Christian Seberino wrote:
On many things I think Christianity *does* accept compromise, flexibility, admission of errors and tolerance.
It depends on your flavor of Christianity. The problem we are currently having is that 50+% of Christians do not accept compromise on functional, secular concerns like evolution and science.
The problem is who gets to decide that your flavor of Christianity is acceptable and that some other is not?
If you give the government that power, then it can persecute. Thus, the only way out is to prevent the government from touching religious concerns at all.
While the converse does not *have* to be true, more qualified, more religious men than I have argued that when religion enters the political arena to accomplish its goals, it gets corrupted by worldly concerns and inevitably loses its moral core. I see no evidence that they are wrong.
By the way, I'll bet you aren't completely flexible and tolerant about everything. Suppose someone told you they thought slavery of Blacks was acceptable. Would you be open to their viewpoint and be flexible enough to consider tolerating their beliefs?
I would listen to their arguments. I can be swayed but logical reasoning. I can also reject their arguments as well. In addition, what they profess in their own private areas is their business.
Tolerance does not mean acceptance. You can profess your beliefs, but I can profess mine in opposition.
However, you are correct. I have a few very core principles that I will not compromise. Freedom of speech, for example, is a big one. Once freedom of speech is gone, little else matters. Equality under the law is another big one. If one does not believe in these kinds of principles, I do wish them removed from my society.
However, my principles work even when the situation is reversed. Sometimes it sucks to defend the rights of the indefensible, but, every now and then, *you* are the indefensible. Suddenly, those rights are very important.
-a -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
