tolerance?

A great letter to the editor of LEO (better than mine!) on its earlier article about Sojourn...

Fair and Balanced
LEO is not known for its balance when addressing issues involving evangelical Christianity. But I happily commend Stephen George for his open-minded examination of Sojourn in “Smells Like Holy Spirit” (LEO, April 9).

The anticipated hysteria came from “progressively”-minded letter writers in Erosia. Attacks included the phrases “… the stench of patriarchy” and “... your typical, right-wing nuthouse preaching prejudice and hate,” to “… a bunch of homophobes who treat women as second-class citizens …” and a statement even equating Sojourn with white supremacists.

Before the term “tolerance” was co-opted by the Left and raped of its meaning, it once meant respect toward those whose opinions or beliefs DIFFER from your own. Unfortunately, modern liberal thought, while giving lip service to diversity of thought, only holds credible what it espouses while hurling contempt upon those who think otherwise. Liberals are enlightened while the other side is not only wrong but also stupid, narrow-minded and undeserving of consideration. Thus, they are not debated. They are maligned with labels (homophobe, bigot, racist, zealot, etc.), and their intelligence or motives questioned.

So, while many who regard themselves as liberals cry for tolerance, they don’t extend it to others, like Sojourn. They decry hate and prejudice, yet they self-righteously hate and prejudge — even down to expressing suspicion because Sojourners don’t “look” like evangelicals (this coming from those who supposedly embrace the idea of breaking down stereotypes) and their community service … a nefarious attempt at takeover.

While Sojourn does uphold the Biblical teaching that homosexuality is a sin (one of many common to humanity), I would bet that the average gay person would be treated with much more respect at Sojourn than an evangelical Christian is in LEO’s Erosia and many of its past articles. I think many on the Left need to confront some of their own hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance.

Ray Rieck, Louisville