organism, which the new physicists are so fond of employing. Certain words like reactionary or medieval are

Transcription

1 APleaforIntolerance VenerableFultonJ.Sheen America,itissaid,issufferingfromintolerance.Itisnot.Itissufferingfromtolerance:toleranceofrightandwrong, truthanderror,virtueandevil,christandchaos.ourcountryisnotnearlysomuchoverrunwiththebigotedasitis overrunwiththebroadminded.themanwhocanmakeuphismindinanorderlyway,asamanmightmakeuphis bed,iscalledabigot;butamanwhocannotmakeuphismind,anymorethanhecanmakeupforlosttime,iscalled tolerantandbroadminded.abigotedmanisonewhorefusestoacceptareasonforanything;abroadmindedmanis onewhowillacceptanythingforareason providingitisnotagoodreason.itistruethatthereisademandfor precision, exactness, and definiteness, but it is only for precision in scientific measurement, not in logic. The breakdownthathasproducedthisunnaturalbroadmindednessismental,notmoral.theevidenceforthisstatement isthreefold:thetendencytosettleissuesnotbyargumentsbutbywords,theunqualifiedwillingnesstoacceptthe authorityofanyoneonthesubjectofreligion,and,lastly,theloveofnovelty. Voltaireboastedthatifhecouldfindbuttenwickedwordsadayhecouldcrushthe infamy ofchristianity.he foundthetenwordsdaily,andevenadailydozen,butheneverfoundanargument,andsothewordswenttheway ofallwordsandthething,christianity,survived.today,nooneadvancesevenapoorargumenttoprovethatthere is no God, but they are legion who think they have sealed up the heavens when they used the word anthropomorphism. Thiswordisjustasampleofthecatalogueofnameswhichserveastheexcuseforthosewho aretoolazytothink.onemoment sreflectionwouldtellthemthatonecannomoregetridofgodbycallinghim anthropomorphic thanhecangetridofasorethroatbycallingit streptococci. Asregardstheuseoftheterm anthropomorphism, I cannot see that its use in theology is less justified than the use in physics of the term organism, whichthenewphysicistsaresofondofemploying.certainwordslike reactionary or medieval are taggedonthecatholicchurchandusedwiththatsamedisrespectwithwhichamanmaysneeratawoman sage. Mothers do not cease to be mothers because their sons grow up, and the Mother Church of the Christian world, whichbegannotinbostonbutinjerusalem,isnottobedispossessedofherglorioustitlesimplybecausehersons leavehome.somedaytheymaybegladtoreturnandtheirreturnwillbethetruest homecoming theworldhas everseen. Not only does the substitution of words for argument betray the existence of this false tolerance, but also the readinessofmanymindstoacceptasanauthorityinanyfieldanindividualwhobecomesafamousauthorityinone particularfield.theassumptionbehindjournalisticreligionisthatbecauseamaniscleverininventingautomobiles, he is thereby clever in treating the relationship between Buddhism and Christianity; that a professor who is an authorityonthemathematicalinterpretationofatomicphenomenaistherebyanauthorityontheinterpretationof marriage;andthatamanwhoknowssomethingaboutilluminationcanthrowlightonthesubjectofimmortality,or perhapsevenputoutthelightsonimmortality.thereisalimittothetransferoftraining,andnoonewhopaints beautifulpictureswithhisrighthandcan,inadayandatthesuggestionofareporter,paintanequallygoodone withhislefthand.thescienceofreligionhasarighttobeheardscientificallythroughitsqualifiedspokesmen,justas thescienceofphysicsorastronomyhasarighttobeheardthroughitsqualifiedspokesmen.religionisascience despitethefactthatsomewouldmakeitonlyasentiment. Religionisnotanopenquestion,liketheUnitedNations,whilescienceisaclosedquestion,liketheadditiontable. Religionhasitsprinciples,naturalandrevealed,whicharemoreexactingintheirlogicthanmathematics.Butthe