How ironic. There is one thing I am really intolerant of. Intolerance.
Although I have grown up in Australia, my roots still lie strongly buried in the soil of Northern Ireland. The majority of my family still live there. I have been back to visit several times. I have seen the damage caused in Belfast by religious intolerance. I have seen the impact it has had on my own family. An interfaith marriage caused many dramas for many years. Some of the ramifications of that echo on to this day.
Intolerance can take many forms – religious, racial, scientific, philosophical, gender, sexual persuasion and so on. Intolerance means focussing on differences between ‘us’ and ‘them’. Intolerance is when you disagree with someone else’s views and decide they don’t have a right to hold those views.
In my own opinion, I have no problem with anybody holding different views and beliefs provided they don’t hurt anyone. Provided they practise harmlessness. I don’t even mind if they tell me I am wrong in my beliefs provided they respect my right to hold them.
I believe in science. I believe in evolution. Yet I also believe in karma, reincarnation and astrology. Things that haven’t YET been scientifically proven accurate or true. But I have a friend who mocks me and ridicules me for these beliefs. He doesn’t agree. I don’t mind that he doesn’t agree, but I do object to being ridiculed. I don’t have a blind belief in these things because someone told me to. I believe them because I have accumulated evidence that fits my own ‘criteria’ of the truth.
I was always sceptical of astrology. I am fairly sceptical by nature. Ten years ago an astrologer read my chart for me and could tell me exactly the way my mind worked, the thought patterns I tended to have and the way I approached life. She didn’t know me. But she was spot on. She could see things that nobody else knew about me. So I got interested and started to research and learn for myself. All I have learnt has only reinforced the accuracy of astrology in my own life. So I choose to believe in it because it works for me and it makes my life easier to understand. Contradictions in my character are there in the chart. It is a tool that helps me make sense of my world.
There is much more out there that is valid than has been proved by the scientific community at this time. I prefer to keep an open mind about things and see if they ring true for me. That doesn’t mean they are true – just true for me. We all see the world through different lenses. We all have different world views. None of us are wrong and none of us are right. We just need to be true to ourselves and ensure we hurt nobody else because of our beliefs.
We, as humans, have much more in common with each other than we have differences. Why don’t we focus on that side of things? I bet if aliens invaded the planet tomorrow we’d suddenly all be human-centric and little things like colour, gender, sexual orientation and religious beliefs would suddenly cease to be so important.
I believe there are many paths to Truth. Truth is what matters at the end of the day. Ultimate Truth. But I don’t think any of us alive on the planet are wise enough at this point in time to determine what the ultimate truth is. We are all searching for it in our own ways. I just wish we could all respect each other for being on the same quest even if we take different paths.
But the irony of my being intolerant of intolerance is not wasted on me 
You have evidence that astrology works? Bullshit.
Thank you for your tolerance, scaryreasoner
I am so pleased to see you really understood the true meaning of my post…
I think that intolerance is a sign of human insecurity. The shaky logic goes something like this: if someone believes something different from what I believe, and believes it as strongly as I believe something else, then maybe my position isn’t as secure as I thought it was, either. Therefore, the “balance” needs to be re-established by asserting the position of what is really true and correct. In reality, there is little we know for certain. What we don’t know far outweighs what we do know with scientific certainty! As you say, we’re all on this quest together, regardless of the individual paths we take, and it’s sad that we’re not more respectful of the differences and generally appreciative of what makes us the same.
Hear hear!