BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Buddhism Tolerating Intolerance

When I count, I do a visualization of a big thermometer-type thing in my head.... it's full to the top of red stuff when I start, and with each deep breath I can make it go down, it's usually numbered 10 down to 1, so when I count, it goes down one notch for each number. Sometimes I have to focus on a number for awhile for it do go down.

When I do the 10 count with my deeeeep breathing, I count slowly to eight while I inhale and hold my breath to 9, 10, 9 and then start to exhale slowly while I count slowly backwards to 1. Each time I do this, I replace the #1 with the next consecutive # until I've made it all the way to 10, 2,3,4,5,...3,2,10.

It helps me relax and recenter myself when my brain is concentrating on simple counting sequences and reverses! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Trish

Tolerance is not respect.

Coming from a Christian perspective, I think too many people think they are being respectful when someone airs a belief that is contrary to God's Word by just sitting by and grasping to the old cliche, "everyone is entitled to their own opinion" or "all roads lead to God, your reality is really the same as mine". Can't anyone see that agreeing to disagree is not the right solution?

There is a way to present the Christian truth without alienating everyone. It's my belief that those who are infuriated by the truth of God's Word are those who are living outside of their own truth. God's truth is our truth. We are the chosen audience...all of us, not just a select few.

I don't need to relax and allow others to spout their beliefs and then weight them and take them into me because I have my own and I don't need theirs. If someone is talking to me about the validity of God's Word, I just direct them to it, after all, God does a much better job than I do of saying what He means.

Love the thermometer method Megan. That is a really powerful visual image- much better than just counting. Bet mine is stuck right at the top for a while sometimes <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Post deleted by Samten

Dave, the thing is... you've spoken. You've made your points, you've made your views clear, and now you wish to do nothing but insult. Had you come in, made rational statements about how your religion was different and WHY you believe the way you do, it would've been a lot less offensive. However, you came in and attacked people, cruelly, making mockery of their belief systems (which they have every right to hold) and making horrible comments about them and their families.

You complain that tolerance wasn't shown to you, but you showed no tolerance OR respect to those editors, who, if you had been logical and kind, might've let you hang around. You were given the opportunity to speak, and you abused it, and were therefore silenced, which, as far as I can tell, is what you were hoping for. You were hoping to make those editors be "mean" to you so you could perceive yourself as some sort of martyr, enduring hardship for your faith. In law, they call that kind of behavior "entrapment", and in life, they call it "immaturity".

With that, sir, I'm done speaking to you. You've wasted enough of my time, and I'm simply worn out. You have no desire to listen to anyone else, only to spout off about your beliefs. You are clearly right about everything, the rest of the world is wrong. Fine, whatever. And don't bother replying with some nasty statement about how I'm going to Hell. I'm fully aware that under your belief system, I'm going, for multiple reasons. My belief system holds that there is no "hell", as an afterlife concept, and NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING that you say will change that. Even if I listened to proseletyzers, I still wouldn't listen to you, because you've proven to me that you're a kook, and I can't imagine EVER taking you seriously.

Thats a great visualization method Megan!

Does anyone else have a method that works for them?

I'm pretty good at not reacting because when people start acting crazy, they look crazy to me and I get distracted by noticing that instead of taking in what they say. However, afterwards, in my mind I often have battles with them and then that's the part I need to struggle to let go of. I don't want to carry around pushy, angry, arrogant people or thoughts in my head. It gets so full that way I forget to fill the space with things I love.

When all else fails, the ignore button is a wonderful facility. texasdave is on mine....
I am moderator on another Buddhist forum, and i would just like to add as a 'professional' note that it's important to not blur the edges when moderating on a buddhist forum.

Moderating has nothing to do with Buddhism.

it has everything to do with Common courtesy, respect, politeness and dignity. If a person continiues to step over the line, inspite of repeated (public and/or private) requests, they're banned.
By all means enhance your own practise, and question your motives against your Buddhist ethics...but tolerance does not mean giving them so much rope they end up tying us up in it....

And if this post is out of line, I sincerely apologise, and would be quite content for Moderators to do with it as they wish.

I'm (through hard and difficult experience) trying to help here.... <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />