Tolerance is cool

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2005/12/27/local/doc43b07e2c37853415754462.txt

"Pope John Paul II promoted love and tolerance among people of all faiths, she said."

I thought I'd better look this up, since tolerance to me seems close to indifference.

tolerance: sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own ...

tolerate: to suffer to be or to be done without prohibition, hindrance, or contradiction; to put up with

OK, so it is not indifference, but sort of indulgence, sympathy, and putting up with.

And the kids got motivated by "backlash against Muslims after 9/11 and anti-Jewish sentiments in the Gaza Strip. And because of their own experiences as Catholic kids. They’ve heard the Catholic jokes."

Well as Catholic kids, perhaps tolerance can subdue the Catholic jokes. I doubt that tolerance has anything to do with 9/11 and the Gaza Strip.

Are we expecting Al Queda to tolerate the USA better? That would stop them from being Al Queda.

Are we expecting the Gaza folks to accept Israel by putting up with them? There must be a more probable suggestion (I think Gaza may be about land, and nation).

I think the Pope was asking to let the other religions exist, and let the draw of Truth sort things out without coercion.

I won't be buying this T-shirt, nor one that might say "Can't we all just get along?"

Maybe, if the Priest hadn't said ‘Wow, that’s a great idea.’, I wouldn't be picking on high school kids. I would have tolerance.