Letter of the Week

The column by Steve Smith (“There’s never any time to tolerate

intolerance in this world” Oct. 14) was either illogical or incomplete.

He states that in a church service “people of faiths other than that of

this particular church were condemned to hell,” and then went on to

express how this represents intolerant discrimination.

Being a Christian myself and having moderate experience with different

Christian denominations, the original premise does not ring true and

neither does the association with intolerant discrimination. More

information is needed to sort out the possibilities:

1. It is not very likely that the church itself was making the

decision to condemn people of other faiths to hell. This would mean that

they believed that they had the power to take away God’s power and

authority to make this condemnation -- an act of hubris that I have never

seen before.

2. If they were merely expressing the belief of their denomination

that people of other faiths were condemned by God to hell unless they

converted to Christianity, I think they are wrong, but they are not

intolerant and not discriminatory. I believe we should tolerate that.

3. If they were merely expressing a belief that is not part of their

denomination but of their church alone, they may be small-minded but

still not intolerant or discriminatory. I believe we should tolerate that

too.

4. If, as a result of this belief, they were exhorted to pity the

unsaved and to go out and spread the word in order to save them, they may

become obnoxious doorbell ringers but still not intolerant or

discriminatory. I believe we should tolerate that too.

5. If, as a result of this belief, they were exhorted to deprecate

people of other faiths, that would be intolerant but not discriminatory.

I believe we should tolerate that too.

6. If, as a result of this belief, they were exhorted to deprecate

people of other faiths and avoid social or business contacts with them,

that would be intolerant and acceptably discriminatory because it really

only harms them. I believe we should tolerate that too.

7. If, as a result of this belief, they were exhorted to deprecate

people of other faiths and act to harm them or their property, that would

be intolerant and unacceptably discriminatory. That, we should not

tolerate.

JAMES T. HAMILTON

Newport Beach