Tolerance is the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.
Tolerance is also the capacity to endure continued subjection to something, especially a drug, transplant, antigen, or environmental conditions, without adverse reaction.
The American Psychological Association’s Dictionary of Psychology defines tolerance as: 1. “acceptance of others whose actions, beliefs, physical capabilities, religion, customs, ethnicity, nationality, and so on differ from one’s own. 2. a fair and objective attitude toward points of view different from one’s own. 3. permissible or allowable deviation from a specified value or standard.
Oxygen is one of the basic necessities of survival of human life. Tolerance, like Oxygen, is one of the basic necessities of survival and flourishing, of postmodernism, transgender transitionalists, cancel culturists, wokeism, anti-authoritarianists, rioters, arsonists, antisemites as well as Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI in the extreme, despite its costs and exclusion of opposing views), and celebration of unnatural sexual preferences.
Indifference is the lazy person’s form of tolerance. Lazy people lack the energy to oppose change, even when it is personally costly. The primary cognitive error of indifference is in thinking, “this too will pass; why fight it?”
Tolerance is a fundamental Christian teaching, no less important than love of one’s neighbor, the core of Christian doctrine from which tolerance is a logical derivative. One of my neighbors aptly defines good works as “Christian love in motion.”
On the macro level we often hear “we are a divided nation,” an undeniable fact, but on the micro level, the ill-defined suffering such a divided nation inflicts upon its people needs our attention.
We suffer from a form of cognitive dissonance heretofore undefined. The general meaning of cognitive dissonance “refers to a situation involving conflicting attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors. This produces a feeling of mental discomfort leading to an alteration in one of the attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors to reduce the discomfort and restore balance.”
“In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is described as the mental disturbance people feel when they realize their cognitions and actions are inconsistent or contradictory.”
Let’s reframe Shakespeare’s Hamlet, in the interest of clarification, for the 21st century. Is it noble to go on tolerating what we know is wrong, believing lies, accepting protests against what we hold dear, if not sacred?
Did we not create the “sea of troubles” in which we grasp for the breath of truth? Did we contribute by our best virtue of tolerance to the wrong that hates us? Is it not long past due to oppose the outrageous?
It was my privilege to practice Forensic Psychiatry and to teach Forensic Psychiatric Fellows at Walter Reed Medical Center. If I were presenting the above as a forensic case, the Program Director would say, “Dr. Brown, now tell us how you propose to deal with this “sea of troubles” that is causing a pandemic of painful cognitive dissonance!”
“If the Director will permit, I propose the following emergency steps:
- Pray that God will continue to bless America.
- Vote your faith.
- Read Dr. David Jeremiah’s Prayer for America online.
- Read Billy Graham’s sermon, “The Sin of Tolerance,” Oct. 2, 2012, a brief review summarized here:
“At home and abroad, the American people plead for broad-mindedness, tolerance and charity.
“However, in the realm of Christian experience there is a need for intolerance. In some things Christ was the most tolerant, broad-minded Man who ever lived, but in other things He was one of the most intolerant.
“One of the pet words of this age is tolerance. It is a good word, but we have tried to stretch it over too great an area.
“We have become tolerant about divorce, the use of alcohol, delinquency, wickedness in high places, immorality, crime and godlessness. We have been sapped of conviction, drained of our beliefs, and we are bereft of our faith.”
“Science is narrow-minded.
“Mathematics is also narrow-minded.
Jesus Was Narrow-Minded About the Way of Salvation
“But Jesus Christ, who journeyed from Heaven to Earth and back to Heaven again, who knew the way better than anyone who ever lived, said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
“Christ was so intolerant of our lost estate that He left His lofty throne in the heavenlies, took on Himself the form of man, suffered at the hands of evil men and died on a cruel cross of shame to purchase our redemption. So serious was our plight that He could not look upon it lightly. He could not be broad-minded about a world held captive by its lusts.”
“Christ spoke of two roads, two kingdoms, two masters, two rewards and two eternities. And He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6)
“The popular, tolerant attitude toward the Gospel of Christ is like a person going to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves play a baseball game and rooting for both sides.”
“Christ said, “You cannot serve God and mammon … no one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). We need more people who will step out and say unashamedly: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
Jesus Was Intolerant Toward Hypocrisy
“He pronounced more woes on the Pharisees than on any other sect because they were given to outward piety, but inside they were a sham. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” He said, “For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25).
“The hypocrite has nothing but the contempt of his or her neighbors and the judgment of God hereafter. That is why Jesus said, “Do not be like the hypocrites” (Matthew 6:16).
Jesus Was Intolerant Toward Selfishness
“He said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself” (Luke 9:23). Self-centeredness is the basic cause of much of our distress in life. Hypochondria, a mental disorder that is accompanied by melancholy and depression, is often caused by self-pity and self-centeredness.
Jesus Was Intolerant Toward Sin
“He was tolerant toward the sinner, but intolerant toward the evil that enslaves the sinner. To the adulteress He said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11). He forgave her because He loved her; but He condemned her sin because He loathed it with a holy hatred.
“The cross is God’s answer to sin. To all who will receive the blessed news of salvation through Christ, it crosses out—cancels forever—sin’s power.
“God is intolerant toward sin. That intolerance sent His Son to die for us. He has said “that whoever believes in Him shall not perish.” The clear implication is that those who refuse to believe in Him will be eternally lost. Come to Christ today, while His Spirit is speaking to your heart!”
Yes, Virginia, intolerance is important.
Robert S. Brown, MD, PHD a retired Psychiatrist, Col (Ret) U.S. Army Medical Corps devoted the last decade of his career to treating soldiers at Fort Lee redeploying from combat. He was a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Education at UVA. His renowned Mental Health course taught the value of exercise for a sound mind.