Tolerance
TOLERANCE
Our Mission Statement says, in part:
We shall endeavor to facilitate communication between members of all esoteric religions and those of the more common religions of the present day. Further, we seek to educate the general public and members of the Spiritual Center to promote tolerance and understanding between spiritual belief symptoms.
Tol•er•ance:ˈtäl(ə)rəns
NOUN:
1. The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others.
2. a. Leeway for variation from a standard.
b. The permissible deviation from a specified value of a structural dimension, often expressed as a percent.
3. The capacity to endure hardship or pain.
4. Medicine
a. Physiological resistance to a poison.
b. The capacity to absorb a drug continuously or in large doses without adverse effect; diminution in the response to a drug after prolonged use.
5. a. Acceptance of a tissue graft or transplant without immunological rejection.
b. Unresponsiveness to an antigen that normally produces an immunological reaction.
6. The ability of an organism to resist or survive infection by a parasitic or pathogenic organism.
It is interesting to note that the first definition of the word is one that we are primarily concerned with. Although tolerance holds a wealth of synonyms such as charitableness, charity, forbearance, lenience, leniency, acceptance and more; they all point towards being tolerant of the thoughts of others.
Here at Black Rose Spiritual Center we have a “total tolerance” policy. By that, we mean that we will be tolerant and open to an individual’s belief system. While many in the world subscribe to the beliefs of the Abrahamic Faiths (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) or one of the primary Eastern beliefs (Buddism, Hinduism, Tao, Shinto, etc.), there are many other belief systems that exist in our present day. We believe that all belief systems should be treated with respect and honor as they all assist individuals on their spiritual path to a closer connection with the spiritual world or Divine.
We believe that all belief systems and practitioners thereof deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Our commitment to religious tolerance filters into everything we do. We treat belief systems and individuals with respect and courtesy. For, essentially, although many of us have our beliefs about religion and spirituality, we are reminded of a recently seen bumper sticker, which said: “Religion – I don’t know and You don’t Either!
It is our belief that through education and learning we can break down man-made barriers in the interactions between believers and the spiritual world. By understanding why a Muslim woman wears her headscarf may help to understand a woman’s role in the Islamic faith. Through knowledge and understanding, tolerance and charity may result. If we want others to respect our feelings and beliefs, we must extend the same to them.
Part of our services to promote spiritual and religious tolerance and understanding are:
Informational classes to promote religious tolerance and understanding in the work place
Lead discussion groups focusing on similarities between belief systems (creation stories, flood stories, etc.).
Living each day with a commitment towards spiritual tolerance and understanding and encouraging other to do the same.
