Intolerance

In his work of critical importance entitled "Man Against Mass Society," the French philosopher Gabriel Marcel writes, "..the fanatic never sees himself as a fanatic; it is only the non-fanatic who can recognize him as a fanatic; so that when this judgment, or this accusation, is made, the fanatic can always say that he is misunderstood and slandered...Fanaticism is essentially opinion pushed to paroxysm; with everything that the notion of opinion may imply of blinded ignorance as to its own nature....whatever ends the fanatic is aiming at or thinks he is aiming at, even if he wishes to gather men together, he can only in fact separate them; but as his own interests cannot lie in effecting this separation, he is led, as we have seen, to wish to wipe his opponents out.And when he is thinking

I've long been an admirer of Rev. Jim Lawson [Pictured], and I urge you to read this article that contains an interview with him. Here is part of what he has to say:``[For African-American Christians] to unite with white Christian fundamentalism like Pat Robertson is an absolute disgrace. For black people to pretend that kind of Christian fundamentalism, which justified slavery and justifies racism, is a colleague in anything is to be blind to the realities that we're facing. We who have suffered and do suffer should be the most sensitive to the suffering of others. We don't want this undeserved suffering put on us, and we should therefore, clearly, not participate in putting such suffering on others. We ought to know better.''``Much of Christianity in the United States has been more infl

This is one of the milestones and landmarks in cinematic history.The film consists of four distinct but parallel stories that demonstrate mankind's intolerance during four different ages in world history. It was made in response to critics who protested against Griffith's previous film, The Birth of a Nation, for its overt racist content, characterizing racism as people's "intolerance" of other people's views.Films were poised between an emphasis upon visual pleasure, 'the cinema of attractions', and story-telling, 'the cinema of narrative integration' but conventions for constructing internally coherent narratives had not yet been established. In the transitional years, between 1907-8 and 1917, the formal elements of film-making all became subsidiary to the narrative, as l

Lactase, a brush border enzyme of small intestine, hydrolyzes the disaccharide lactose into glucose and galactose.This enzyme is high at birth but declines with age especially so in people of non-European descent. The level of lactose intolerance varies from partial to complete. Patients complain of bloating, abdominal cramps, and flatulence .Higher intake may even lead to diarrhea. Wrong

Whenever I hear the phrase "religious tolerance," I expect I'll be treated to some atheist bashing, as this phrase always seems to mean that we atheists should be more tolerant of believers who wish to delude themselves. You see, the religious rarely seem to think that we are deserving of tolerance, understanding, or compassion. Fortunately, there are exceptions, and this post will report on one of them. However, before you get the warm fuzzies, I'll let you know now that this one doesn't end well.According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, Pine Creek High School is trying to promote religious tolerance. A student group, Students Learning Acceptance Through Education, invited local religious leaders and even a token atheist to speak to 150 students about "tolerance and faith."Panelists for

The Saskatchewan NDP is in possession of an allegedly damning 1991 tape containing "sexist, racist and homophobic comments" made by Saskatchewan's premier Brad Wall and Tory MP Tom Luwkiski.I've contacted the Saskatchewan NDP office to get a transcript and/or copy of the video and will post the response when I get it.Speaking of Brad Wall and conservatives behaving badly:Blog loses Wall backing over commentsREGINA -- Premier Brad Wall distanced the Saskatchewan Party from a popular right-wing blog Tuesday over controversial comments posted about inner city Saskatoon.Wall told reporters that the Saskatchewan Party would remove from its own website an endorsement of Wall from Saskatchewan-based Kate McMillan of smalldeadanimals.com.Saskatchewan Party MLAs have referenced the website approv

In his Evolution of Religious Bigotry article on Fitna, the Dutch anti-Koran movie, and people who place Darwin fish symbols on their cars, Jonah Goldberg makes two points: 1. That it's rude for people to put anti-anything symbols on their cars. 2. That people who do so are cowardly because they'd never offend the religion whose adherents would actually harm them, and hypocritical because they condemn the nice religion. Some thoughts: 1. I always thought the Darwin fish were in bad taste and hypocritical as well as an unnecessary disturber of the public peace. The Christian fish itself is inoffensive- a positive message that only implies that non-believers will go to Hell. People who'd use the Darwin bumper sticker (I know such people.) would counter that Christianity is a wort

