I can be reasonable. I can be merciful. I am not without pity if they show humanity and vulnerability. They are human and I must treat them as human when they actually act human. I do not oppose them to persecute and oppress. I oppose them because they are being oppressive. They are the ones who are persecuting.
Humanity is the most important thing in any ideological opponent. If I can see the humanity, hear the humanity, smell the humanity, feel the humanity and taste the humanity, then I can be comfortable listening to their views. If I can't see their humanity, if I can't see the person, that's when I start to get angry and fight.
Humanity is an essential ingredient in any religion, but ideology makes religion impersonal. Ideology turns it into cold logic rather than emotive and sentimental intuition.
Should the British and French have just stood by and done nothing while Hitler was killing and torturing Jews? Oh yeah, we have to be sympathetic towards Germany and Hitler. Germany and Hitler needed their national pride. That's how we justify domestic abuse. It was none of our business. Nobody had any right to interfere with Germany's internal affairs. They would be violating Germany's right to territorial sovereignty.
Fair enough. One would have hoped that the German people would rise up against their oppressive government for the sake of their conscience, just like we don't interfere with the internal affairs of Iran, North Korea and China, just like the USA has supported a lot of oppressive regimes. But it was never just about Germany. Germany declared war on anyone opposed to its agenda of world domination.
It's not my policy to interfere in the internal and domestic affairs of fundamentalists, but when they declare war on the world and seek world domination, I have to say something. Very often, it seems that Fundie Christianity seeks world domination more than the fundamental principles of Christianity. It promotes hollow, impersonal, inhuman and dehumanising ideology but does not seek to help the poor, persecuted and oppressed.
The more powerful you become, or the more powerful you seek to become, the more people will start scrutinising you.
I dream of a day when we will beat swords back into plowshares and when all ideological conflicts will cease.
