The True Face of Tolerance

To give a disclaimer, this post is coming from a solely Christian point of view.  And as you read this, you will realize why many would call me a Fundie, Conservative, “Holier-than-thou”, and even a religious extremists.  And those are the nice titles.  I have debated with many, many people on a number of subjects–some are political,  but most are of a religious nature.  And the one thing I constantly hear is “Why can’t you be more tolerant?”  This coming from people who usually end up calling me vile names and such.  Yeah, real tolerant.

So, let’s look at the idea of tolerance.  Typically, the person preaching tolerance is using this definition of it:   sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).  That’s well enough.  Unfortunately, from my experience, most people preaching tolerance are far from being tolerant themselves because they have no sympathy for my beliefs that differ from their own.  But can true tolerance be practiced by anyone?  The only way I see it is if people do not debate or come against another person’s view or belief.  Not likely.  Our country was built on intolerance.  It was intolerance that started the Revolutionary War.  It was intolerance that started the Civil War. 

But what we have today, is a bunch of eunical (I’m being “tolerant” of people’s sensitivity) humanists pushing a perverted form of tolerance on everyone.  For example, many times I have had a somewhat intense debate with someone.  After some time, they grow frustrated and say something like “You really should learn to be tolerant.”  I reply “Maybe you should be too.”  They typically respond something with something like “I am tolerant!  Just not with people who believe like you!”  Huh?  Let me repost the definition of tolerance:   sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own. (emphasis mine).  So what many people mean, when they say they’re “tolerant”, is that they are tolerant of you….as long as you don’t disagree with them. 

The other argument I get (typically from a religious person, or someone who attends church only on Easter and Christmas and don’t even know where they stashed their Bible) is this.  “Well, if you really are a Christian, you’d be tolerant like Jesus was.”  To which I respond…”I am” or, sometimes if I’m really punchy, I’ll just be blunt and say “What an ignorant thing to say.”

Now, I could get into some spiritual teaching on Jesus’ first coming and second coming, the purpose of both, and the Lamb of God vs the Judge of Humanity and yada yada yada.  But that would take some time.  Perhaps I’ll do a quick teaching on it on my other blog someday.  But, sufficeth to say that even during Jesus’ time on here, He showed His intolerance.

Jesus said “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’  But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’” (Luke 13:24-27)  “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:22)

There are many people who say “God would never send a “good” person to hell.”  Jesus’ response is “No one is good but One, that is, God.”   And Jesus also said “ I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” and “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  So, again, we see that Jesus is not very tolerant.

“But Jesus ate with the drunks, tax collectors, and prostitutes!” is another argument from people trying to proclaim that Jesus was tolerant.  Which that statement is true.  Jesus did eat with those people.  But to what end?  Not to justify, endorse, or encourage their sin.  But rather to draw them out of their sin.  Zacchaeus and Matthew are two great examples of this.  Jesus even explained why He ate with the sinners.  “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.”

“But what about the prostitute that was to be stoned?  Jesus said ‘You who are without sin, cast the first stone.’”  True.  But Jesus still didn’t condone her sin.  If you recall His last words to her were “Go and sin no more.”  So, again, Jesus is not tolerant.  Not only that, but this event was an example of the difference between the first covenant and the second covenant. 

So, to wrap up up this post, let me recap.  No, God is not tolerant of immorality and neither am I.  God is, however, tolerant of people (as am I).  And, if you’re going to preach at me about being tolerant, then practice it.  And how do you tell who those are that are truly tolerant?  They’re the ones not arguing with you.