INDIA...A Haven Of Tolerance And Acceptance

From my viewpoint, India is the most tolerant and accepting country on the planet. I first noticed this trait from a religious perspective, in that there are 1.3 billion people in this nation, comprised of Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Muslims, and yes Catholics and Protestants. And from the way in which they interact with one another, unless you’re familiar with their particular style of clothing, you wouldn’t know what religion they professed until after having spoken with them about it.

My contention is that because of their dedication to the tenets of their particular religious practices, the common thread being to treat people as you would like to be treated, India is a place where tolerance and acceptance of others is common behavior.

My wife Nicole and are were there for over two weeks, and although it took us four days to verbally interact with others on a personal level, once we started communicating however, it became a joy and rewarding experie nce to be in an environment where you were not judged by the color of your skin or the content of your character. Rather you were looked upon as the manisfestation of an opportunity, to learn about the beliefs and values of others, and to share and discuss common life objectives with those who not moments before were complete strangers.

In retrospect, I now realize that Indian people, as a whole, demonstrate a seemingly peculiar yearning to promote the   two attributes that we have all been gifted with, those attributes being tolerance and acceptance. Because of our competitive natures here in America however, we have a fear of giving too much leeway to somebody else. We thereby tend to be more concerned with judging and condemning others, rather than allowing them to be who they are and accepting them as such.

Why my concern? Because tolerance and acceptance are the first steps toward fulfilling God’s purpose for our being here. That purpose? Relieving others of pain and suffering. You see, only then can we be truly happy. And so as not to get it twisted, happiness is not just having the right mate, the slickest car, the biggest house, or the ideal job. Happiness is the result of doing God’s Will.

Each of us has been made perfect for God’s Purpose. We have each been given a unique gift that only we can use in the way we were gifted to use it. Whether it be the way we look, the way we walk, or the way we talk, only we can do it that way. So my suggestion to myself and to all of y’all is to be tolerant and accepting of whomever you come in contact with, and do what you can to make their life better as a result of having been in your presence. And while doing it…Be Happy.

I’ll holla…

To comment or respond to this blog please click on the word comments at the bottom of this page, or email me at grace.calvin187@gmail.com