January 21, 2008

The Right Not to Tolerate the Intolerant

Over the next few days (or weeks, or perhaps months), we’re going to be talking a lot about Kirbyjon Caldwell, Metanoia, and “ex-gay” ministries — and, of course, Barack Obama.

But first, I want you to read something: a quote that prefaces the very first chapter of Chris Hedges’ amazing book, American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America. I’ll be referring to American Fascists a good deal as well in upcoming posts, but for now, I’d like you to focus on this quote (I mean, really focus, letting the meaning of each sentence seep into your bones), from The Open Society and Its Enemies by Karl Popper:

Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. In this formulation, I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be most unwise. But we should claim the right to suppress them if necessary even by force; for it may easily turn out that they are not prepared to meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all argument; they may forbid their followers to listen to rational argument, because it is deceptive, and teach them to answer arguments by the use of their fists or pistols. We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant. We should claim that any movement preaching intolerance places itself outside the law, and we should consider incitement to intolerance and persecution as criminal, in the same way as we should consider incitement to murder, or to kidnapping, or to the revival of the slave trade, as criminal.

Re-read it a few times. Let it roll around in the back of your head for a while.

Posted by: Sapphocrat