falsenotionoftolerancehasobscuredthisfactfromtheeyesofmanywhoareasintolerantaboutthesmallestdetails oflifeastheyaretolerantabouttheirrelationstogod.intheordinaryaffairsoflife,thesesamepeoplewouldnever summonachristiansciencepractitionertofixabrokenwindowpane;theywouldnevercallinanopticianbecause theyhadbrokentheeyeofaneedle;theywouldnevercallinafloristbecausetheyhurtthepalmoftheirhand,nor gotoacarpentertotakecareoftheirnails.theywouldnevercallinacollectorofinternalrevenuetoextractthe nickel swallowed by the baby.they would refuse to listen to a Kiwanis booster discussing the authenticity of a painting,ortoatreesurgeonsettlingamootquestionoflaw.andyetfortheallimportantsubjectofreligion,on whichoureternaldestinieshinge,ontheallimportantquestionoftherelationsofmantohisenvironmentandtohis God,theyarewillingtolistentoanyonewhocallshimselfaprophet.Andsoourjournalsarefilledwitharticlesfor these broadminded people,inwhicheveryonefromjackdempsey[afamousboxeratthetime]tothechiefcookof

2 theritzcarltontellsabouthisideaofgodandhisviewofreligion.thesesameindividuals,whowouldbecome exasperatediftheirchildplayedwithawronglycoloredlollipop,wouldnotbecometheleastbitworriedifthechild grewupwithouteverhavingheardthenameofgod. Woulditnotbeinperfectkeepingwiththefitnessofthingstoinsistoncertainminimalrequirementsfortheological pronouncements?ifweinsistthathewhomendsourpipesknowssomethingaboutplumbingandthathewhogives uspillsknowssomethingaboutmedicine,shouldbenotexpectanddemandthathewhotellsusaboutgod,religion, Christ,andimmortalityatleastsayhisprayers?Ifaviolinistdoesnotdisdaintopracticehismusicalscales,why shouldthemoderntheologiandisdaintopracticetheelementsofreligion? Another evidence of the breakdown of reason that has produced this weird fungus of broadmindedness is the passionfornovelty,asopposedtotheloveoftruth.truthissacrificedforanepigram,andthedivinityofchristfora headlineinthemondaymorningnewspaper.manyamodernpreacherisfarlessconcernedwithpreachingchrist and Him crucified than he is his popularity with his congregation. A want of intellectual backbone makes himstraddled the ox of truth and the ass of nonsense, paying compliments to Catholics because oftheir great organizationandtosexologistsbecauseoftheirhonestchallengetotheyouthofthisgeneration.bendingtheknee tothemobandpleasingmenratherthangodwouldprobablymakethemscrupleateverplayingtheroleofajohn thebaptistbeforeamodernherod.noaccusingfingerwouldbeleveledatadivorceoronelivinginadultery;no voice would be thundered in the ears of the rich, saying with something of the intolerance of Divinity:It is not lawfulforyoutolivewithyourbrother swife. Ratherwouldwehear:Friend,timesarechanging!Theacidsof modernity are eating away the fossils of orthodoxy. If youre noble sexurge to selfexpression finds its proper stimulusandresponseinnoonebutherodias,theninthenameoffreudandrussellacceptherasyourlawfulwife tohaveandtoholduntilsexdoyepart. BeliefintheexistenceofGod,intheDivinityofChrist,andinthemorallawareconsideredpassingfashions.The latestthinginthisnewtoleranceisconsideredthetruething,asiftruthwereafashion,likethehat,insteadofan institution, like a head. At the present moment, in psychology the fashion runs towards Behaviorism, as in philosophyitrunstowardstemporalism.andthatitisnotobjectivevaliditywhichdictatesthesuccessofamodern philosophical theory, is borne out by the statement a celebrated spacetime philosopher of England made to the writerafewyearsago,whenhewasaskedwherehe