We conclude that there are 4 potential restaurants that may earn our patronage today. Prior to any final decision making, I call one in particular, just to check.“Hi, this is San Jose’s most premiere restaurant in the Bay Area serving find food to the discerning public, specializing in pasta and seafood in a family style, how may I be of service to you today?” It’s hard to process the message, delivered at speed with a gasp for breath at the end.“Good morning. I was wondering if you served fries please?” I am careful not to allow the word ‘chips’ escape from my lips as it is unfair to confuse the foreigners. I keep it brief, as American’s dislike waffle and time wasters. I stop myself from havering over the use of ‘premiere.’ The pronunciation is so mangled it

This week, La Raza, America’s largest Latino civil rights group, announced that it was moving its 2009 convention from Kansas City to Chicago. The move is in protest of the appointment of a Minuteman member to the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Board. While much discussion of the move has centered on the economic effect of the move (La Raza attracts some 20,000 participants to its convention), we thought there was a need for some discussion about the discourse surrounding the controversy and, in particular, how that relates to the nebulous concept of tolerance.We get a glimpse into the complexity of the notion of tolerance from an interview with a member of the Chicago Minuteman group, who said of La Raza: “They refuse to go to Kansas City because of someone on some board whose vie

Increased mast cells have been reported in association with eosinophils in the gut in patients with celiac disease and inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease condition. Mastocytic enterocolitis (entero=small bowel, colitis- colon + -itis= inflammation) is a newly recognized disorder defined specifically by the microscopic presence of increased mast cells (>20 mast cells/high power field) in the gut, typically associated with abdominal pain and diarrhea diagnosed as IBS-D.Mast cells are a type of white blood cell important in immune defense. These “covert” cells are hard to see in the lining of the gut without special stains. Therefore, they have been not recognized as being increased in the gut until recently when this association was found with IBS.

For all their whining and crying about the racist and intolerant rightwing, leftists continue to practise what they preach against. Last week, on the Bill Maher Show, leftwing hecklers disrupted Bill's show (with a tip of the turban to film.com) If the video doesn't show up use this link. And now the Left is even showing their true colors in regard to the homeless: Bloviating Zeppelin, 11 Oct 2007,Leftist Intolerance!San Francisco - the liberal, left-coast city conservatives love to mock - could be undergoing a transformation when it comes to homeless people. Although the city would still be a poor choice for a pep rally for the war in Iraq, indications are that residents have had it with aggressive panhandlers, street squatters and drug users. "Maybe there has been an epiphany," says David Latterman, president of Fall Line Analytics, a local market research firm. "People have realized they can hate George Bush but still not want people crapping in their doorway." A

Your Jelly Fish version of Chrissianity (sic) is well documented…great job “coverting”(sic) souls to Christ with you gummy bear Jelly bean Jesus version of the Gospel! You guys are well defined by this little piece appropriately called “Back Rubs 4 Jesus” (www.youtube.com/watch?v=mohixsVRNdc ) Ha! That suits your sweet, sweet, candy cane Chrissianity (sic) just fine! What a farce! Chocolate Soldiers every one of you! www.officialstreetpreachers.com This was a recent comment on an article I wrote about the largely negative consequences of extolling a gospel of hell and damnation; http://sharpiron.wordpress.com/2007/08/28/intimacy-not-intimidation/#comment-1209 There were other more reasoned responses, some of them even suggesting that my position may be exaggerated, but I think the digestion of this one particular remark is the proof of the pudding. Although this fellow’s ‘ministry’ is a little over the top and would garner little sympathy among many of us, his w

Certain foods, additives and chemicals are capable of triggering immune reactions that are not due to allergies. Chemicals mediators released by the immune system are capable of producing a variety body reactions resulting in symptoms. Avoiding foods that produce such reactions significantly improve symptoms resulting from eating those foods. Mediator release (MRT) testing measures the release of chemical mediators from white blood cells and platelets in response to specific foods, additives or chemicals. Such chemical reactions presumably indicate sensitivity to these foods or additives. Principles of mediator release testing (MRT):Mediator release testing (MRT, Signet Diagnostic Corporation, www.nowleap.com) is based on measuring the reaction in the blood resulting from a food or chemical to which you have become sensitive or intolerant. When exposed to a foods or chemical that you are sensitive to your cells release various chemical mediators. These mediators cause an alteration of

