Tolerance
{| align=right style="margin-left: 15px; text-align: center; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; background-color:#f9f9f9; padding:5px; font-size: 95%;" class=box |--- |align=center bgcolor=#ccccff|This article is relatedto Liberalism |-:This page is about "tolerance" as a social concept. For other uses and meanings please see physiological tolerance and tolerance in engineering. Tolerance is a social, cultural and religious term that means the collective and individual practice of giving allowance to those who may believe, behave or act in ways that one may not personally approve of. Tolerance is seen as a more widely acceptable term than "acceptance" and particularly "respect," where the application to controversial parties is concerned.
In the wider sociological sense, "tolerance" carries with it the understanding that "intolerance" breeds violence and social instability. "Tolerance" has thus become the social term of choice to define the practical rationale for barring the prohibiting of uncommon social aspects, as necessary for stability within diverse communities. While people deemed undesirable may be disapproved of, "tolerance" would require that the party or group in question be left undisturbed, physically or otherwise, and that criticism directed toward them be free of inflammatory or inciteful efforts.
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2 Tolerance as a virtue 3 See also 4 External link |
Religion
Historically, religious tolerance has been the most important aspect of tolerance, since religions tend to be intolerant of each other, and religious intolerance has led to innumerable wars, purges and other atrocities. The philosophers and writers of the enlightenment, especially Voltaire and Lessing, promoted religious tolerance, and their influence is strongly felt in Western society (see pluralism). Nonetheless, the lack of religious tolerance causes problems in many regions of the world today.
However, the unattributed quote "there's only one thing I can't tolerate - and that's intolerance" illustrates that there are limits to tolerance. In particular, a tolerant society can not tolerate intolerance, which would destroy it. It is difficult to strike a balance, however, and different societies do not always agree on the details. In some countries, the continuing suppression of Nazism in Germany is considered intolerant, for instance. Issues that may be controversial in various countries might include the separation of church and state, homosexuality, the consumption of tobacco, alcoholic beverages and other drugs, as well as the correct reaction to disorderly conduct and misdemeanours (see zero tolerance policy).
As an Aristotelian virtue, tolerance is a middleground between softheadedness on the one hand (overtolerance) and narrow mindedness on the other (undertolerance).
In Christianity, tolerance plays a part with regard to the one's former way of life, as a belief is often professed in the need to put off the old self that was corrupted by its deceitful desires (prejudice, bigotry, and intolerance), and be renewed in the spirit of the mind. Accompanying this is also a corresponding need to put on a new self, which was created to be like God, in righteousness and true holiness, which includes tolerance, forbearance, and leniency.Tolerance as a virtue