Tracking Tolerance In Western Culture

Classically Liberal traces the evolution of tolerance in the West. It's a long post but informative:

Commerce rewards tolerance by increasing the number of trading possibilities. Trade undermines prejudice in all areas: be it religious, ethnic, racial or sexual. Bigotry flourishes when the bigot can pass that cost on to the entire society, but when he must bear the direct costs of his own prejudice he is more reluctant to do so. Some may still prefer to engage in traditional, prejudicial practices, but they are at a competitive disadvantage to competitors who fail to do so. Brittan said: Capitalist civilization is above all rationalist.’ The entrepreneur, as a profit maximizer is forced to ignore the “traditional, mystical or ceremonial justification of existing practices.” This rejection of the traditional, means depoliticized markets are inherently anti-conservative. The gay marriage debate is a good example. Private businesses have largely adopted measures to recognize gay relationships among their employees. It is the political sphere that is behind the times. The state rarely forces change. Most of the time it is an impediment to social changes and only plays catch-up once the cultural revolution is over.

I once a letter to the editor, I know so 90s, discussing how the state and politicians who rail against capitalism are in fact the ones who act as "lagging indicators."

The intricacies of the decision making process for an entrepreneur is delicate and filled with considerations it's difficult for a non-entrepreneurial mind to grasp.