Sean's Take on Tolerance

I love many of Sean's talants. One being that he can express his thoughts and truly relay his feelings through writing. Sean wrote this because it is something that is so important to our family and to our daughter's future.

Of those who support same-sex marriage, the appeal to “tolerance” is often cited. However, the term “tolerance,” as described by these individuals seems antithetic to what the term “tolerance” once met. Tolerance was once succinctly defined in the Christian adage to “love thy neighbor.” This principle suggests an unyielding need to relate to one another’s differences in a non-contentious manner. Those who espouse such a principle would not be found ridiculing or belittling anyone who may have different standards of conduct; however, tolerance does not mean that one must abandon his or her own moral standards and condone the conduct that he or she deems wrongful. Moreover, tolerance does not require one to abandon one’s opinions on political or public policy choices. Tolerance is concerned with how we react to the inherent differences that we encounter in other people, but does not require that those differences evade scrutiny. Those who support Proposition 8 can reach out with genuine love and friendship to those in the gay and lesbian community, and many already do, without condoning the practice of homosexuality and accepting a re-definition of marriage.