gothissystem.from myimagination,heanswered.upon beingchallengedthattheimaginationwasnottheproperfacultyforaphilosophertouse,heretorted:itis,ifthe successofyourphilosophicalsystemdependsnotonthetruththatisinit,butonitsnovelty. Inthatstatementisthefinalargumentformodernbroadmindedness:truthisnovelty,andhencetruthchanges withthepassingfanciesofthemoment.likethechameleonwhochangeshiscolorstosuitthevestureonwhichheis placed,sotruthissupposedtochangetosuitthefoiblesandobliquitiesoftheage,asifthefoundationsofthinking mightbetrueforthepreadamitesandfalsefortheadamites.truthdoesgrow,butitgrowshomogeneously,likean acornintoanoak;itdoesnotswinginthebreeze,likeaweathercock.theleoparddoesnotchangehisspotsnorthe Ethiopianhisskin,thoughtheleopardbeputinbarsortheEthiopianinpinktights.Thenatureofcertainthingsis fixed,andnonemoresothanthenatureoftruth.truthmaybecontradictedathousandtimes,butthatonlyproves thatitisstrongenoughtosurviveathousandassaults.butforanyonetosay,somesaythis,somesaythat,therefore thereisnotruth,isaboutaslogicalasitwouldhavebeenforcolumbus,whoheardsomesay,theearthisround, andothersay,theearthisflat,toconclude:thereforethereisnoearthatall. Itisthiskindofthinkingthatcannotdistinguishbetweenasheepandhissecondcoatofwool,betweenNapoleon andhisthreecorneredhat,betweenthesubstanceandtheaccident,thekindthathasbegottenmindssoflattened with broadness that they have lost all their depth.like a carpenter who might throw away his rule and use each beamasameasuringrod,so,too,thosewhohavethrownawaythestandardofobjectivetruthhavenothingleftwith whichtomeasurebutthementalfashionofthemoment. Thegigglinggiddinessofnovelty,thesentimentalrestlessnessofamindunhinged,andtheunnaturalfearofagood doseofhardthinking,allconjointoproduceagroupofsophomoriclatitudinarianswhothinkthereisnodifference betweengodascauseandgodasamentalprojection;whoequatechristandbuddha,st.paulandjohndewey,

3 andthenenlargetheirbroadmindednessintoasweepingsynthesisthatsaysnotonlythatonechristiansectisjust as good as another, but even that one worldreligion is just as good as another. The great godprogress is then enthronedonthealtarsoffashion,andasthehecticworshipersareasked,progresstowardswhat? Thetolerant answer comes back,more progress. All the while sane men are wondering how there can be progress without directionandhowtherecanbedirectionwithoutafixedpoint.andbecausetheyspeakofafixedpoint,theyare saidtobebehindthetimes,whenreallytheyarebeyondthetimesmentallyandspiritually. In the face of this false broadmindedness, what the world needs is intolerance.the massof people have kept up hardandfastdistinctionsbetweendollarsandcents,battleshipsandcruisers,youowemeandioweyou,but they seem to have lost entirely the faculty of distinguishing between the good and the bad, the right and the wrong.thebestindicationofthisisthefrequentmisuseofthetermstoleranceandintolerance.therearesome minds that believe that intolerance is always wrong, because they make intolerance mean hate, narrow mindedness,andbigotry.thesesamemindsbelievethattoleranceisalwaysrightbecause,forthem,itmeanscharity, broadmindedness,americangoodnature. Whatistolerance?Toleranceisanattitudeofreasonedpatiencetowardsevil,andaforbearancethatrestrainsusfrom showingangerorinflictingpunishment.butwhatismoreimportantthanthedefinitionisthefieldofitsapplication. Theimportantpointhereisthis:Toleranceappliesonlytopersons,butnevertotruth.Intoleranceappliesonlyto truth,butnevertopersons.toleranceappliestotheerring;intolerancetotheerror. Whathasjustbeensaidherewillclarifythatwhichwassaidatthebeginningofthischapter,namely,thatAmericais