D. James Kennedy had a good sermon on The New Tolerance this past week, and I really like his take on the virtue of "tolerance." He said that in a climate of moral relevancy, it is stated that one moral system or religion is as valid as any other, so all must be accorded respect AND must be accepted as equally valid.
Or course, this is preposterous, since some moral systems and religions are harmful in their inaccuracy when compared to reality. But Kennedy went on to say that when a culture progressively forsakes the objectively valuable virtues such as chastity, honesty, industry, thrift, etc., the last "virtue" that is demanded in such a declining culture is "tolerance." Since people don’t want to be faced with the reality and results of their lack of these other virtues (i.e. they are promiscuous, dishonest, lazy, wasteful, etc.), they demand that you stop calling them on these sins – they demand that you "tolerate" them, and if you don’t, YOU lack virtue.
But as I like to say, tolerance in personal relationships is often a virtue, but tolerance of wickedness in society is cowardice.