In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King's (and his wife) Birthday

Is Tolerance or Being Tolerant Enough?

Any one of us can typically tell when someone is simply tolerating, as opposed to embracing or accepting us, even though that kind of condescension is not always apparent!

The venerable Shepherd of arguably the largest church in the San Francisco Bay Area, pastor Dick Bernal of the Jubilee Christian Center, caused me to think about something earlier today. He mentioned the term tolerance, as he explained the manner in which America and Americans have become more tolerant, as a result of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King. I agreed wholeheartedly, with his conclusion. However, is tolerance enough, that is my question?

Right after he made the comment, it hit me.  I began to think to myself, that is the problem, tolerance, instead of acceptance, became the norm in America.  Why?  Because  acceptance was not something that our government officials could legislate. However, the government could legislate laws against intolerance towards minorities.  Along with the government's actions, and the subsequent assassination of Dr. Martin Luther Jr., the titular leader of the Civil Rights Movement, the majority of Americans became more tolerant of minorities, even if they didn't accept them.  


In fact, minorities were tolerated in the public school systems, at institutions of higher-learning, in the work-place, where public accommodations were available, at the voting booths and so on, however, minorities were not always accepted - even though 'we' were being  tolerated.

What is tolerance, and what does it mean to be tolerant? First of all the term tolerate, a transitive verb means to endure (something or someone).  Being tolerant, is the ability to tolerate the beliefs, actions, opinions of others, also to be permissive, patient and able to tolerate extremes, in this context, non-whites. The question that remains to be answered how in a racial context is this: how long will people, and the nation for that matter, remain tolerant, as opposed to taking the next step to full acceptance of people who differ from them in some form or fashion?

Most Americans today, believe that we live in a post-racial society in America. However, if America is truly a post-racial society, it begs the following question, are the two mutually exclusive, tolerance and acceptance? In other words and to be succinct, should a partially tolerant society, be red the equal of a post-racial society, especially when tolerance has been and is being forced upon the citizens  by rote?

Pastor Bernal was obviously correct, given that there are still pockets of resistance in America, where individuals or groups are still resistant to the notion of being tolerant or being forced to be tolerant, whether by a religious, civil institution or some leader. More than a few Americans have even relocated to obscure and distant places in the wilderness or the suburbs, in order to avoid the tolerance police.  


I can recall a number of experiences that I had with individuals 3 or 4 decades ago, who I am certain would tell you that they were tolerant, if not accepting. For example, when our family relocated to the suburbs for the first time, we experienced abject intolerance.   The welcoming committee, that consisted of our new neighbor across the street, hollered over at us and said, “why don't you niggers go back to where you came from”? I was in the eighth grade at the time, and my jaw dropped down to my knees, given the brazenness of this our new female neighbor.

Typically, self-described 'good people' like this woman, would consider themselves to be tolerant, in spite of all evidence to the contrary.  And, even though some members of the inclusive but intolerant group that she was apparently a member of, would likely brag over the fact that they were at the very least tolerant, oftentimes that was not the case.  Some of them did not pretend to be tolerant of anything or anyone that was not a part of their cultural, racial or class group.  One of our therapists, at the Mental Health Center where I used to be employed as a Psychiatric Counselor said to me in anger one day, "if people don't like what's going on in America, they ought to go back to where they came from".  


By most societal standards, this woman, the members of her group and my fellow employee, would have been considered to be decent and upstanding American citizens.   Whatever did they mean, "go back to where you came from"?  Were they referring to the old neighborhood, back to the South (hadn't lived there), or back to Africa, a place where I never lived?  The fact of the matter is that we relocated from the east side of town, and our family was surrounded by white neighbors, and all of us got along just fine.  

Several decades ago, one of my tolerant white co-workers, decided to tell me a racially-tinged joke that went like this.  He said:

1. “A couple of blacks were talking one day, when one said to the other, every other race in America, has done something important, except us. For example, whites have invented automobiles …. have gone to the moon, so why don't we do something? His counterpart replied, like what?  He answered, well, we (black people) could build a rocket ship and travel to the sun. The sun, his friend replied, are you crazy, if we attempted to travel to the sun, we would burn up?  The other black man then replied, well then, we will go at night”. Of course the white story-teller, felt that his racially-tinged joke, given at my expense, was hilarious.
   
   
2. Then there was the Aladdin lamp's joke, and another white jokester-pranxter: He said, “three men were sitting in lawn chairs one day, observing a magic Aladdin's lamp that one of them found. Suddenly the genie in the lamp appeared, and to show his appreciation to the finder of the lamp, the genie offered to fulfill one wish for him and each one of his friends. The first man wished that all of the black people in America, were put back in Africa, and suddenly, all of the black people in America disappeared, and were placed back in Africa. 
   
