The Edict of Milan and the Idea of Religious Tolerance

According to the good folk at Wikipedia it was on this day in the year 313 that the Edict of Milan extended religious tolerance to Christianity. Now, as it happened, it was simply a marker on the shifting of who was persecuting and who was persecuted. But, the idea is a nice one.

I have friends who disdain toleration. They want something else. Often the term is celebration. I think that’s asking for way too much.

We have a right to demand tolerance of each other and our beliefs. But, let me tell you, some of the things you guys think, I ain’t going to celebrate. But tolerate? You got it!

I suspect some may feel the same about some of the things I think that I’ve revealed out loud.

So, some kindness is wonderful. Maybe even some assumption of good will. The stuff that makes us decent human beings.

But looking for a baseline, something we have as a right to because we breathe air? Tolerance is pretty darned good. Especially when we look at what the alternatives usually are…