Tolerating Intolerance

In the past week, I've had a front row seat to witness what I consider to be two separate acts of religious intolerance.  It isn't the religious intolerance one might think of though.  Someone isn't putting down a religion - a religion is putting someone down.

Incident 1 - a pastor at a conservative church is requiring all employees to sign a document to agree to abide by a certain Christian lifestyles.  In other words, he is telling some existing (and all potential) employees they are no longer good enough to work there simply based on how they live their life away from work.  This type of discrimination may be quite legal for a religious organization, but it's also quite intolerant, not to mention unenforcable.

Incident 2 - a Catholic diocesan pastor vetoed a distinguished alumni award that a school was going to give to a well-regarded community volunteer.  The reason - for a short time some years ago, she was on the board of Planned Parenthood.  In other words, he is telling her (and everyone else) that all good deeds are usurped by helping an organization he and the church oppose.  Again, this type of discrimination may be quite acceptable for a religious organization, but it's also quite intolerant, not to mention stupid.

What do these incidents have in common?  That religious 'leaders' preach tolerance, but act differently.  They actually only tolerate those who agree with them.  In both cases, this is not the first time the pastor in question has said or done controversial things that are far more politically based than faith-based.  They are, in a word, hypocrites.

It sounds ironic, but I actually think the world would be a better place if people followed certain so-called Christian principles - if those principles are broadly defined.  Things like loving your neighbor as yourself, doing unto others as they have done to you, and showing compassion to those less fortunate.  What these pastors are doing, however, doesn't jibe with any of those.  They demand that people rigidly adhere to their specific, often politically-motivated agendas.  (By the way, Christianity doesn't own those broadly based principles.)

Basically, their religion screws up their faith.  It makes them tolerate intolerance.  It makes atheists look good.