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This Poem was Submitted By: Andrea M. Taylor On Date: 2004-08-03 15:57:49 . . . Click Here To Mail this Poem to a Friend!

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Tolerance

Ignorance is blind tolerance Wisdom is learned tolerance Tolerance is blind faith Faith is God’s wisdom and our ignorance

This Poem was Critiqued By: DeniMari Z. On Date: 2004-09-05 21:09:23
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.58824
Dear Andrea, I really appreciate this kind of writing because it makes you stop and think. You've done well with such a few short lines - ignorance is blind tolerance - not beind aware of something makes you oblivious to what's going on. Wisdom is learned tolerance - yes it certainly is - and the wiser you get the more you learn to tolerate. Tolerance is blind faith, good line - accepting what you have to accept and believing faithfully it's ok. The ending couldn't be better - being religious in my own way I strive to become less ignorant of Gods wisdom every day. Good luck with this. Sincerely, DeniMari

This Poem was Critiqued By: Sandra J Kelley On Date: 2004-09-03 16:41:13
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.57143
Andrea, clever, I like the last line it made me think a moment and chuckle. I'll be sure to look for more of your poems. Sandra

This Poem was Critiqued By: Gerard A Geiger On Date: 2004-08-30 21:45:13
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.75000
DEear Andrea; I like your logic and your final line.. Faith is God's wisdom and our ignorance. Very thoughtful and precise... I cannot improve it... Thanks for sharing and keep writing. Gerard

This Poem was Critiqued By: Wayne R. Leach On Date: 2004-08-26 20:08:58
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.90000
Andrea, I enjoyed the twisting, turning, thought-provoking lines of this very much. A lot said in a condensed form. A philosophically insightful write, and the ending line pulls it all together. Well said, so I cannot see any way I could improve on it, except consider changing "is" to "equals". Just a last-minute idea, to take or leave. :>) Best regards. wrl

This Poem was Critiqued By: James Edward Schanne On Date: 2004-08-23 15:25:40
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 8.77778
I agree with the first two lines and wonder if the third necessarly follows, but then I realize thats inserting logic into poetry and its more important in what way tolerance is blind faith. I'll chew 0n that for awhile and say the last line sums it up nicely. Thanks for letting me read

This Poem was Critiqued By: arnie s WACHMAN On Date: 2004-08-18 19:49:22
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Well this would make a good topic in a debating class, or better yet a logics class. I'm not sure I believe in your last line. What is faith and where does it come from? You say G-d? And I say it nothing but a blind belief imposed on us by those that think they have the answers. Wisdom is learned tolerance? Again I would disagree, however it is easier for me to debated such issues in a face to face confrontation. This does not mean that I dislike the poem, because it did make me think for a change. And exactly what is "blind tolerance?" Why should I tolerate something, blindly? That just doesn't make sense to me. Oh well, those are my views and points. Thanks so much.

This Poem was Critiqued By: Mark Andrew Hislop On Date: 2004-08-16 14:16:45
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 1.00000
Dear Andrea I have this thing about logic (poems need it as much as computers do), so I am substituting the terms of your poem as you hint at. Sorry to do this to you but your poem begs for it: First pass: Ignorance is blind blind faith Wisdom is learned blind faith Tolerance is blind God's wisdom and our ignorance Faith is God's wisdom and our blind blind faith. Second pass (and I am taking shortcuts here): Ignorance is blind blind God's learned tolerance and our blind faith Wisdom is learned blind blind God's learned tolerance and our blind faith Tolerance is blind God's wisdom and our blind tolerance Faith is God's learned blind blind God's learned tolerance and our blind faith and our blind blind God's learned tolerance and our blind faith" Andrea I hate to say it but you make no sense whatsoever! The only term which is not explained directly by another is tolerance but even then: Tolerance is blind God's wisdom and our tolerance (I stop myself to avoid exchanging terms endlessly ...) Never been a great fan of circular argument ... it tends to leave people where they start ... which is nowhere! Not even the slightest bit sure of what you are getting at here. I am certain you're getting at something but it is not clear at all. My suggestion (obviously none too humble) ... ...revise for clarity! Best wishes Mark.

