Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-07-29
WHAT Il TOLERANCE?

evil % intolerance. Il is an evil that
has no defender. Almost everybody
viii say amen when you preach abo1,
he necessity Of giving the other fell
tow free right TO think for himself
and draw his own conclusions from
the facts presented. We all concede
hat II Is wicked 10 try 10 c!rcumscribe
he liberty Of thot or TO condemn to
everlasting punishment the man who
does not think as we do. SO 1t Is vast
Ing time 20 90 ahead with the old talk
about liberty of conscience and free
dom of thot and speech. for Il is a
subject on which practically all Of US
are agreed But when 1t comes 10
oract!cing what we preach it is quite
a different proposition. The best OF
US are inclined TO be narrow and un-
charitable in some things and the most
/ ~ US are just as intolerant as ever.
except that a sense Of public decency
lmpels us to keep many Of our un-
charitable thots to ourselves and cher
lsh the grudge in secret which we are
ashamed to expose TO the light Of day.
This hidden intolerance is just as
bad In intent as the old kind. but 1t
lacks the power OF making as much
misery as when 1t was not compelled
20 be apologize. When might made
right the power Of the opinion of the
mighty was law for the weak and
timid. But how much less iniquitous
sometimes is the intolerance Of ma
jority. which under our present sys-
tenn we have decreed TO he our ruler.
Given few influential leaders who
can sway a multitude and carry mems
sentiments away against their best
judgment. and we have a rule Of the
majority as tyrannical as any Hohen-
zollern could wish. The weight OF
public opinion Is often as unjust as
he decree of any tyrant. The saving
Tualty Of our democratic ideals is
that In time public opinion will right
harm has been done. The philosopher
who proclaimed the voice OF the peo-
pie as the voice Of God was far from
the mark. for the voice OF the people
Is often as wide OF the mark OF truth
and justice as any tyrant that ever
lived, and 1t is much harder TO COM
bat than the power OF crowned mon
arch. How many Of our readers. for
instance have not suffered rank in
justice AT the hands OF this modern
autocrat?
But intolerance. whether it be hid
den or not. is fundamentally a failure
to grasp the other fellows viewpoint.
He may be. ana probably is. Just as
honest as we are, but things look diff
ferent to him. He wears different
brand OF intellectual spectacles. We
look upon his brand of religion,
whether We say so or not. as rank
heresy. and we are no more tolerant
Of his views on politics or economic
problems. II, 6. Wells. the noted Eng
lish philosopher novelist, says: we
make n mistake in supposng that
heresy has no truth in II. Most here
sizes are only disproportionate APP
prehension OF some essential truth.
Most heretics arc men who have sud
denly caught glimpse thru the veil
OF some particular verify. They are
dazzled by that aspect. All the rest
has vanished" And right here he
struck at the bottom of most all diff
4 ferences In human conceptions OF the
truth. We can look abroad over the
/ religious field and find a multitude OF
sects each one owing its existence
/ mainly to the emphasizing OF some
truth out OF It's proportions to other
/ truths and only prevented from unity
Of action by their failure to attain a
proper balance of all truth. They are
obsessed with some particular aspect
of Gods truth until they cannot see
the Importance OF other aspects of
that same truth.
Some people think they are religious
when they are merely intolerant. We
know many people who are Jealous in
the work OF their particular denomi-
nation. not because they are anxious
for the advancement OF Gods kingdom
so much as because they are militant
for the advantage OF their accepted
variety OF creed. This is intolerance
to the Nth power. 1t is not religion.
but a selfish rivalry Christ rebuked
the disciples who would have stopped
the man who was casting out devils
in his name without Joining his com
pany; for. said he, He that Is not
against us is on our part" Which
may be taken to mean that he did
not confine tho use OF his powers to
one narrow class OF people. but was
willing for all to work good works and
give God the glory. We are too much
like the disciples. We want all tho
good works to go to the credit OF our
church. When you take from such
people the chance to do mighty works
for their particular denomination you
will find very little pretense Of re-
ligion left. What we need now Is not
NO much an outward condemnation Of
lntoleranoe hut n determination IN