Tolerance & perspective

[Eric Cernyar]

QUESTION #1:

Take three people, C, M, and L.

C believes that only those who believe in J will go to heaven.

M believes that only those who claim that J shares in G's divinity are
polytheists and can't possibly go to heaven.

L thinks that both M & C are fools, that hell is a myth, and that if there
is a heaven, all good people will go there.

C is not troubled that M believes C will go to hell, and does not take it
personally or view M's beliefs as arrogant, because (1) C knows M is
mistaken and (2) C understands and appreciates where M is coming from.  But
C loves M & L and wants to tell them about C's faith, hoping that M & L will
be saved.

M is not troubled that C believes M will go to hell, and does not take it
personally or view C's beliefs as arrogant, because (1) M knows C is
mistaken and (2) M understands and appreciates where C is coming from.  But
M loves C & L and wants to tell them about M's faith, hoping that C & L will
convert.

Even though L thinks M & C are fools, L is nonetheless personally offended
that M & C would think that everyone outside their respective belief
communities is going to hell.  L also thinks that C's and M's attempts to
proselytize are arrogant and ought to be discouraged, if not outright
prohibited.  L does not try to understand where M & C are coming from and
instead tells everybody that M & C are arrogant, intolerant, and potentially
dangerous, and seeks to stigmatize M & C in the very worst way (e.g., as bad
as the KKK, terrorists and militants waiting to happen).  L does not want to
engage in dialogue with the hopelessly irrational likes of M & C.  So L uses
the language of denigration, rather than thoughtful criticism, when
addressing the likes of M & C.

Who, M, C, or L, is least faithful to the liberal tradition?  Who, M, C, or
L, is being the most close-minded?  Who, in fact, is being the least
"tolerant"?

QUESTION #2

M, C, and L all want the State to incorporate their respective belief
systems, or at least some milder version of it, into the public education
curriculum.  Should L get its wish?  Does the Establishment clause only
censor M's and C's views from the curriculum, but not L's?

Best regards,
Eric Cernyar

P.P.S.: I am not suggesting that any particular person in this forum thinks
exactly like L.  Please do not read it that way.
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