let him have his say

[Sailor Steve]

That is a tricky question and a fine line.

It can be as simple as derailing anything from a public meeting to an internet forum. I have the right to free speech. Does that mean I have the right to go into a city council meeting on taxes and start talking about the way a police officer treated me last week? I don't think so.

There is a difference between discussing religion and preaching religion. If someone starts a thread on the differences between belief systems, that's a topic that warrants discussion and allows people to explore things they may not have known before. In that case it's not a referendum for making fun of people or their beliefs.

If, on the other hand, a person comes into a topic on a forum or starts a new one preaching that he has the only truth, i.e. "God wants you to do this", then it's not allowing for discussion at all, but preaching. Is it okay to preach? Possibly, but the person who does the preaching publically has removed his right to complain when others make fun of his beliefs.

Likewise politics. There is still a big difference between discussing and preaching.

Tolerance is a good thing, when we're being tolerant of others' beliefs, whether political, religious, racial or any other of the many differences between us. When someone is preaching intolerance, or hate, or violence, it is vital to find the line between the preaching and the actual doing. If someone offers to harm myself or my family, am I being intolerant when I stop him?