There is often a problem, both in religion and
in many other "-isms," of prioritizing one's philosophy over people.
A lot of it seems to stem from the belief that whatever ideology you ascribe
to, you have to swallow it whole. It's the unwillingness to examine the tenets
and to reject ones that marginalize people and fly in the face of compassion.
It's the immediate inclination to reject a person entirely because they
differ on certain points of belief, and to decide they must be immoral because
of it.
To be clear, I'm not criticizing the act of
rejecting someone who holds oppressive views. For example, a person committed
to anti-racism is absolutely justified in cutting off someone who expresses
deeply racist beliefs. Such a perspective does active harm to others. But I
know Christians who have ended friendships with other Christians for not
believing in hell. I know socialists who refuse to engage with cohorts who
espouse Marxism as opposed to Leninism. I know hardline atheists who don't want
to talk to other atheists who are not interested in "de-converting"
people. When you allow for no criticism of any part of your cause, you become
too quick to dismiss others who differ on any points at all. Also, I think a
sign of fanaticism is the belief that anyone who disagrees even slightly is the real fanatic.
They tell you not to pick and choose, but for a
healthy perspective, you have to. Selectivity is not the problem. The problem
is refusing to admit to being selective while demanding that others adhere to
every orthodoxy. The problem is the parts that people select.
This is where the issue of tolerance comes in
for me. Bigots love to accuse others of being hypocrites for not tolerating
their bigotry. But here's the thing: I have never claimed that it's reasonable
or productive to be tolerant of everything. I don't tolerate hate and
stereotypes that are heaped on people for factors they can't control. It's
petty to cry persecution after being criticized for a polarizing opinion. We
can choose our opinions. We can't choose our race, gender, or sexual
orientation, so I'm all for not rejecting anyone on the basis of those factors.
However, it's reasonable to resolve to avoid oppressive people.
