ARE ATHEISTS INTOLERANT OF RELIGION?
Wayne Everett Orgar January 2007 What is intolerance? This word is being tossed about so much these days, particularly by conservative Christians like Charles Colson, that we need to take a step back and do some thinking about this concept. This is necessary because religious advocates will use words like intolerance to promote their beliefs, rather than providing reliable evidence for the truth of what they promote. Is intolerance necessarily a bad thing? Should we be tolerant of a belief in slavery, subjugation of women, or behavior that discriminates against ethnic groups? At what point does tolerance become acquiescence to or condoning of abusive power or harm? Lets start with a dictionary definition. My Oxford American Dictionary defines “tolerate”: to permit without protest or interference. The dictionary goes on to define “tolerance”: willingness or ability to tolerate a person or thing. What is notable about this definition is that it does not readily apply to beliefs although
