AnabidingdilemmaforHumanistswhoareinthe“ecumenical”positionofworkingcloselywithpeopleofallfaiths,ishowpatientandunderstandingweneedtobeinourrelationshipswiththerestoftheworld.Thereistheespeciallyperplexingdilemmaofhowtoleranttobeofother’sintolerance.Anoldandreliableadmonitionthatflashesinmyheadlikeneon,simplystates:Donotalienatethosewhomyoumightpersuade!

　　Thoseofuswhoareworkingtowardagoalwithotherdedicatedactivists,areofteninthepositionofcensoringourowncommentssoasnottoblowawayourcolleagues.Weunderstandsoverywellthattheonlywaythatthisoldworldisevergoingtoimproveatall,isthroughcooperationandrespectamongthoseofallbeliefs,cultures,andtraditions,sosimplyoutofrespectforthesedifferences,wemayfindourselveslimitingourownexerciseoffreespeech.Isaytomyself:Trynottocriticize!Beconstructive!Youknow,theold…don’tthrowthebabyoutwiththebathwaterroutine.DotheMommy-thing:encourageotherstobecomeawareandinvolvedintheprojectoractivityathand.Thisisallwellandgoodforthesharedgoal…uptoapoint!

　　Butwhatcanwesayordoaboutthosepracticesandbeliefsthatarecompletelybeyondcomprehension?Howlongtoignoreorlookaway,orbiteyourtongue,andwishthatyoudidn’thavetoknoworfeelthisshameoranger.Howcanwecontainourangeratthosewhorefusetoacknowledgeandrespondtowhatever“emergency”wemaybedealingwith.Ipicturesomeofusbailingfranticallyinoursinkingship,whilesomeofourfellowpassengersareoutrightdenyingthatthewater’sevenrising,andtreatourconcernwithcontempt,whilestillothersfeelthere’snoneedforthemtoworrybecausegodwillsavethem.Yetwecan’tsimplywrite-offthosewhosebeliefsclearlyendangerus;weshareoursinkinglifeboatwiththem!Notonlywilltheynotbail,someareevenshootingmoreholesintheboat!

　　Nowonderwegetfranticandimpatient!They’vegottocometotheirsenses!Howcanwegetthemtocomearoundtothelogicofourwayofthinking?Howcanwegetthemtorecognizetherealdangerthatwe’rein,insteadoftheirmistakenconstructsofhowtodealwithworldproblems?Howcanwepersuadethepowerfultorelinquishaportionoftheirpower?HowcanweintervenetostoptheinhumanemilitarizedmentalitythatprevailsonthisEarth?Howtostopbullying,hatred,murder,torture,ignorance,greed?Thenhowtostopfearandhungerandhomelessness?

　　Ourexpectationsthatthoseinpowerwillrecognizetheirerrorsandsetaboutcorrectingthehorriblemistakesthatthey’vesetinmotionarecontinuallydashedindisappointment.Whatashockitcanbetolearnthatthosewhoseopinionsyoumightoncehavevalued,nolongermeetyourstandardsoryourexpectations.Youcanshrugoffthestupidityofastranger,butwhatanextrashockwhenamemberoftheclanortheclubfailsyou.Thatreallyangersyou;howcouldtheybesostupid?Perhapsit’shumannatureforustoexpectthoseclosesttoustothinkandbehave“normally”aswedo;they,ofallpeopleinthewholeworld,shouldknowbetter!

　　TheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRightsandtheseveralHumanistManifestossayitall!WhatmoreistheretoaskthanrespectforallhumanbeingsandlifeonEarth?Sothenwe’rebacktotheissueofneedingtorespectourdifferences:aprinciplewhichisessentialtoourownintegrityandourowncodeofethics.

　　Wefeeltheurgencyformakingc