--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tolerance isn't about not having beliefs…" description: "\"Tolerance isn't about not having beliefs. It's about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you.\" — Timothy Keller" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/timothy-keller-240_belief_tolerance-isn-t-about-not-having-beliefs_2211911.png" --- # Tolerance isn't about not having beliefs. It's about how… ![“Tolerance isn't about not having beliefs. It's about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you.” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/timothy-keller-240_belief_tolerance-isn-t-about-not-having-beliefs_2211911.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/timothy-keller-240_belief_tolerance-isn-t-about-not-having-beliefs_2211911.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/timothy-keller-240_belief_tolerance-isn-t-about-not-having-beliefs_2211911.png) > “Tolerance isn't about not having beliefs. It's about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you.” [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Beliefs are fine, but the test is how they shape our treatment of dissenters. **In simple terms:** Beliefs matter, but how you act toward opponents matters more. Key Takeaway Treat others with respect regardless of disagreement. Themes tolerance respect beliefs dialogue Mood thoughtful reflective Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - workplace debates - political discussions - family disagreements - online forums Key Concepts ethical humility social cohesion Questions to Reflect On - How do your convictions influence your behavior toward those who differ? - Can you separate belief from judgment? A Different Perspective People may claim tolerance yet still act dismissively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beliefs/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Tolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerance/) ## Related quotes > [“Old beliefs do not lead you to new cheese”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-johnson/old-beliefs-do-not-lead-you-to-new-cheese/) [Spencer Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-johnson/) > [I Believe In God, But I don't attend Church. I Beleive in following God's word but I don't read the bible. I Believe he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-greger/i-believe-in-god-but-i-don-t-attend-church-i-beleive-in-following-god/) [Taylor Greger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-greger/) > [Let's be careful when we start comparing American to European tolerance because there isn't necessarily a lot of European tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montel-williams/let-s-be-careful-when-we-start-comparing-american-to-european/) [Montel Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montel-williams/) > [“We are fools, not by our religious beliefs,however by what we are lead to believe by those who control what information we receive”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kloby/we-are-fools-not-by-our-religious-beliefs-however-by-what-we-are-lead/) [kloby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kloby/) > [The ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus taught his students that what happens to them is not as important as what they believe happens to them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-krippner/the-ancient-greek-philosopher-epictetus-taught-his-students-that-what/) [Stanley Krippner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-krippner/) > [If we cannot find a way to interpret the utterances and other behaviour of a creature as revealing a set of beliefs largely consistent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-davidson/if-we-cannot-find-a-way-to-interpret-the-utterances-and-other/) [Donald Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-davidson/) > [“Challenging her brain was something that fed her passion. Having her beliefs questioned fired her up, made her really dig for what she believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sierra-cartwright/challenging-her-brain-was-something-that-fed-her-passion-having-her/) [Sierra Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sierra-cartwright/) > [Tolerating somebody else's beliefs is not failing to criticize them. It's not persecuting them for having those beliefs. That is absolutely important. You should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-mcginn/tolerating-somebody-else-s-beliefs-is-not-failing-to-criticize-them/) [Colin McGinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-mcginn/) > [“If we don't hold true to our beliefs--especially now when it's most difficult--then why bother having these beliefs and why ask our brave citizens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-kollin/if-we-don-t-hold-true-to-our-beliefs-especially-now-when-it-s-most/) [Dani Kollin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-kollin/) > [We live in an age where in politics, people can't disagree with each other without good faith being questioned, there is always an ulterior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-jones/we-live-in-an-age-where-in-politics-people-can-t-disagree-with-each/) [Owen Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-jones/) > [I think that people have to reward those individuals who are prepared to work across the political aisle. I don't see any other way;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-king/i-think-that-people-have-to-reward-those-individuals-who-are-prepared/) [Angus King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-king/) > [I don't have a strategy. I am my own person. So if people disagree with the opinion of my father and want to dislike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivanka-trump/i-don-t-have-a-strategy-i-am-my-own-person-so-if-people-disagree-with/) [Ivanka Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivanka-trump/) > [It's a terrible and tragic and counterproductive policy to avoid communicating with people who disagree with us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/it-s-a-terrible-and-tragic-and-counterproductive-policy-to-avoid/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [I don't think many people would disagree that the world is fractured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-quest/i-don-t-think-many-people-would-disagree-that-the-world-is-fractured/) [Richard Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-quest/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) ## More by Timothy Keller > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The more you rejoice in your own forgiveness, the quicker you will be to forgive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-more-you-rejoice-in-your-own-forgiveness-the-quicker-you-will-be/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Evangelism will come organically in friendship if we don’t let our pride, fears, and pessimism cause us to hide our faith and heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/evangelism-will-come-organically-in-friendship-if-we-don-t-let-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“The coming of the messianic King occurs in two stages. At his first coming, he saved us from the penalty of sin and gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-coming-of-the-messianic-king-occurs-in-two-stages-at-his-first/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [ “24 A few pages later, Delbanco writes the following: \[Alexis de\] Tocqueville’s detection of a “strange melancholy in the midst of abundance” has a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the-following-alexis-de/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“To stay away from Christianity because part of the Bible's teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God he wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-stay-away-from-christianity-because-part-of-the-bible-s-teaching/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-the-preaching-of-our-ministers-and-the-practice-of-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“of temple, presence, and sacrifice; of covenant and faithfulness; of kingdom and victory. 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A changed life comes in response to the salvation, offered as a free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/god-s-salvation-does-not-come-in-response-to-a-changed-life-a-changed/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-anything-in-life-is-an-absolute-requirement-for-your-happiness/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Suffering is the stripping of our hope in finite things, therefore we do not put our ultimate hope in anything finite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/suffering-is-the-stripping-of-our-hope-in-finite-things-therefore-we/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Christ will do everything for you or nothing. He's either all of your righteousness or none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/christ-will-do-everything-for-you-or-nothing-he-s-either-all-of-your/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If we give God things in hope that they'll earn us blessings, we're really not doing anything for him. It's for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-we-give-god-things-in-hope-that-they-ll-earn-us-blessings-we-re/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) [Explore all 843 Timothy Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. 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