Tuesday, January 31, 2006

post the forty-seventh

An actual and not made-up quote from my ultra-conservative education textbook titled The New Tolerance, by Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler.

In order to be truly tolerant (according to the new tolerance), you must agree that another person's position is just as valid as your own.
I'm not adding those italics myself - those are actually in the text. Apparently it's a shocking thing that we need to consider that others' points of view may be just as valid as our own.

It gets better, though. The book starts by comparing the new tolerance (relativism, essentially) to the Borg from Star Trek. I share another delightful quote:

The Borg are fictional, of course - the ingenious creation of the minds behind the popular Star Trek television and movie series. But the Borg have a counterpart in contemporary culture. Chances are, it has already infected your community, your schools, your church - even your children. It may already be undermining your own faith and witness. And, if it hasn't already, it could soon begin to influence and infect the ones you love most. And it won't stop until you and your family are totally assimilated.
I actually laughed aloud when I read this, until I realized that the entire book was going to be like this (and it has been, so far). I'm definitely not excited about reading 200 more pages of this drivel. Such is the price of wanting to be a teacher, though. Lucky me.

8 comments:

Mean Mommy said...
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Anonymous said...

So, are they saying the new tolerance is the contemporary counterpart to the Borg? Is this book pro-new tolerance or anti?

TopHat said...

Once they said, in Stake Conference, that the Borg, when they are tired, just plug themselves in and we should do the same with prayer.
From the mouths of regional authorities: be more like the Borg.

Anonymous said...

An interesting position, Optimistic. I don't think it's as valid as my own, though. Just so you know.

("My dad, the bigot...")

Anonymous said...

I have to admit that I don't think that everyone's opinions are equally valid. There are lots of stupid people in the world.

Ironically, that book sounds to me like it's full of stupid opinions.

Braden said...

Subtle as a serpent, changing "is" to "may be," chum. Good thing you're harmless as a dove.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I do enjoy hotdogs. Thank you for asking!

Tolkien Boy said...

I need to read this boook. At last, someone who says what I haven't thought for so long!

Word Verification: yeske. Sounds like a Russian affirmative.