   
   The second friend thought for a minute, and afterwards requested that all of the Jews in America were put back in the Middle-east, and poof, suddenly all of the Jews in America magically disappeared, and were suddenly transported back to Israel. Finally, the third friend's turn came around, and he pondered and then spake out loud - "now let me get this right, all of the blacks are back in Africa, and all of the Jews are back in the Middle-East"? CThe genie replied, “yes”. The third gentleman without hesitating said, “well, then I will have a coca-cola”, as he settled back into his chair in order to enjoy his libation!

That America has made strides, most of which can be attributed to the epoch and spiritual Civil-Rights movement, along with cooperation from some brave members of Americas white and Jewish communities, is an undeniable fact.  Many Americans seemed to believe at the time, that it was time for a change. But the problem that remains in America, 'a tolerant society', is as Pastor Bernal pointed out is this, “America still has a ways to go”. The question that remains is why is it so difficult to make the short leap from tolerance to acceptance?

None of us should be deluded into believing that the work that needs to be done with respect to civil rights and fair treatment for all Americans, has been completed. The final stage, I believe, will be the most difficult one of them all to attain, because some things cannot, for example morality, be legislated.  And it would appear that not even going to most r ligious institutions will have any effect when it comes to acceptance.  Intolerance, yes?  Acceptance, no?  Even in the Christian Canon, many of God's chosen appeared to be more tolerant than they were accepting.  For example,  Aaron, Miriam, most of the pre and post-exilicJewish culture ...


The prophet Jeremiah, seemed to have problems with the skin of unchangeable skin of darker-hued Ethiopians, although he apparently tolerated an Ethiopian, who rescued him from the dungeonous pit into which he had been lowered, The Chief Apostle Peter (see below) too, these biblical icons and more had to mostly be taught to be tolerant, if not accepting.   Even Jesus' travelling companions, were surprised to see him talking to 'a Samaritan dog.  Some ministers argue that it was not a form of racism that they were practicing,the Jews,  their separation from non-Jews, had more to do with being set aside, ritual purification and sanctification.   


 I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, more specifically in the South Bay. Not only whites, but most people in the Bay Area, when it comes to ethnicity and race, tend to get along much better, than any other section of the company that I am familiar with, in my opinion.

However, in a Christian nation, by believing that we are a tolerant or post-racial society, is that enough? Even the Apostle Peter was corrected, apparently by God, given his internalized racial animus, towards other human beings. His counterpart, the Apostle Paul, even confronted him on one occasion, given the duplicity that he exhibited when he was around members from other groups, Gentiles, to be more specific.

Can anyone be forced to take the next step beyond tolerance, into acceptance, which was what was hoped for by Dr. King and the members of the civil rights movement I believe, along with new laws and codes to replace the old ones.  The answer in this regard, I believe is no, and most Americans would agree that neither morality or acceptance can be legislated.  For example, single-family dwellers, have the right to decide who can live inside of their homes with them.  With rental property, the rules are more relaxed.  

The recent announcement and pronouncement  by some Americans, that stipulates that 21st century America is a post-racial society,  in other words no longer a racist society, has been greatly  greatly exaggerated.   In fact I argued  in the past, that a person of one race could marry a person of another race, and still be racist, in the same manner that a male could have a living mother, sisters or a daughter, and at the same time be sexist. How can that be? Simply ask the relatives of the members of the bi-racial marriage.

America has a long way to go in terms of becoming a post-racial society, but the truth of the matter is this: I suspect that we have gone just about as far as we are going to go, at least for the foreseen future. More tolerant? The answer is yes. Post racial? The answer is nyat, at times it would appear that there has been a retrenchment by some Americans.   The current President of the United States of America, could likely speak to this ongoing conundrum, given his recent experiences in offices, after having been elected by individuals who appeared to be accepting, not just tolerant. 

Does the American church community at large, in the manner that Jubilee and many other Churches have done, teach its members not only to be tolerant, but to behave in the manner that Jesus and the Apostle Peter and sexist (Apostle Paul at one time) learned to do? I suspect that many of other churches would prefer to remain tolerant, but not accepting of 'all people". Jubilee Christian Center in San Jose California, on the other hand it is not just a tolerant church, it is a post-racial one.   Also, America needs more churches and a pastor, who happens to be white, like Pastor Bernal. 


Hopefully, Jubilee, will have an impact on other churches who need to become not only tolerant, but God like (or accepting) in terms of their attitudes, behavior and treatment of people who for one reason or another appear to be different in some respect, race, age, ethnicity .... than their members happen to be.

In closing, the Civil Rights Movement brought the nation to a place where America's government and the majority of its citizens, for centuries, refused to go, some to tolerance and others to acceptance.  And even today, America, still has a long way to go.  Sadly, some Americans are retreating in the other direction, and returning to their former ways, even at the church house!

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior's Birthday (and members of the Civil-Rights movement).

You did your parts, it is up to the rest of us to do our parts, and why is it that someone, apparently, has to suffer or die, in order for others to be free?