Definitions from The New Merriam-Webster
Dictionary:
Tolerance - sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing
from one's own.
Intolerance - unwilling to endure; the opposite of tolerance.
There are a lot of people who are telling us that Christians are
intolerant of other religions or systems of belief. They claim, and
rightfully so, that this is because we're constantly telling people of other
religions that they're not saved and only Christians are truly saved. If you
claim to be a Christian and don't defend this position, then you're not
serving God. The Bible tells us that to be saved one must believe in the
fact that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed sent to be our personal Lord and
Savior. Jesus himself spoke to the disciples, "Whoever believes and is
baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned"
(Mark 16:16 NIV). How can someone who professes to be a Christian not defend
their faith and God's truth? And why, in the minds of those who preach
tolerance, is it unacceptable and intolerant when we outline our beliefs
when someone ask us for our opinion?
It's time that we, as Christians, become intolerant of tolerance that's
intolerant of our beliefs. Did this sentence confuse you? More simply put,
we shouldn't just stand by and let others tell us what we can believe and
that we have to accept the beliefs of everyone else while, at the same time,
they're unwilling to accept any of our beliefs. The teachers of tolerance
are slowly altering our beliefs by incorporating non-Christian ideas and
phrases into all areas of our life. For example, now BC and AD are being
replaced with BCE (before common era) and CE (common era). They explain this
usage by saying it's more tolerant of all belief systems. What they refuse
to explain is why the same point in history, the time of Christ's life, is
still the reference point.
As Christians, we should accept the fact that everyone is free to choose
how they live and what they believe (tolerance). However, it doesn't mean we
should endorse their choices or not tell them what God says about these
choices (both actions are labeled intolerance). The following examples will
illustrate how in the name of tolerance, Christians today are becoming "Judas"s
to God's truth.
Abortion. Most Christians will agree that murder is a
sin. We're told as much in the commandments that God gave to Moses. It
doesn't say that it's only murder if the entity exists outside of the
mother's womb. How do you define murder? If it's a sin to murder a person,
regardless of age or stage of development, it's a sin to endorse abortions.
You can't have it both ways. Many people will firmly state that they don't
think abortion is right, that it's a sin, yet in the same breath they
support the "pro-choice" stance. They're being tolerant of the woman's
beliefs. If you accept this view, look up the meaning of "hypocrite". If
you're truly a Christian, you can't stand by and let millions of unborn
children be slaughtered.
Homosexuality. This is one of those topics that most people choose to
completely ignore. Those who choose to think about it and study the behavior
claim that homosexuality isn't a learned behavior or a choice of lifestyle.
I invite you to read what God's word has to say about this. The clear
message can be found in Romans, chapter 1, verses 18 to 32. Again, I believe
it's the right of every individual to live as they see fit. Christians don't
have to accept homosexual behavior just to be tolerant. The behavior is
unacceptable to God and should be unacceptable to his followers. I'm not
advocating killing these people or even causing them any type of bodily
harm. We do have the right to inform others that we're not going to tolerate
the behavior, especially when it invades our personal space (our homes, our
personal businesses, or our churches).
If you feel I've been intolerant to the beliefs of
others, that's your opinion. You also have the option of not visiting my
site in the future and telling your family and friends to stay away. You can
tell me to remove your graphics and links, leave nasty messages in my
guestbook, and pray for my eternal soul. But, as a Christian, I stand firm
in my faith and God's word. Tolerance will not hinder my mission. God's
truth will never be silenced!
