This week has been full of surprises in American politics: the blame game between Nancy Pelosi and the CIA, President Obama‘s selection of Utah Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman to serve as the ambassador to China, and the invitation for President Obama to visit the University of Notre Dame to deliver an address and receive an honorary degree.

Known as a nest of conservative Catholics, his visit to Notre Dame is very controversial. President Obama is pro-choice. Thousand of pro-life Catholics are signing petitions in protest. By inviting the President to hostile territory, it shows how weak the conservatives are now. A recent Pew poll, for instance, shows that 50 percent of Catholics support Notre Dame’s decision to honor Obama; little more than one-quarter oppose.

The anti-Obama camps have legitimate arguments. No one knows when life starts. But, people can disagree and tolerate each other. Being pro-life or pro-choice — does it really matter ? What matters the most is tolerance. Both sides have respectable arguments. Both sides are still divided. As the Bedouin of Egypt say, “A back does not break from bending.”