Eye-openers. Startling, even shocking eye-openers. Both
books reviewed in this article proved to be that for me, as they
demonstrated where the culture I live in has been, where it is now, and
where it seems to be going. The Intolerance of Tolerance, by D. A.
Carson, discusses postmodern ideas on truth claims, demonstrating, with
many real-life examples, that the one thing absolutely not tolerated
any longer is the stance that a particular belief might be wrong.
Carson’s book is larger in scope than Brown’s. The Intolerance of Tolerance surveys the West in general, examining many different areas where the new tolerance is required. As the title suggests, A Queer Thing Happened in America,
by Michael L. Brown, looks only at American culture and deals
exclusively with issues of homosexuality and gender preference. While I
would differ with Brown theologically on a number of issues, those
issues were not the subject of this book. In this book,
I was struck by the calm, rational, even compassionate tone he
consistently takes on what is often a highly inflammatory subject.
D. A. Carson begins The Intolerance of Tolerance
with definitions. Citing multiple dictionary examples, he demonstrates
that “tolerate” has traditionally meant “to recognize other people’s
right to have different beliefs or practices without an attempt to
suppress them.” Later, Carson elaborates on how this kind of tolerance
is right and good. It is right for the law to permit and protect an
individual’s freedom to believe as he chooses, and it is right for a
person to be able to live and interact with others with no abuse or slur
for beliefs he holds. Continue at Starr Meade
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