Get Yourself a Cup of Coffee and Read This

I like to think of myself as a generally tolerant person. Tolerant; not unconditionally accepting. I affirm that every human being possesses inherent worth and dignity, absolutely, but that conviction doesn't come with automatic acceptance of every precious thing believed by every precious individual. You may say, "DUH," but many Unitarian Universalists -- who mistake our first principle as carte blanche to claim martyrdom at the drop of a hat -- are known to scream, "You're not affirming my inherent worth and dignity!!" when you dare reject anything about them, or their opinions.

I have a curious nature and I enjoy talking to, and knowing, people who possess a wide variety of spiritual philosophies (The one quality that makes me insanely frustrated is what I call "liberal fundamentalism," which is practiced by those who claim to be open-minded, intellectual, rational and tolerant, but who froth at the mouth when other human beings reach conclusions about the nature of ultimate reality that they themselves just can't fathom).

But I digress.

I have generally tried to understand, rather than to vilify, the Christian Right. Maybe not so much on PeaceBang, where I bring on the sass with impunity, but certainly in my own pulpit. I am not much into blanket condemnation, even if I did once refer to George Bush and his anti-choice cronies as "fetus worshipers."

After reading this article in Harper's magazine this weekend, though (it's from the May issue but I just got around to it), I think it's time to pound the pulpit and make it really clear to my folks that it's really okay to be intolerant of this; that it's such a disgrace and a despicable way to build religious community:

http://www.harpers.org/SoldiersOfChrist.html