Tolerance

I’ve always liked to believe that I’m a fairly tolerant person. I don’t know if that’s exactly true any longer, and I’m wondering how much it was really true in the past. Has this just been a veil that I’ve drawn across my mind to sublimate my actual feelings on certain issues?

Honestly, if we look at the biblical view of tolerance, I’m not a very tolerant person:

You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

I look at that now and wonder to myself, ok, I’ll turn the other cheek for the person, but what am I supposed to do for the next person? And the person after that and after that, and so on and so forth until I’ve reached the 100^th person that wants to strike me on the cheek. Am I intolerant if I don’t turn my cheek for them?

If a person, or a group of people, or a whole class of people, do the same thing over and over again, is it tolerance if we continue to allow them to do that, or just sheer stupidity and gullibility? Am I required to provide the same level of tolerance to the 100^th person that, in my opinion, foists the same mindless drivel on me as the pervious 99?

I’m a fiscally conservative and a moderate socially. I don’t think it’s my position to judge people and their actions (within reason) and I’ll leave it up to our Heavenly Father to make that call (yes, I’m one of those). But, am I being hypocritical if I don’t judge you but I judge your positions on certain issues? Am I being hypocritical if I pass on the fact that you’re a cross-dressing transsexual who enjoys a little necrophilia, but I think that your position that we should have universal health care is moronic?

Is it tolerance or just the fact that my social acceptance meter sinks to new lows each year? Am I more tolerant of gays now, or is it that I’m just reflecting society’s increased tolerance of them?

Why do I get defensive when people say that I’m not tolerant or that I don’t have any patience, when I always thought that I did? Is there an acceptable limit to tolerance and patience?

And, if I should turn the other cheek when someone wrongs me, am I supposed to do the same thing if someone wrongs something or someone that I hold dear? Do I continually have to turn the other cheek and hope that someday these people will come to realize that they were wrong? Or is it ok to once in a while say “You’re fucking nuts, go to hell”?

Hmmmmmm

(This was on my 360 page, and I wanted to move it here. If you've already read it there, sorry for the repitition. It's just so hard to have an original thought these days.)