A Jew who rejects the divinity of Jesus, for instance, cannot honestly say that he has a deep-rooted respect for one who does believe in the divinity of Jesus. He believes his convictions to be correct and deems all other beliefs to be wrong. Not just different--wrong. Mutual tolerance cannot exist because one does not tolerate what he adamantly believes to be wrong. Consistent belief dictates this. Whatever one does tolerate only stems from the inability to alter the situation--circumstance, not from respect for the opposing position--belief. This must be taken with a grain of salt, however. Granted, one must have an understanding of branches of Judaism that differ from one's own value system. Maintaining an understanding about other denominations of Judaism and what they represent is simply a prerequisite for communication, not acceptance.

The pluralistic attitude is, "You're OK, I'm OK. Let's all smile and pretend as though we're friends." Not only does the Torah disapprove of such a philosophy, it demands the exact opposite: "Rebuke your friend firmly" (Leviticus 19:17). The verse does not say, "See your neighbor do what is wrong and pat him on the back." Each of us is responsible to help correct the wrongs of others in our community. Of course, there is an appropriate time and manner for critical discussion, but one must certainly not allow this responsibility to go unfulfilled simply out of a desire to subscribe to an ideology that has no basis in Torah Judaism. Simply put, pluralism is not a Jewish concept. In fact, pluralism is anti-Jewish.

What is more, pluralism fosters divisiveness. Instead of attempting to iron out the differences that divide our religion and making an effort to become more united, pluralists wish to entrench themselves in a the defined parameters of a divided Jewish community. The very notion of accepting everyone as we already are, undermines a fundamental canon shared by everyone. All Jews embrace the opportunity to grow, to improve, to progress, to advance. Pluralism shouts out, "Stop right there! There's no need to go any further. You're fine just the way you are." Anyone willing to listen to such nonsense may as well roll over and die right now. Why bother living? If there's no room for improvement, perfection has been achieved. What more is there to do?

It goes without saying that we must open channels for discussion and communication. But to what end? So we understand each other and come to respect one another for who we are? This approach misses the mark completely. The purpose of communication is twofold: to learn from one another and to foster unity. Pluralism confronts the former issue in an indirect sense. It attempts to set up an equal playing field where everyone's position is legitimate and valid. Any communication in such a framework is meaningless. No position carries any significant weight--everything is equal.

Jumping on the lightweight bandwagon of political correctness with wanton disregard for Torah values serves no noble end. Pluralism in Judaism is not a panacea that fosters a stronger Judaism. Instead, this rubbish is an empty ideology interfering in a religion with enough substance of its own. Celebrations without substance always ring hollow.