Radical Tolerance

In such a diverse community you should expect people to have differing perspectives, experiences, and traditions. You certainly shouldn't expect all Pagans to be the same. I enjoy Janet and Stewart Farrar's work even though I disagree with some of their statements regarding homosexuality. Sometimes Scott Cunningham and Christopher Penczak make me scratch my head, but I don't revile them for having different ideas from me. It's not the Farrars', Cunningham's, or Penczak's job to conform to me or to anyone else.

Practicing tolerance in its most logical and practical form is a radical thing. It restricts me in ways I never considered and has spurred me to defend things I never imagined defending. It has made me sensitive to other people's practices, religious beliefs, and spiritual culture in a way I never anticipated. It's made me unsympathetic to people whose version of tolerance requires others to conform to them, who insist no controversial or unorthodox views be aired. To paraphrase Voltaire, I may not agree with your beliefs or practices, but I will defend unto death your right to believe and practice them.

Surprisingly, it's brought me into heated conversations with fellow Pagans far more often than with people of other faiths. It is far less common for me to hear someone of another faith brand our religions as "wrong" than to hear one Pagan tell another their beliefs are "wrong." This sort of divisive behavior is unworthy of our movement. Rather than take our cues from Mr. Kirsch and use "tolerance" as a sword, let us defend our diversity and take up the shield of radical tolerance.

10/22/2010 4:00:00 AM
  • Pagan
  • Diversity
  • Interfaith Dialogue
  • Tolerance
  • Paganism
  • Star Foster
    About Star Foster
    A hopeless movie junkie, Star Foster believes that good movies are the mythic narratives of our times.