Society always corrects itself, but it always overcorrects. It was not that long ago that discrimination was blatantly praised. It’s undeniable that inequalities still thrive in the US, and I am certainly not going to make light of just how powerfully intolerance has seemed to seep through. But our society has seemed to transition to at least an attempt towards justice. Specifically, there is at least a camp of people fighting for others to not take a position of hate with everyone they disagree with or that they are different from.
This, in and of itself, is a positive change. But in the spirit of tolerance, we seem to have overcorrected, which is the very nature of how society works. There are so many aspects of blind tolerance that simply do not function, one of which is the way we express disagreements. We were not taught to intentionally pursue relationships with people different from ourselves, to have conversation with people whose views and perspectives differ from our own. No, we were taught that when people look or think differently than us, we need to aggressively express just how different we are and how crucial it is that they change to be mirror copies of us. Looking around the US, this has not changed, but it claims to be better. Now, we must accept the marginalized exactly where they are (a good thing), without disagreeing with their perspective (not a good thing). Granted, people have lost touch with the art of discourse– disagreeing, presenting your argument, showing your evidence and then allowing the other to do the same, with a mutual understanding that you will both have an open mind.
It takes effort to treat people with respect. I am in no way condoning intolerance for people. Intolerance would mean a return to disrespect and it is this hateful disregard for others that has led for not a mere spirit of tolerance of where people are at, but tolerance of where they are going. So what problem do I have with this fight for tolerance? What I am saying is that blind tolerance has caused us to stop challenging the value of the assistance that we provide, because it no longer matters as much to everyone if the people they are helping will be in a better position in life in the next 20 or 50 years. No, it only matters that we ‘make them comfortable’, while doing nothing to actually better their lives.
Let me give an example of what I am talking about: there has been a policy enacted in several states, The Needle Exchange Program. There has been a spike in HIV, due to drug users sharing needles, especially within the homeless population. The response was to offer free or cheap needles in exchange for the used ones. While an intolerance for either the homeless or those with HIV would be both cruel and unhelpful, tolerance for drug use and homelessness as a permanent state is even more cruel and unhelpful. Assisting them to remain exactly where they are, giving up hope to better their situation and removing the drive to change will only ensure that the brokenness in society stays exactly where it is.
Now, I know this situation is more complex than what I’m giving credit for: the immediate concern is the HIV epidemic and addressing this problem quickly. But bettering society takes commitment. Many of these same states are also devoting more funds to soup kitchens and shelters ( a good thing), but fewer funds to job assistance programs, drug rehabilitation and other long-term solutions (not a good thing). Helping them where they are at is undeniably needed. But doing less to help this generation not end in this same situation, or the next generation having fewer people in this same situation is exerting effort into not solving the problem.
Tying this to our personal lives (momentarily excluding any politicians amongst you), how often do we do the same thing? We see people facing a problem or issue, perhaps even one that has been stigmatized. We don’t want to marginalize the person, because that would be disrespectful and hateful. So we utilize tolerance. Because this is supposedly an improvement. We want to help address their immediate needs, and that is the right thing to do. It’s the biblical thing to do. It’s literally what Jesus did. But He also never left people where He found them. He always left them better than He found them. And this is exactly what we should do: don’t judge where they are at, but don’t accept where they are headed.
