INTOLERANCE - The Link

What do ALL these aspects have in common?

Weight

Age

Colour
Disability
Sexual Preference

Religion

Creed

Culture...

They are part of everybody's 'make-up' - we LIVE with them each day, both through OURSELVES and through OTHERS - our friends, relatives, neighbours, people we meet each day and strangers that pass us by...

The tapestry of life is made up of many different stitches just as the texture of life is deeper and richer when you have a fabulous mixture of people as your friends!
(Ruth Anne Caukwell)

so...
WHAT do ALL these things have in common?

The ONE thing that LINKS them all is...

INTOLERANCE!

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines INTOLERANT as:-

not willing to allow or accept something
 not willing to allow some people to have equality, freedom, or other social rights

Sadly tolerance might start out small, a smirk here, a remark there... but if let go to fester it becomes like a germ - spreading and evolving until it becomes warped and is reborn into the different forms of HATRED... BULLYING... BIGOTRY... INEQUALITY and... DISCRIMINATION that we see, experience and read about in today's society!

Why are people INTOLERANT against others and where does it come from?

There are many reasons and sources:-

- a sense of power, control and domination over others deemed weaker, less inferior to another...
- a fear of differences and even, a fear of the unknown...

- a lack of understanding and knowledge about....

- social, peer or group pressure and

- even... a feeling of self inadequacy!

Have you suffered from INTOLERANCE?

OR...

Are you the ONE who is INTOLERANT?

Have you felt the pain and hurt of a LOOK, a WORD, a FIST or a DEED just because you might be different in some way or another?

OR...

Are you the ONE who has JOINED IN...!

Have you LAUGHED at a joke, seen someone else's discomfort, pain or suffering when the people you are with (or it might have even been yourself) has made a comment, raised a fist, spat.... 

ALL in the name of INTOLERANCE! 

THAT IS NOT OKAY!

YES... IT IS NOT OKAY TO:-

- have to suffer from INTOLERANCE
or...
- to DISH IT OUT!

Each of us has our own beauty and somewhere there is an eye to see it.

Each of us has our own truth and somewhere there is an ear to hear it.

Each of us is capable of love and somewhere there is a heart to receive it

as...

each of us is an angel but with one wing only

so...

if we are to fly we can do so by only embracing each other!
(Ruth Anne Caukwell)

We each of us come from a different space - we perceive, experience and live our OWN WAY! 

We each of us are...

 WHO we were BORN to be so*...

 regardless of our sex, physical make-up, colour, creed, ethnicity, or whatever, it makes no difference we are ALL part of the tapestry of life - none of us is better than the other!

Why then if someone has...

- a disfigurement they are a freak or, if disabled they are a drain on society?

Why then if someone is...

- overweight they eat too much or, if underweight they do not eat enough?

Why then if someone is...

- an aged person** they are useless, past-their-prime, use-by date and should be stuck in a home?

Why then if someone is...

- a different colour from you they are inferior, animals and not worth having the same rights!

Why then if someone's...

-  belief is different from yours they are wrong, they are misunderstood and maligned because of it!

Why then if someone..

- is different sexually or has opposite sexual preferences than you, they are not human, made fun of and discriminated against

and WHY.......?

We all measure others by our OWN YARD STICK - OUR cultural up-bringing, experiences and thinking, ethnicity, spiritual and personal beliefs and, the social NORMS that we are born into. 

And that is okay

but it is when our attitude and behaviour towards others is, or becomes, biased towards an INTOLERANT VIEWPOINT that it is then not okay!

Anyway just STOP A MINUTE and THINK!

What if ...

- you had an accident and became disfigured or disabled?

What if...

- for some medical or emotional reason you became overweight or underweight?

What if...

- one day you could be in trouble and a different coloured person from you comes to your aid... saves your life even,

 OR... maybe it might be someone who has a spiritual belief the complete opposite of yours,

OR... they have a different sexual preference...

AND...

There is no doubt that...

- one day you will be one of those aged persons too!

What happens to one can happen to another and what hurts one will hurt another.

This is because we are all part of the whole thus are all connected!

(Ruth Anne Caukwell)

Dear Friends

INTOLERANCE is INTOLERABLE! If you have felt its PINCH... as hard as it is you have to move past the hurt, pain and injustice! Seek others who are respectful of and embrace you just as you are! Have faith and belief there are many, many people out there who believe that everyone is just as good as each other - you are WORTH being just as you are and NEVER let anyone influence you to think otherwise***!

If you have had some INTOLERANCE**** today - maybe just have a look at where these beliefs or attitudes have come from... look around at others and see just how wonderful difference is... and can be...!

Live in GRACE, live with RESPECT and live EMBRACING OTHERS!

Love Ruth

*   Have a look at my entry on: 'Walking our own way'
http://ruanca.blogspot.co.nz/2015/03/walking-our-own-way.html

** Have a look at my entry on: 'The beauty of age'

http://ruanca.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/the-beauty-of-age.html

*** Have a look at my entry on: 'Challenge you thought patterns today'
http://ruanca.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/challenge-your-thought-patterns-today.html

**** Have a look at my entry on: 'Have you been judgemental today'
http://ruanca.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/have-you-been-judgemental-today.html