Maybe it's more of a liberal university-student thing, but I find it important to push the limits on what I find acceptable. This includes seriously considering beliefs that I may have shunned in the past, whether they be sexual, political, etc.
In terms of diversity, a politically correct response to something like homosexuality is "keep it to yourself; I find it gross, but to each, his/her own." Similarly, people ask why there is a Black History Month, or Gay Pride week. The reason is, by default people conforms to the dominant culture. *Every* day where a male/female couple can hold hands but not male/male or female/female is "heterosexual day". Every time we shy away from a Muslim or a Mexican or African-American, sticking to a White middle-class Protestant culture is a lost chance at better understanding others. It is much harder to be prejudiced against another group when you know people in that group.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, deliberately ignoring something in the name of tolerance is not enough. I find it important to actively seek out people I disagree with, or ideas I find uncomfortable.
For example, recently the Muslim group at my university hosted an awareness event. I have no intention of converting, yet I spent about half an hour just asking questions and talking about Islam.
At the same time, I plan in participating in May 20th's "draw Muhammad day" to protest the outrage over South Park's depiction of Muhammad. I have nothing personal against Muslims, but I think it's an important reminder to Muslims that what they find blasphemous may not be the same as what others find blasphemous. The same way gay parades say "we are here, we are gay, you do not need to be us but you cannot ignore us", May 20th will say "we are here, we are not Muslim, you do not need to be us but you cannot ignore us".
In terms of diversity, a politically correct response to something like homosexuality is "keep it to yourself; I find it gross, but to each, his/her own." Similarly, people ask why there is a Black History Month, or Gay Pride week. The reason is, by default people conforms to the dominant culture. *Every* day where a male/female couple can hold hands but not male/male or female/female is "heterosexual day". Every time we shy away from a Muslim or a Mexican or African-American, sticking to a White middle-class Protestant culture is a lost chance at better understanding others. It is much harder to be prejudiced against another group when you know people in that group.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, deliberately ignoring something in the name of tolerance is not enough. I find it important to actively seek out people I disagree with, or ideas I find uncomfortable.
For example, recently the Muslim group at my university hosted an awareness event. I have no intention of converting, yet I spent about half an hour just asking questions and talking about Islam.
At the same time, I plan in participating in May 20th's "draw Muhammad day" to protest the outrage over South Park's depiction of Muhammad. I have nothing personal against Muslims, but I think it's an important reminder to Muslims that what they find blasphemous may not be the same as what others find blasphemous. The same way gay parades say "we are here, we are gay, you do not need to be us but you cannot ignore us", May 20th will say "we are here, we are not Muslim, you do not need to be us but you cannot ignore us".
