Tolerance: The Definition Has Changed
Tolerance: The Definition Has Changed The New Oxford American Dictionary has not caught up with the change, but the modern, popular definition of "tolerance" is radically different (I believe, dangerously perverted) from the "old" meaning. Oxford defines TOLERATE as "allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of (something that one does not necessarily like or agree with) without interference". The word originated in the early 16th century from "tolerare", Latin for "enduring pain". TOLERANCE is the ability or willingness to tolerate something, to "endure the pain" of the existence of something. What is the new definition? According to D. A. Carson , "tolerance" has changed from accepting that lots of people have different views, some of which are wrong, to agreeing that all views are equally true. What difference does this make? A diametric difference! Mark Driscoll recently wrote an essay about