If you tolerate this!

It was suggested by a friend of mine that I am intolerant! Am I not the epitome of 'live and let live if it hurts no other?'
I strongly suspect that I was accused of this simply because I didn't agree with her.
I can look at this world the same as you can and I can choose what I like and what I don't like and I can base my opinion on the things I see or experience with the knowledge I have gained during my life-time and as I learn more then I may choose to change my mind. Greater knowledge of subject allows for better opinions. This is normal and I assume it is the same for most people. Although I have found that with some people it would seem that they hate something without really understanding it.

	Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Ne
	Momo found this at skreemr.com

What is it that I seem to have become intolerant about?
"Live and let live" is a Buddhist point of view and it is also mine. It's also about the interpretation of those words. I see this phrase as the accepting of people with different beliefs and cultures and a way of life different to my own. But in offering them the respect that I accept them as they are I would hope for the same courtesy that I too am accepted for who and what I am. It does not mean that I live my life and if you choose to be a moralizer then I would accept it!
In my opinion a moralizer is someone who would try to impose their belief system upon you and would like you to live as they do and believe as they do. They are not satisfied with simply suggesting you change your life style to their point of view - they'll do it by coercion and by open disapproval of your current ways and if they have the power, they would also try to enforce this change by law.
I love that line on television about "the majority of people want this..." and somehow nearly every single person watching may think "I don't agree" but they may be easily convinced that almost everyone else does just by hearing those words.

These unsympathetic, intolerant, ignorant and arrogant people believe that their way is the 'only' way and they claim to be defenders of the public faith and protecting the public from these deviants! Does this then show their monopoly on moral judgment?
It appears that this is their way of attacking those things they don't like and they want to impose their points of view on you.
Think about issues like homosexuality, abortion, prostitution, censorship, blasphemy and matters like these. All have had campaigners trying to convince you that these are crimes and you should stamp them out.
In truth they are afraid of these so called freedoms and somehow believe that these issues will destroy the moral fabric of society and yet all have existed for thousands of years and here we are still!
Every age and every generation has suffered these moralizers and each one believed that it was their age that was in crisis. I recall my Father telling me of one crisis just like this over five thousand years ago!
The small individual moralizer can be mostly avoided and considered a proverbial pain in the butt but the high powered one is capable of inflicting his brand of misery upon tens of thousands.
Live and let live I say as long as it does not hurt others.

Tolerance then is not an open invitation to accept everything carte blanche!
Tolerance not only allows but encourages others with different points of view to have their say and then it's usually left to a democracy of ideas to choose the way or ideal for the masses. By its definition then it could allow those with uncompromising views and hard-line moralizing ideals to impose their will on the people.
So should we tolerate the intolerant?
With my loudest voice I say "No!" Tolerance must protect its own ideals. We can say that all may voice their own point of view but we should not force others to accept it. These fanatics may think they are trying to save you from hell or some other imaginable fate but I think they do it because they feel threatened. Insecurity leads to fear and fear begets intolerance and the intolerance leads back to more fears in an endless and malicious circle. Take away hatred from some people, and you have men without faith.
It seems many of us have a respect and a reverence for the human body and yet it sometimes feels that no thought is given to the rape of innocent minds.

I would say that I am tolerant - but only to a point.

I had a wonderful afternoon with my dear friend Yoshi who works within the advertising and marketing business. She was kind enough to introduce me to one of her work associates who has a couple of vacancies in the promotions and public relations department. Perhaps this all sounds very grandiose but really its a matter of standing around and being the face and the voice on site for a particular product. Basically I would sweet talk purchasers, distributors and consumers. This was a similar job that I was perusing when we met Miss Hayashi in Tokushima last August.
I feel quite confident about this position and I really believe that it is well within my capabilities. I hope to hear a favorable result soon.