--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America, it is said, is suffering from…" description: "\"America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance — it is not. It is suffering from tolerance. Tolerance of right and wrong, truth and error, virtue a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/fulton-j-sheen-675_america_america-it-is-said-is-suffering-from-int_2313394.png" --- # America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance — it is… ![“America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance — it is not. It is suffering from tolerance. Tolerance of right and wrong, truth and error, virtue and evil, Christ and chaos. Our country is not nearly so overrun with the bigoted as it is overrun with the broadminded.” quote by Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/fulton-j-sheen-675_america_america-it-is-said-is-suffering-from-int_2313394.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/fulton-j-sheen-675_america_america-it-is-said-is-suffering-from-int_2313394.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/fulton-j-sheen-675_america_america-it-is-said-is-suffering-from-int_2313394.png) > “America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance — it is not. It is suffering from tolerance. Tolerance of right and wrong, truth and error, virtue and evil, Christ and chaos. Our country is not nearly so overrun with the bigoted as it is overrun with the broadminded.” [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that society suffers from excessive tolerance, blurring moral distinctions and leading to chaos. **In simple terms:** Too much tolerance creates moral confusion. Key Takeaway Balance tolerance with discernment. Themes morality culture religion pluralism Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - education - public policy - interfaith dialogue - media literacy Key Concepts ethical relativism social cohesion Questions to Reflect On - How can we discern right from wrong? - When should tolerance have limits? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on tolerance can suppress dissenting voices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Chaos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chaos/) [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Errors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/errors/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Intolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerance/) [Intolerance Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerance-suffering-5502882/) [Right and wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-and-wrong/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering Intolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-intolerance-5502883/) [Suffering Tolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-tolerance-5502884/) [Tolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerance/) [Tolerance Tolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerance-tolerance-2259219/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [At a time when everybody in our culture is talking about tolerance, it seems that tolerance has the highest premium of any response -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-webb/at-a-time-when-everybody-in-our-culture-is-talking-about-tolerance-it/) [Derek Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-webb/) > [“In recent decades we have emphasized the value of teaching people 'tolerance.' Tolerance is not only inadequate, it is a negative concept which only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/in-recent-decades-we-have-emphasized-the-value-of-teaching-people/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [Tolerance is an attitude of reasoned patience towards evil and a forbearance that restrains us from showing anger or inflicting punishment. But what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/tolerance-is-an-attitude-of-reasoned-patience-towards-evil-and-a/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [There is no other subject on which the average mind is so much confused as the subject of tolerance and intolerance... Tolerance applies only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/there-is-no-other-subject-on-which-the-average-mind-is-so-much/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tolerance is an attitude of reasoned patience toward evil … a forbearance that restrains us from showing anger or inflicting punishment. Tolerance applies only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/tolerance-is-an-attitude-of-reasoned-patience-toward-evil-a/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [The world may disagree with the Church, but the world knows very definitely with what it is disagreeing. In the future as in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-world-may-disagree-with-the-church-but-the-world-knows-very/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“A spirit of license makes a man refuse to commit himself to any standards. The right time is the way he sets his watch.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/a-spirit-of-license-makes-a-man-refuse-to-commit-himself-to-any/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [Modern man has so long preached a doctrine of false tolerance; he has so long believed that right and wrong were only differences in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/modern-man-has-so-long-preached-a-doctrine-of-false-tolerance-he-has/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [House music is about love, and lots of hip hop is about hate and intolerance, so in that respect, it's not good at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lowe/house-music-is-about-love-and-lots-of-hip-hop-is-about-hate-and/) [Chris Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lowe/) > [Too small is our world to allow discrimination, bigotry and intolerance to thrive in any corner of it, let alone in the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-engel/too-small-is-our-world-to-allow-discrimination-bigotry-and/) [Eliot Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-engel/) > [Peace cannot be built on exclusivism, absolutism, and intolerance. But neither can it be built on vague liberal slogans and pious programs gestated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/peace-cannot-be-built-on-exclusivism-absolutism-and-intolerance-but/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [I have tried to defend what is most precious to our