I've often had this thought too.   When we look at kids, we don't expect them to act like 40 year olds.  We understand that they are going through different stages of development and make allowances for that. 

Goldie, thank you for your observations with which I find myself in agreement. Having wrestled with this question for a long time I came to the realization that some of the answers might be found in the area of study named Ecology. A son of ours, who has a degree in Ecology, informed me that this field is dedicated to the study of relationships.

Here are some links you may find interesting:

http://www.google.ca/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=1h&oq=tolerant&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4DACA_en-GBCA292CA292&q=study+of+ecology

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_it_important_to_study_ecology and others.

To give some indication of my thinking, I refer you to the United Church "A Song of Faith" in which we read:

"In all the near and distant corners of the universe

Nothing exists that does not find its source in God" &

"Finding ourselves in a world of beauty and mystery,

of living things, diverse and interdependent,

of complex patterns of growth and evolution,

of subatomic particles and cosmic swirls" &

"All parts of creation, animate and inanimate, are related"

Goldie, thanks again and please continue to share with us the evolution of your thinking. That would be interesting.

 Shalom.

Yes we do see things from different perspectives and no not all are good for the reality and common good.  We do need to test ideas and see how they help or don't help us acheive the common good. It is a question of wisdom.

This testing is constructive criticism - it means not ruling out of hand an idea.  It means in communal testing we see how the idea will work out and revise it out of common wisdom.  Some ideas are dangerous.  

Pan

And to realize that there is more than one way to reach that common good, and other's ideas shouldn't be trampled underfoot just because they don't agree with your view.

IT

Russ

"Who can say who is right or wrong since we as individuals see life from different perspectives and quite honestly we are all at different levels in our ability to understand inner meanings and what reality is. Shouldn't we be more tolerant?"

Russ the point I am making is there are some bad ideas out there - racism - sexism- homophobia - It is not just a matter of disagreeing with anothers view - all ideas need to be tested - this is critical consciousness and it is not good enough to say well that is your view - all views, mine included, need justification.  Absolute relativism is different from accepting perspectivism -

Pan

Agreed, my correction.

IT

Russ

I think as members of society we have a duty to stand up for those who are oppressed and discriminated against. 

Those who are doing the discriminating won't necessarily think they are but history has shown that institutional discrimination will happen ( think slavery, womens' right, holocaust, historically and women's lack of freendom in many countries around the world today and the rampant discrimiination against gays around the world)

Because it is discrimination when we try to limit the rights and or freedoms of those who are different than us. 

Is it not wrong to sit and let statements float around that support discrimination.  I think it is.

Now it is also important to tolerate differences but not when those differences are expressed as discrimination against others.

Slavery in the western world would not have been abolished if the citizens continued to not stand up for the rights of all.

We need to tolerate that others have differing views.  We also need to help others see if their views are discriminatory