(20) Tolerance and Intolerance in Judaism

Most everyone feels they are tolerant of the different opinions or different lifestyles of others, until they experience them firsthand - and then people are typically uncomfortable with anything different from what they believe. In Judaism, differences of opinion are encouraged and studied in the Talmud, alongside discussions about how to be a proper Jew; as long as they remain opinions, Judaism is tolerant of all alternatives. But action is different, as a religion cannot survive if everyone does whatever he or she pleases. A lifestyle that invalidates the core value of Judaism, such as idol worship, is not tolerated. This podcast will discuss the fine lines of how differences of opinion are tolerated, and under which conditions.