Should we tolerate intolerance?

It is not that long ago that I was convicted of judging those who judge. We are told not to judge lest we be judged. Judging is not the same as discerning that something is wrong (or disagreeable), judging adds the element of condemnation. We (I) get very close to obnoxious self righteousness when we (I) do this, and at the same time illustrate the truth of the saying that the condemnation of those who judge is just, because we do the very same thing!

Tolerance is different from judgmentalism. Tolerance allows that there is something wrong (or disagreeable), but neither judges nor sets up a campaign to wipe it out. Thus we do not want to tolerate child abuse or bullying, but we should certainly (with some qualifications) tolerate in society, such things as divorce, adultery, different religious beliefs and lifestyles that are different from ours.

The doctrine of Political Correctness (PC) started out right in that it wanted to correct certain injustices and intolerances. It was right to decriminalize homosexuality and to preach tolerance to (especially) religious communities which, at many times and in may places, were (are) not only intolerant but also judgmental. The problem with Political Correctness though (as with 99% of all movements that set out to correct injustices) is that the pendulum has swung over too far in the opposite direction. The thing about the pendulum, when it is swinging, is that it passes the point of balance at maximum speed!

In the case of Political Correctness, in the name of tolerance it has demanded nothing less that total agreement and full acceptance not only of persons, but of the accompanying teachings and lifestyles. When this is not forthcoming it accuses the opposition of fear and hate. Certainly these things exist but again it goes too far confusing disagreement with fear. It cannot see that you can disagree and still love, so it also confuses love with agreement. Thus PC demands dominance not tolerance, and in doing so, at many times and in may places, engages in flagrant intolerance, judgmentalism, fear and hate, the very things it accuses the opposition of.

In a nutshell Political Correctness in just about all its forms is intolerant of anything that does not fully embrace everything it advocates. In particular it is intolerant even of tolerance. I started off by asking if we should tolerate intolerance? The biggest problem I have with PC is that it does not even tolerate tolerance, and in the process it too does the very thing it condemns!