All in all a good post DJ, and I admit that in some instances I fall short in this regard.
I admit that I am not tolerant of all practices or behaviors or beliefs That would only leave me tolerant of opinions....yet, even then I am only partly tolerant. I tolerate the fact that everyone is entilted to an opinion, so I can say that I recognize the right to one's opinion on all matters. Yet, I fall short again.....because I do not respect all opinions. Some opinions are not worthy of respect yet I am tolerant to the fact that is a person's right to have an opinion.
There is nothing wrong with that. Some opinions should NOT be tolerated. Should Osama bin Laden's opinion that the United States and all it's citizens be annihilated whenever possible be condoned because he has a right to that belief?
Obviously not.
That is why I have such difficulty in being tolerant of certain individual's opinions when it comes to religion. So often religious fundamentalists spout off rhetoric on how they want you to have an open mind about their beliefs, and when you rationally debunk their faith-based theories with logic, you are branded as intolerant or argumentative. The Jehovah's Witnesses are a prime example of that. Do they have a right to believe as they wish? Certainly. Do I think that right is superceded when their beliefs endanger innocent people (blood doctrine, pedophilia) or infringe on the rights of others in examples such as invasion of privacy or not respecting someone's wishes that they not be called on at their door ? Absolutely.
More importantly than that, religion is so often the root cause behind atrocities. Throughout history, religion has been the motivating factor for wars and death. From the Spanish Inquisition, the Holy Crusades, the witchhunts, the Catholic conversion of Indians in the United States, the Palestinian intifadeh in Israel, and the so-called righteous jihad of Al-Qaeda and other Muslim fundamentalist zealots against Western society... tens, even hundreds of millions have died.
Am I tolerant of all opinions? No. Should I be? No, not when those beliefs encourage behavior which incites heinous acts against society.
Do I respect all opinions? No. Some people on this board have absolutely ludicrous beliefs. (an excellent example is AGuest, who believes God whispers things into her ear as though she is divinely chosen to be his mouthpiece, and has had visions that God resembles a dragon)
It is my inherent right NOT to respect all opinions or be tolerant of all others.
Just my 2 cents. I needed to vent on this topic, as I am sure some here (like azaria) feel I am intolerant and a hypocrite for some reason. But honestly? I could care less what others think of me. Life is not about satisfying other individual's opinions of you. It is about being happy with yourself.
Good thread.