While liberals pride themselves for being the champions of tolerance, how do they respond when other cultures denigrate women and homosexuals? It is wonderful to watch this cognitive dissonance unfold. At what point do liberals start making objective determinations of right and wrong? At what point do liberals say that burying a 16-year-old girl to her neck in dirt, and subsequently stoning her to death is not an acceptable form of cultural expression?Ironically, liberals consider conservatives evil because many conservatives support the military’s don’t ask, don’t tell policy. Yet, it is amazing that these same liberals are apathetic when Iran hangs, stones, and beheads homosexuals. Moreover, Iran is one of the few Countries in the World that executes children.When confronted with this clear hypocrisy, liberals simply resort to bashing President Bush. If they don’t attack Bush, they attack America for being an evil Country. I am telling you, these people have been total

Millions of people in the UK have self-diagnosed a food intolerance and may be avoiding key foods as a result, a poll by a testing firm suggests. Less than a quarter of the 12 million people who claim to be food intolerant have had their condition formally diagnosed. While many of the nine million who also claim to be intolerant may well be so, it is suggested they may just be fussy. BBC News September 18, 2007

Several years ago, before September 11th put Afghanistan on the map and introduced the Taliban into our collective American consciousness, artists and historians and anthropologists and the like were all up in arms about the Taliban's destruction of ancient sculptures -- particularly Buddhas -- because they were contrary to Islam.I vaguely remember signing some sort of petition that went nowhere. Go figure. I mean, it's not like the government really cared all that much about art or the destruction thereof. But then Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden attacked, and we fought back. And people started talking about the destruction of the art as one of a laundry list of sins committed by the Taliban.Why am I thinking of this now? Because I was reminded of this not-too-distant history while reading this article. It describes the destruction of native religious artifacts in Nigeria by fundamentalist Christian evangelists who believe that the native traditions are linked to the devil and th

A person asked me about connection of food and allergy. Let's say you have got diarrhea (loose stools more than 3 times a day), crampy feelings in your tummy because of gas and intestinal movements causing nausea. And let's say you had similar conditions before, but did not know the reason. And today you are finally sure that the reason is clear - milk. Yeah, it happened exactly after you ate some cheese and drank two glasses of milk. So, this is allergy, you think. Is it?Well. Let's think a little. True, food allergy is the reaction of your immune system to some products (usually proteins) in certain foods. Check the small Food and Allergy quiz () Food and Allergy quiz for wireless ()

Professor Asks For Removal Of CrossThat Had Been In ISU Chapel Over 50 YearsAnother Radical With A Leftist AgendaWarren Blumenfeld, who teaches in international and curriculum studies, asked ISU officials to replace the cross with a sign that expresses the nondenominational purposes of the space. (Note: Blumenfeld is infatuated with queers, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues - see his bio)Blumenfeld was among the ISU faculty members who opposed the recent hiring of a chaplain for Iowa State athletes. Blumenfeld says that also could ostracize students who do not have the same religion as the chaplain.ISU President Gregory Geoffroy said in a letter to the Ames Tribune published Thursday that instead of removing the cross, he will evaluate whether to increase the visibility of other religious symbols and faiths in the chapel and identify more convenient and appropriate spaces to accommodate those who profess other beliefs."It is and always has been our goal to make room for th

Hypothyroidism can be best described as an acute condition in humans and certain animals which can arise when the human body is unable to produce required amounts of thyroid hormone. This is a disease which can be mostly traced in aged people above the age of 60. This state of low serum thyroid hormone basically arises when the gland responsible for excreting hormone serum i.e. hypothalamic, pituitary fails to do so. Hypothyroidism can be detected by several symptoms, such as poor muscle tone, constipation and feeling fatigued all the time. One of the most striking and early symptom of hypothyroidism is clod intolerance. Cold intolerance is a physical condition where the human body suddenly becomes resistant to cold. Constant shivering and incapability to endure even slightly cold temperatures are some of the characteristics of cold intolerance. Other symptoms include sudden weight gain, constant depression and muscle cramps. Some other symptoms include thinning of hair and extremel