sufferingnotsomuchfromintolerance,whichisbigotry,asitisfromtolerance,whichisindifferencetotruthand error,andaphilosophicalnonchalancethathasbeeninterpretedasbroadmindedness.greatertolerance,ofcourse, isdesirable,fortherecanneverbetoomuchcharityshowntopersonswhodifferwithus.ourblessedlordhimself asked that welove those who calumniate for us, for they are always persons, but He never told us to love the calumny.inkeepingwiththespiritofchrist,thechurchencouragesprayersforallthosewhoareoutsidethepaleof thechurch,andasksthatthegreatestcharitybeshowntowardsthem.asst.francisdesaleswaswonttosay:itis easiertocatchflieswithadropofhoneythanwithabarrelofvinegar. IfsomeofuswhoareblessedwithitssacredprivilegesbelievedthesamethingsabouttheChurchthatherslanderers believe,ifweknewheronlythroughthewordsoftraitorsorthirdrateliesofdishonesthistorians,ifweunderstood heronlythroughthosewhowerenevercradledinhersacredassociations,wewouldperhapshatethechurchjustas much as they do. The bitterest enemies of the Church, those who accuse her of being unpatriotic, as Christ was accused of being before Pilate; of being unworldly, as Christ was accused of being before Herod; of being too dogmatic,aschristwasaccusedofbeingbeforecaiaphas;orbeingtooundogmatic,aschristwasaccusedofbeing Annas;ofbeingpossessedbythedevil,asChristwasaccusedofbeingbeforethePharisees thesedonotreally hatethechurch.theycannothatethechurchanymorethantheycanhatechrist;theyhateonlythatwhichthey mistakenlybelievetobethecatholicchurch,andtheirhateisbuttheirvainattempttoignore.charity,then,mustbe showntopersons,andparticularlytothoseoutsidethefoldwhobycharitymustbeledback,thattheremaybeone foldandoneshepherd. Thus far tolerance, but no farther. Tolerance does not apply to truth or principles. About these things we must be intolerant, and for this kind of intolerance, so much needed to rouse us from sentimental gush, I make a plea.intoleranceofthiskindisthefoundationofallstability.thegovernmentmustbeintolerantaboutmalicious propaganda, and during the World War it made an index of forbidden books to defend national stability, as the Church, who is in constant warfare with error, made her index of forbidden books to defend the permanency of Christs life in the souls of men. The government during the war was intolerant about the national heretics who refused to accept her principles concerning the necessity of democratic institutions, and took physical means to enforcesuchprinciples.thesoldierswhowenttowarwereintolerantabouttheprinciplestheywerefightingfor,in thesamewaythatagardenermustbeintolerantabouttheweedsthatgrowinhisgarden.thesupremecourtofthe UnitedStatesisintolerantaboutanyprivateinterpretationofthefirstprincipleoftheConstitutionthateverymanis entitledtolife,liberty,andthepursuitofhappiness,andtheparticularcitizenwhowouldinterpretlibertyineven suchasmallwayasmeaningtheprivilegetogoonaredtrafficlight,wouldfindhimselfverysooninacellwhere

4 there were no lights, not even the yellow the color of the timid souls who know not whether to stop or go.architectsareasintolerantaboutsandasfoundationsforskyscrapersasdoctorsareintolerantaboutgerms in theirlaboratories,andasallofusareintolerantofaparticularlybroadminded,tolerant,andgoodnaturedgrocer who,inmakingourbills,addssevenandtentomaketwenty. Now,ifitisright anditisright forgovernmentstobeintolerantabouttheprinciplesofgovernment,andthe bridge builder to be intolerant about the laws of stress and strain, and the physicist to be intolerant about