You know, it's so true what you are saying here. They were quite forthright in saying what had to be said regardless of consequences - even when it brought violent wrath upon their own, their families and the communities head.
But there is that sakhi where Guru Hargobind Ji (I think) discourages a zealous brother who had broken the nose off an idol and then asked the irate worshipers to make the idol defend itself (so to speak) when confronted. Although, what the idol-breaker was saying was true from a Sikhi perspective Guru ji told him to hold that kind of stuff down and be a bit more sensitive of people's beliefs.
Am I wrong in interpreting this (and wider Guru-period Sikh history) as Guru ji tolerating minor things in other communities that don't really harm us, but being boldly forthright in confronting more serious issues/ideologies that do have a potentially negative effect on us (like Aurengzaab's style of Islam)?
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