Western society has reduced the Christian command to “love thy neighbour” to mere secular tolerance, Templeton Prize winner Fr Tomáš Halík has warned.
On May 14, the Czech philosopher priest was presented with the award, which honours a living person who has made exceptional contributions “to affirming life’s spiritual dimension”.
The prize is worth about NZ$2 million.
As he was presented with the award, Fr Halík said: “Tolerance is the secular translation of the Gospel injunction to love one’s enemies.”
“But when religious concepts are translated into secular language and concepts, something is usually lost.
“In order to tolerate an unpleasant neighbour I really don’t need to love him in any sense.
“It is enough for me to ignore him, since I don’t care about him,” he said.
This mentality has led to the forming of ghettos and a culture in which different ethnic groups do not mix, he added.
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