the principlesofgravitation,whyshoulditnotbetherightofchrist,therightofhischurch,andtherightofthinking mentobeintolerantaboutthetruthsofchrist,thedoctrinesofthechurch,andtheprinciplesofreason?canthe truthsofgodbelessexactingthanthetruthsofmathematics?canthelawsofthemindbelessbindingthanthelaws ofscience,whichareknownonlythroughthelawsofthemind?shallman,giftedwithnaturaltruth,whorefusesto lookwithanequallytoleranteyeonthemathematicianwhosaystwoandtwomakefiveandtheonewhosaystwo andtwomakefour,becalledawiseman,andshallgod,whorefusestolookwithanequallytoleranteyeonall religions,bedeniedthenameofwisdom,andbecalledanintolerantgod? Shallwesaythatthereflectedraysofthesunarewarmbutthesunisnothot?Thisweareequivalentlysayingwhen we admit intolerance of the principles of science and deny it to the Father of science, Who is God.And if a government,withtheinflexibleprinciplesofitsconstitution,distantfromthefoundationofgovernmentbymilesand separatedfromitbylifetimes,canempowermentoenforcethatconstitution,whycannotchristchooseanddelegate menwiththepowerofenforcinghiswillandspreadinghisbenedictions?andifweadmitintoleranceaboutthe foundationsofagovernmentthatatbestlooksaftermansbody,whynotadmitintoleranceaboutthefoundationsof agovernmentthatlooksaftertheeternaldestinyofthespiritofman?forunlikehumangovernments,thereisno otherfoundationuponwhichmencanbuildthanuponthenamejesus. Why,then,sneeratdogmasasintolerant?Onallsideswehearitsaidtoday,Themodernworldwantsareligion withoutdogmas,whichbetrayshowlittlethinkinggoeswiththatlabel,forhewhosayshewantsareligionwithout dogmas is stating a dogma, and a dogmathat is harder to justify than many dogmas of faith.a dogma is a true thought,andareligionwithoutdogmasisareligionwithoutthought,or abackwithoutabackbone.allsciences havedogmas.washingtonisthecapitaloftheunitedstatesisadogmaofgeography.wateriscomposedoftwo atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygenis a dogma of chemistry.should we be broadminded and say that WashingtonisaseainSwitzerland?ShouldwebebroadmindedandsaythatH2Oisasymbolforsulfuricacid? Wecannotverifyallthedogmasofscience,history,andliterature,andthereforewearetotakemanyofthemonthe testimonyofothers.ibelieveprofessoreddington,forexample,whenhetellsmethateinsteinslawofgravitation assertsthattenprincipalcoefficientsofcurvaturearezeroinemptyspace,justasidonotbelievedr.harryelmer Barneswhenhetellsmethatthecockroachhaslivedsubstantiallyunchangedontheearthforfiftymillionyears.I acceptdr.eddingtonstestimonybecause,byhislearningandhispublishedworks,hehasprovedthatheknows somethingabouteinstein.idonotacceptdr.barnesstestimonyaboutcockroachesbecausehehasneverqualifiedin theeyesofthemodernworldasacockroachspecialist.inotherwords,isifttestimonyandacceptitonreason. Soalso,myreasonsiftsthehistoricalevidenceforChrist;itweighsthetestimonyadducedbythosewhoknewHim, andthetestimonygivenbyhimself.itfailstobeswayedbythosewhostartwithapreconceivedtheory,rejectingall theevidenceagainsttheirtheoryandacceptingtheresidueasthegospels.inthesearch,itcomesacrosssuchworks as those of Renan and Strauss, which are critical, but it also comes across such works as those of Fillion and Grandmaison:itknowsthenameofLoisy,butitalsoknowsLagrange;itknowsthetheoryofInge,butitalsoknows DHerbigny.AndthisreasonfinallyleadsmetoacceptthetestimonyofJesusChristasthetestimonyofGod.Ithen accept these truths truthswhich Icannot prove, as was Professor Eddingtons statement about Einstein and thesetruthsbecomedogmas. Therecanthusbedogmasofreligionaswellasdogmasofscience,andbothofthemcanberevealed,theonebyGod, theotherbyman.notonlythat thesefundamentaldogmas,likethefirstprinciples[elements]ofeuclid,canbe usedasrawmaterialforthinking,andjustasonescientificfactcanbeusedasthebasisofanother,soonedogmacan beusedasthebasisforanother.butinordertobeginthinkingonafirstdogma,onemustbeidentifiedwithiteither