This Poem was Critiqued By: marilyn terwilleger On Date: 2004-08-12 15:23:09
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Hi Andrea, I have mulled this piece over in my mind several times....you have certainly given us something to think about. This piece, that is terse, is also very profound and each line needs to be considered before moving onto the next. Ignorance can easily lead to tolerance...since we don't understand it we have no emotion about it one way or the other and therefore it can be bliss...that is until the light dawns. To be tolerant we surely need to have wisdom as tolerance is a learned behavior...some people never learn the skill of being tolerant...I have met many of those. Is tolerance blind faith? Or is it just the ability to see the cup half full instead of half empty? When I found out the world was not a bowl of cherries like I had imagined it was a rude awakening...however, I continued to look for the good in everyone I met until I could find none and those were few. Your last line..."Faith is God's wisdom and our ignorance"....we must have faith because without it we are nothing. Well done...thanks for making me think. Blessings....Marilyn

This Poem was Critiqued By: Lennard J. McIntosh On Date: 2004-08-10 16:50:24
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 1.00000
Re: "Tolerance" Writer: "Ignorance is blind tolerance" *** Mankind is blind in so many ways. [I'm sad to admit that this includes myself - I'm apparently part of this sad lot known as humanity.] It would be interesting to lists all the reasons why one race, language group, or nationality feels itself superior to another. Some of those reasons would be about as rich as a rare cheese left to the sun. To be blind to tolorance is a darkness far beyond the physical; it is a cloud enclosing hearts in the wall of continuous night. Writer: "Wisdom is learned tolerance" *** Knowledge is an important step, for when it is combined with understanding, wisdom results. Perhaps a more sure path for mankind would be to oppen a book intended for each one of us, where it says, "... God is not partial ... for in every nation..." Acts 10: 34, 35. Indeed, faith in [The True and Living] God is wisdom, and it need not be blind. Heb.11: 1 How excelling this work is for it highlights a wisdom far beyond man's. The writer has my endearing applause and admiration. Len McIntosh

This Poem was Critiqued By: Elaine Marie Phalen On Date: 2004-08-08 12:09:42
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 1.00000
Hi Andrea, Interesting chain of reasoning, that explores the definitions of ignorance/wisdom/tolerance, joining with links of both learning and blindness. The ignorant cannot distinguish between valid and invalid, so they accept everything (or at least, don't examine and question it). The wise learn all they can about whatever they're observing, then accept it from a firm base of knowledge. But by accepting or tolerating anything, we must have that "blind faith" that it won't come back to hurt us. In other words, what we tolerate must also tolerate US. The last line expands the perspective. If our faith is imbued by God's presence, then we will never face rejection, despite our short-sightedness. We will never stray into a minefield where everything blows up around us. God already knows where the problems lie and we can trust in His grace to defend us against our own folly. This is an exercise is both semantics and logic. "Tolerance" is a tough concept for most of us to define. We just don't think about it much. Logic says that we do need to know WHAT we're going to tolerate, not just what the word implies. But some ideas are too big for mere mortal understanding. Then we have to call in the Reinforcements, with a capital. I'll be mulling this over for awhile! It's not a simple process, arriving at a conclusion. I want to see how you got there, and whether I can, too. Take Care, Brenda

This Poem was Critiqued By: Joanne Duval Morgan On Date: 2004-08-03 16:51:59
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 1.00000
They say ignorance is bliss, don't believe it, ignorance isn't bliss, which we know is absolute acceptance that only God knows the reason, if we ignore we are turning out back on the Good Lord, which is eons away from His house of Bliss. Hi, what a pleasure, and very fitting, being able to relate this way Andrea is God's proof of traveling that hard road to understanding and tolorance. It's a while but I love your words, they move so smoothly carrying the full message of all your apt descriptives, although I'm not surprised, just pleased to she it manifest in such understanding. As is Fear of the unknown, to be unknow is ignorance of the possibilty of achieving Bliss.....oh, look at us getting all serious here, Ha Ha, quite a circle of friendship being able to relate so easily and with tolorance, closer to Bliss I think. Good luch Andrea, I'm always pulling for you, your funny, or serious side, the full compliement makes a very tolorant person, withh full understanding......Love, Jo Mo

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