jealousy and intolerance

Hi Folks,

I have been exposed to many different cultures in the world in the last few years. This continued exposure to widely diverse cultures has made my little brain start wondering about intolerance.

Intolerance:

lack of toleration; unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect contrary opinions or beliefs, persons of different races or backgrounds, etc.

My first inclination was to view "intolerance" as though it were a sin. But intolerance is NOT inherently sinful, though there are sins which come from continued intolerance in some areas of our lives, isn't that true?

For example, being intolerant of murder, is to be expected of a normal person. To be intolerant of racism and bigotry is to be expected of a normal person. To be intolerant of child abuse, and theft and fraud is to be expected. So intolerance is a state, or condition whose inherent "rightness", or "wrongness" changes according to the situation and societal norms.

Intolerance of people of Jewish heritage, for instance, is commonly accepted as a societal norm in many places in the middle east, whereas in the United States this exact same intolerance would be considered to be extremely vile.

So I am forced to conclude that intolerance, much like beauty...is in the eye of the originator. What we as westerners consider to be sinful, or abnormal behavior, and therefore have a lack of tolerance for, may be radically different than what someone in the middle east considers abnormal, and therefore is intolerant of.

When Jesus walked the earth as a man, He always stretched the limits of tolerance of the culture in which He lived. In that day and age, it was normal to "stone to death" a woman who had commited adultery...and yet as we all know, Jesus chose to defend a woman who was accused of this exact "crime". Jesus illustrated to us in a very obvious way that sin is sin, and we MUST therefore choose to not put ourselves in the judgement seat...since we ALL have sin.

Can you imagine a world without intolerance? No, neither can I, nor would I welcome such a world. We must, as rational and moral human beings, be intolerant of certain things. We must diligently study then to determine exactly what we MUST be intolerant of in this world. Jesus was "inclusive", not divisive. We must strive to follow His example, mustn't we? Jesus included the gentiles, and the samaritans, and many others which in His day and age was considered not only radical but heretical.

How can we claim the mantle of His protection and the privelege of following His leadership and still cling to the prejudices and intolerances of the past? When we hear someone make a remark about a neighbor or a coworker that is divisive or intolerant of race, or heritage...are we quick to laugh, or quick to correct? WWJD? (What Would Jesus Do)

I struggle with how alien the culture I am working in these days is to me.

For instance:

I walked up to the elevator this morning to go down to breakfast. There was a woman waiting for the elevator when I walked up to it. She was wearing the obaya (tradional, full coverage dress) and so I was careful to not even glance in her direction...so as not to offend. The elevator arrived, and I got on, and she didn't. I pushed the button and went down to breakfast. She could not get onto the elevator alone with me...that would have been VERY against her culture. There are constant reminders of how very different the western world is to the culture here. I find it strange, but at the same time must be careful to be respectful of the culture in which SHE is living. In the western world I would have held the door open, and invited her into the elevator...of course. It would have been rude of me in the western world to not do so.

Sorry, I am rambling this morning. I am just trying to point out the differences between us humans, geographically. I am also "ruminating" on the basis of sin. Is sin cultural or regional, or international? Is sin a changeable precept based upon our location in the world, or is sin something which can be realistically perceived and therefore avoided? I choose to believe the latter, that sin may be reliably avoided by studying the bible. Without the word of God, how can we reliably know what is "wrong, or right"? Our western society, whether agnostics and atheists choose to believe it or not is based upon the morality of God's Holy word, the Bible. So, as Christians we MUST struggle to reflect that Holy Light, that morality and lack of sinfulness...mustn't we?

Do we invalidate our beliefs when we choose to become intolerant? Are we perceived as "something less" than what Jesus Himself wants us to be when we unthinkingly exhibit intolerance? The next time someone makes an off-color joke, or denigrates by aspersion an entire race or region of people...should we laugh along, or should we move closer to the way Jesus led His life ... by showing an inclusive and less intolerant attitude. Food for thought.

Wow...I'm not sure any of what I said makes sense, much less that it is the least bit understandable. I guess I am getting a bit tired of the intolerance of the world. Intolerance seems to be the basis for war, and inhumane treatment of other humans, and unchristianlike behaviour.

God bless you,

Richard Becton

flight@flash.net

011 505 8 613-5824

www.casadeservicio.org