5 intimeorinprinciple.thechurchwasidentifiedwithchristinbothtimeandprinciple;shebeganthinkingonhis firstprinciplesandthehardershethought,themoredogmasshedeveloped.beingorganiclikelife,notinstitutional likeaclub,sheneverforgot thosedogmas;sherememberedthemandhermemoryistradition.justasascientist mustdependonthememoryofthefirstprinciplesofhisscience,whichheusesasthegroundforotherconclusions, so too the Church goes back into her intellectual memory, which is tradition, and uses former dogmas as the foundationfornewones.inthiswholeprocesssheneverforgetsherfirstprinciples.ifshedidshewouldbelikethe undogmaticdogmatistsofthepresentday,whobelievethatprogressconsistsindenyingthefact,insteadofbuilding onit;whoturntonewidealsbecausetheyhavenevertriedtheold;whocondemnasobscurantistthetruththathas aparentage,andglorifyasprogressiveashibboleththatknowsnoteitheritsfatheroritsmother.theyareofthe schoolthatwoulddenytheverynatureofthings:freethecamelofhishumpandcallhimacamel;shortentheneck ofagiraffeandcallhimagiraffe;andneverframeapicture,becauseaframeisalimitationandthereforeaprincipal andadogma. Butitisanythingbutprogresstoactlikemiceandeatthefoundationsoftheveryroofoverourheads.Intolerance aboutprinciplesisthefoundationofgrowth,andthemathematicianwhowouldderideasquareforalwayshaving foursides,andinthenameofprogresswouldencourageittothrowawayevenonlyoneofitssides,wouldsoon discoverthathehadlostallhissquares.sotoowiththedogmasofthechurch,ofscience,andofreason;theyarelike bricks,solidthingswithwhichamancanbuild,notlikestraw,whichisreligiousexperience,fitonlyforburning. A dogma, then, is the necessary consequence of the intolerance of first principles, and that scienceor that church whichhasthegreatestamountofdogmasisthescienceorthechurchthathasbeendoingthemostthinking.the CatholicChurch,theschoolmasterfortwentycenturies,hasbeendoingatremendousamountofsolid,hardthinking and hence has built up dogmas as a manmight build ahouse of brick but grounded on a rock.she has seen the centuries with their passing enthusiasms and momentary loyalties pass before her, making the same mistakes, cultivatingthesameposes,fallingintothesamementalsnares,sothatshehasbecomeverypatientandkindtothe erringpupils,butveryintolerantandsevereconcerningthefalse.shehasbeenandshewillalwaysbeintolerantso farastherightsofgodareconcerned,forheresy,error,untruth,affectnotpersonalmattersonwhichshemayyield, butadivinerightinwhichthereisnoyielding.meeksheistotheerring,butviolenttotheerror.thetruthisdivine; thehereticishuman.duereparationmade,shewilladmitthehereticbackintothetreasuryofhersouls,butnever the heresy into the treasury of her wisdom.right is right if nobody is right, and wrong is wrong if everybody is wrong.andinthisdayandageweneed,asmr.chestertontellsus,notachurchthatisrightwhentheworldis right,butachurchthatisrightwhentheworldiswrong. TheattitudeoftheChurchinrelationtothemodernworldonthisimportantquestionmaybebroughthomebythe storyofthetwowomeninthecourtroomofsolomon.bothofthemclaimedachild.thelawfulmotherinsistedon havingthewholechildornothing,forachildisliketruth itcannotbedividedwithoutruin.theunlawfulmother, onthecontrary,agreedtocompromise.shewaswillingtodividethebabe,andthebabewouldhavediedofbroad mindedness.