Driscoll, Piers Morgan, and Tolerance

Last night Mark Driscoll was on Piers Morgan.  As you can imagine, Piers was quite direct in his questioning.

You can read the full transcript here.

The issue of "tolerance" came up.  I am growing quite weary of that word.  It really means nothing anymore than, "Do you agree with me?"

Here is what Piers said last night amidst the discussion with Driscoll where he attempts to question Mark's views:

But I also think what is harming America right now, like many countries around the world, is just a fundamental lack of tolerance and respect for people who may not share your personal values.

Tolerance has to be a two way street if people really want to be serious about that word.  So I guess what I would seek to ask Piers is,  "If you are such a champion for "tolerance" why are you not tolerating my views right now?  Are you implying that tolerance has to be defined by agreeing with your definition of tolerance?"

I think in these types of discussions one can easily expose the hypocrisy and idiocy of our modern line of thinking about "tolerance" by putting the question back to the questioner.  "Why are YOU being so intolerant of my views?"  I think this needs to be spoken way more often by those who would seek to paint anyone who disagrees with them as "intolerant".  Who really is the intolerant one?

The question really has nothing to do with "tolerance".  People have always had and always will have different views about thousands of different topics.  The bigger question is how to be loving or just simply civil in the midst of those differences.  Which worldview can sustain that kind of love and civility?

But these days those two different concepts (tolerance and love) are being melting into one.  You can't disagree with someone and love them at the same time.  If you love someone that means you have to agree with everything they stand for.  That is the challenge in todays culture, but if people really think about it, it makes zero sense and we should help them see that.