This interesting title is all I could thinkof after reading Dana discuss an article on homeschoolers in Palm Beach Post. The post is about a mother in West Palm Beach who discovered that there were several books in the libraries of the local high schools that she finds objectional. Books on topics that she finds frightening I would actually encourage my children to read. To each their own, right? Apparently not. This is why there is home schooling. Home schooling is a wonderful form of school choice. It allows parents lots of elbow room to create parallel universes, worlds of their own making inside the comfort of their own homes, where there never shall cross a fragment from the outside world that hasn’t been purified through the crucible of their own narrow beliefs. It’s a safety net for the intolerant. I could go into the rant of painting all homeschoolers with such a broad brush. We all know that not all homeschoolers fit into this neat little package that is so often

From a Christian perspective, spotting religious intolerance is a fairly simple matter. Odds are, if you are an atheist, you are intolerant. And yet, this is a simplicity based on irrationality and Christian privilege. What is religious intolerance, how should we recognize it, and is it a crime of which all atheists are guilty?Christians Accuse Atheists of Religious IntoleranceFirst, anyone who openly criticizes the idiosyncratic beliefs of a particular Christian is guilty of intolerance. This is true even if the critic is simply pointing out inconsistencies between an individual believer's belief system and the Christian bible or other official doctrine of a recognized religious group. Of course, critics of the bible itself or mainstream Christian doctrine will also be accused of intolerance, but what matters most is the individual believer's unique interpretation and personal experience (e.g., revelation). Anyone who questions this is labeled as intolerant.Second, anyone who dares

Did somebody make this International Religious Intolerance Week and forget to notify the calender makers?I opened on the fifth with Of Paganism and Pundits,followed that with a post about Christians trying to firebomb another Christian church, then two days ago the Pope declared that all other churches weren't true churches, and today we have this:From The Times of India:Christian activists disrupt Hindu prayer in US Senate WASHINGTON: Christian activists briefly disrupted a Hindu invocation in the US Senate on Thursday, marring a historic first for the chamber and showing that fundamentalism is present and shouting in the US too. Invited by the Senate to offer Hindu prayers in place of the usual Christian invocation, Rajan Zed, a Hindu priest from Reno, Nevada, had just stepped up to the podium for the landmark occasion when three protesters, said to belong to the Christian Right anti-abortion group Operation Save America, interrupted by loudly asking for God's forgiveness for a

The Food Doc website has launched! After months of waiting, people all over the world are visiting website created by Dr. Scot Lewey, a digestive specialist with personal experience and professional expertise with food allergies, food intolerance and food sensitivity. The website features Dr. Lewey's review and insights on the latest research and news. There is an e-store, downloadable printable materials and slides. Also available to subscribing members are unique applications such as an on-line symptom diet diary with symptom survey tracking ability, and an interactive symptom assessment tool. The site includes a virtual office for secure on-line consults with the Food Doc. Additional articles and features are already on the way. We encourage you to go to www.thefooddoc.com now and begin taking advantage of the on-line tools and doctor authored helpful information you can trust. Drop us a note after you do to let us know what you think. Send us your suggestions and e-mail the site

The US ties with most of the world on this one but you’d think we could do better than South Africa. I remember apartheid. I never thought I’d see that nation trump us on a civil rights issue.

We are on the brink of new health revolution. It is finally being accepted by more and more people that many chronic illness, physical and mental, often going undiagnosed for years and suffered by thousands of people, are caused partially or wholly by allergies and intolerances to the foods that most of us eat every [...]

