translation to make it flow better. Actually, there were no set rules since dictionaries
or grammars did not exist yet, and the language was fluctuant. So, in the 17th century,
a group of learned men rejected altogether the institution of the church and called
themselves rebels, or more precisely Lutherans and Protestants. These people who
protested against the church nowadays call themselves Presbyterians, Baptists,
Church of Christ, etc, etc. They came to North America in order to find religious
freedom. The rebels were angry against the interpretations of the Bible conducted by
the church. They rejected the hierarchy of the priests and they accused monks and
nuns to be in the wrong by locking themselves from the outside world. But even if
the first rebels were sincere, they still made mistakes later one. How come today
anyone can open a church as long as he or she has money and power? How come one
must pay a fee to belong to a church? How come there are no special rules to follow
and most people just follow their heart? Since there are no set rules, people come to
church with masks of Halloween in their bags, and put them on right after the service.
The same way, they pray Christ during Christmas, the man they think sacrificed
himself for human beings and suffered for human beings, and right after that they
hold big parties and cover trees with gifts for themselves. If they were sincere,
maybe they should give all these gifts to the needy instead! And they do this because
they dissociate religious life from daily life; after church, after they did their Christian
duties, they do not feel they have more responsibilities.
The same way, they make fun of the bad spirits during Halloween; they become bad
spirits, but they never think that means bad spirits are ok for them!
See, when all these people from Europe were exiled from their native countries, and they
came to America to be in peace or those who came to find money, there was what was
called a melting pot, or a medley of cultures and beliefs. Old beliefs, new beliefs, no
beliefs at all were mixed up in the afflux of people from different origins and different
backgrounds. People came because of religion, but many also came because they were
poor or they did not have great lives over seas. They had to learn tolerance in order to
live together! That was not easy! Tolerance is a great gift, Su, but it is a tool that one
must use with precaution! Do you know what the word tolerance really means, my little
pearl?
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I guess it is to accept others as they are. You do not prefer one person over the other.
You try to treat one person like the other, no matter what! I do not see any side effect
in being tolerant, mom!
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It’s because you did not think too much about it. Imagine you have a close friend
from India. OK?
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Ok.
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Are you tempted to do like she does, I mean to eat the way she eats when you go to
her house, or to sleep the way she sleeps, or to try anything she does differently from
you?
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Sure, mom, it’s fun!
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Well, this is where the danger lurks!
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What do you mean mom? Is there anything wrong with wanting to try new things?
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It is ok as long as you do not have friends from West Africa for instance who eat so
spicy if you eat the same food you can be sick for days! See, the same applies to
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