American society, a society that is now at war against the forces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demian-bichir/i-have-tried-to-defend-what-is-most-precious-to-our-american-society/) [Demian Bichir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demian-bichir/) > [the Republicans love to say that the Democratic Party is ruled by 'special interests.' But when pressed to name these 'special interests,' the usual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-ferraro/the-republicans-love-to-say-that-the-democratic-party-is-ruled-by/) [Geraldine Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-ferraro/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [Dialogue and education for peace can help free our hearts from the impulse toward intolerance and the rejection of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/dialogue-and-education-for-peace-can-help-free-our-hearts-from-the/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) ## More by Fulton J. Sheen > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [There are 200 million poor in the world who would gladly take the vow of poverty if they could eat, dress and have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/there-are-200-million-poor-in-the-world-who-would-gladly-take-the-vow/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [Love is the key to the mystery. Love by its very nature is not selfish, but generous. It seeks not its own, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/love-is-the-key-to-the-mystery-love-by-its-very-nature-is-not-selfish/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“This is what Aristotle meant when he said that the object of science is the necessary and the universal; man and not this man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/this-is-what-aristotle-meant-when-he-said-that-the-object-of-science/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [Pride is an admission of weakness; it secretly fears all competition and dreads all rivals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/pride-is-an-admission-of-weakness-it-secretly-fears-all-competition/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [Calamity, war, famine, plague, death, adversity, disease, injury do not necessarily produce repentance. We may become better in a calamity but it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/calamity-war-famine-plague-death-adversity-disease-injury-do-not/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [No one has ever laughed at a pun who did not see in the one word a twofold meaning. To materialists this world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/no-one-has-ever-laughed-at-a-pun-who-did-not-see-in-the-one-word-a/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [Love is a mutual self-giving which ends in self-recovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/love-is-a-mutual-self-giving-which-ends-in-self-recovery/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [The Soviet Union is like the Cross without Christ, while American culture is like Christ without the Cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-soviet-union-is-like-the-cross-without-christ-while-american/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“The 'fullness of reality' in the second sense of the term is perceived by a combination of both intellect and sense, the senses knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-fullness-of-reality-in-the-second-sense-of-the-term-is-perceived/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“The mathematical method is disinterested in the efficient cause and the final cause or the goodness of a thing and it should not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-mathematical-method-is-disinterested-in-the-efficient-cause-and/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“The Church makes no man less free than he was before. But we chiefly value freedom in order to give it away; every man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-church-makes-no-man-less-free-than-he-was-before-but-we-chiefly/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“To those who rejected Him, righteousness would one day appear as a terrible justice; to the sinful men who accepted Him and allied themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/to-those-who-rejected-him-righteousness-would-one-day-appear-as-a/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [It is easy to find truth, though it is hard to face it, and harder still to follow it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/it-is-easy-to-find-truth-though-it-is-hard-to-face-it-and-harder/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [One function of the angels is illumination, and the other function is that of being a guardian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/one-function-of-the-angels-is-illumination-and-the-other-function-is/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) [Explore all 414 Fulton J. Sheen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance — it is not. It is suffering from tolerance. Tolerance of right and wrong, truth and error, virtue and evil, Christ and chaos. Our country is not nearly so overrun with the bigoted as it is overrun with the broadminded.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fulton J. Sheen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/america-it-is-said-is-suffering-from-intolerance-it-is-not-it-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/america-it-is-said-is-suffering-from-intolerance-it-is-not-it-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/fulton-j-sheen-675_america_america-it-is-said-is-suffering-from-int_2313394.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/fulton-j-sheen-675_america_america-it-is-said-is-suffering-from-int_2313394.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/fulton-j-sheen-675_america_america-it-is-said-is-suffering-from-int_2313394.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance — it is not. It is suffering from tolerance. Tolerance of…” — Fulton J. Sheen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Fulton J. Sheen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "America, it is said, is suffering...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/america-it-is-said-is-suffering-from-intolerance-it-is-not-it-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/america-it-is-said-is-suffering-from-intolerance-it-is-not-it-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```