Last week the Campaign to Defend the Constitution (DefCon) launched a petition campaign against the Creation Museum's efforts to teach Creationism as science. Inevitably, Answers in Genesis (AiG), the organization operating the Creation Museum, has accused DefCon of being intolerant and trying to limit the free speech rights of AiG. Mark Looy, the author of the AiG article, says:So it begs the question: why is a group that purportedly exists to defend the Constitution's First Amendment’s right to free speech wanting to keep people from being exposed to another view?First, notice the erroneous use of "begs the question". That's a logical fallacy, unlike the phrase "raises the question", which would be the proper way for Looy to say what he's trying to write (Sorry, had to take that jab).However, DefCon specifically points out that this is not the case:[Ken] Ham [founder of AiG] is of course free to believe what he wants, but we are also free to voice our concern over Ham’s ne

As a gastroenterologist, I diagnose and treat many people with food allergies and intolerance, colitis, Crohn’s disease, reflux and irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. As a food allergy and food intolerance specialist – the Food Doc, I find food allergies are relatively easy to diagnose, as is Celiac disease, the worst form of a spectrum of gluten sensitivity. Crohn’s and colitis are also usually easily diagnosed though this requires an endoscopic examination of the colon, colonoscopy, with biopsies of abnormal appearing intestinal lining. Sometimes specific blood tests for colitis and Crohn's disease may screen for or help confirm ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. More recently, biopsies of normal appearing intestine lining, has been found to reveal previously unsuspected microscopic forms of inflammation that may be due to food allergies or intolerance. These various forms of microscopic colitis, often misdiagnosed as IBS include lymphocytic, collagenous and mastocytic

"Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (part 3)" on Google Video The conclusion of D.W. Griffith's film Intolerance http://www.geocities.com/lord02141/scottlord12.html http://silent-film-swicki.eurekster.com "Considered to be one of the most spectacular films of all time, Intolerance was a colossal undertaking filled with monumental sets, lavish period costumes, and more than 3,000 extras. The film consisted of four distinct but parallel stories that demonstrated mankind's intolerance during four different ages in world history. The timeline covered approximately 2,500 years, beginning with: the "Babylonian" period, the "Judean" era, the French Renaissance and modern America." Griffith's masterpiece! 1916.

"Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (part 2)" on Google Video The second hour of D.W. Griffith's film Intolerance. http://www.geocities.com/lord02141/scottlord12.html http://silent-film-swicki.eurekster.com/D.+W.+Griffith/ "Considered to be one of the most spectacular films of all time, Intolerance was a colossal undertaking filled with monumental sets, lavish period costumes, and more than 3,000 extras. The film consisted of four distinct but parallel stories that demonstrated mankind's intolerance during four different ages in world history. The timeline covered approximately 2,500 years, beginning with: the "Babylonian" period, the "Judean" era, the French Renaissance and modern America." Griffith's masterpiece! 1916.

"Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (part1)" on Google Video The first hour of D.W> Griffith's film Intolerance. http://silent-film-swicki.eurekster.com/D.+W.+Griffith/ "Considered to be one of the most spectacular films of all time, Intolerance was a colossal undertaking filled with monumental sets, lavish period costumes, and more than 3,000 extras. The film consisted of four distinct but parallel stories that demonstrated mankind's intolerance during four different ages in world history. The timeline covered approximately 2,500 years, beginning with: the "Babylonian" period, the "Judean" era, the French Renaissance and modern America." Griffith's masterpiece! 1916.

a follow up to what i heard on npr yesterday...is it really the best foreign policy symbolism to send the vp to "liberated" Afghanistan in a plane named after an arch segregationist? is this what the administration means by exporting american values?at least it's not a commercial airplane. those are segregated enough already with the whole first class/business class/coach thing...

If you are an atheist, it is likely that you have first-hand experience with religious intolerance. You have learned to hold your tongue in certain situations (e.g., family gatherings where religious persons are involved, around religious co-workers or supervisors, etc.), and you have probably experienced as least some adverse consequences for failing to do so in other situations. You are fully aware that many believers despise you, fear you, and misunderstand you. If you've spent any time studying religious texts, such as the Christian bible, you have learned that these negative attitudes are not simply a twisted interpretation of religion but painfully clear in the texts themselves.Of course, if you are an atheist who has expressed your lack of belief, it is equally likely that you have been accused of being intolerant yourself. You are perceived as hating religion and religious believers. You want to ban their "holy" texts, prevent them from engaging in their cherished rituals (all