The Truth About Tolerance
“Tolerance is a virtue for a man with no convictions”
In this new progressive age in which we are living we are constantly lectured to by our leftist friends about the need for showing tolerance within our society today. Tolerance is preached from all levels of government, schools, social organizations, charities, and even some churches. If you watch very much TV at all it is a good bet that you will see a commercial stressing the need that we all tolerate one another.
Tolerance on its face sounds like a good idea, but unfortunately rather than improving society through our more tolerant actions we are witnessing the fall of our society. We seem to be excusing actions and behaviors that used to be considered harmful, wrong, or sinful as just being part of normal everyday life.
Society has made it clear that calling an act “sinful” is not tolerant. Expressing biblical principals is now labeled “hate speech” while murdering babies is hailed as an act of freedom. Promoting the gay marriage agenda has become a celebration.
Tolerance is being elevated today as a virtue, or so it would seem.
Accepting every belief as equally valid is hardly a real virtue at all. Tolerance as it is preached today has had a disastrous effect on real virtue in our society. In this age of tolerance, what was once forbidden is now encouraged. What was once universally deemed immoral is now celebrated. Marital infidelity and divorce have been normalized. Profanity is commonplace. Abortion, homosexuality, and moral perversions of all kinds are championed by large advocacy groups and enthusiastically promoted by the popular media.
One major exception to the rule that stands out starkly is it is OK for those who preach tolerance to be intolerant of those who claim to know the truth, particularly biblical Christians. In fact, those who fancy themselves the leading advocates of tolerance today are often the most outspoken opponents of evangelical Christianity.
Look on the Web, for example, and see what is being said by the self styled champions of "religious tolerance." What you'll find is a great deal of intolerance for Bible based Christianity. In fact, some of the most bitterly anti-Christian material on the World Wide Web can be found at sites supposedly promoting religious tolerance.
One way to prove how intolerant the tolerant are is to just simply disagree with them and watch them go into a rage and start calling you names, and telling you how intolerant you are.
Often times our tolerant friends will show contempt or disdain, certainly not tolerance, towards those of us who are conservatives if we dare offer a contrary viewpoint on things like global warming, gays in the military, or any LGBT issue, abortion, Christianity, radical Islam.They have no tolerance for those who would have a differing opinion. They are the moral, enlightened and tolerant ones, you see.
So what then is the point of progressives espousing the need for all to be tolerant, even though they do not always practice what they are preaching? Is it possible that there is more behind this call for tolerance than simply a misguided attempt to get everyone to simply get along? I believe there is. These who are always spouting tolerance are seeking to create a society a tolerant society that is in lock step with their political or world views and anyone who disagrees will be labeled intolerant. In other words they do have an agenda.
This peer pressure type of tolerance is seemingly being used more often as a form of control and censorship by the left in order to normalize what used to be unacceptable behaviors. The battle cry of “tolerance” thus becomes just another Saul Alinsky type of tool used to silence the timid conservative into accepting what our western culture used to define as wrong, immoral, and in many cases just plain evil.
I believe that we should indeed strive to get along and love one another as we love ourselves, because all of us are indeed sinners. That said, when tolerance becomes a code word for silencing those from speaking out against what they believe to be wrong simply to get along, our society will continue to fall in the wrong direction.
C.S. Lewis famously said: “I want God, not my idea of God.” We can’t ignore what God says in His word in favor of a more seeker-friendly message. To do so would be to decide that popularity is more important than substance.
The truth is, Jesus is popular; but His teachings are not. People will like a picture of Jesus on Facebook but if you post a quote of John 3:19, many will keep scrolling. The masses generally like the idea of a loving God, but reject the thought of a just God. Some have the view that ‘God is great until He starts telling me what I can and can’t do’. The hard truth is that every action has consequences. And no amount of pseudo “tolerance” will change that.
The church was never meant to be all-inclusive.
12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
1 Cor 5:12-13 (KJV)
The church was established for the fellowship of believers. And anyone who lives contrary to what the Bible teaches reveals their unbelief. If you do not believe what God says about sin, you do not have saving faith.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
John 3:18-21 (KJV)
Tolerance does not mean ignoring hell and judgment.
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
2 Thess 1:8-9 (KJV)
If we fail to warn people of the spiritual consequences of their decisions, we have failed. The church should be speaking the truth in love. No one likes the idea of Hell and judgment; but they are realities that should not be swept under the rug.
There are popular preachers who avoid sin, Hell and judgment in favor of health, wealth and prosperity. By creating a spiritual fantasy, they do not benefit anyone. All the while they draw massive crowds of people because they preach tolerance.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2 Tim 4:3-4 (KJV)
When we as Christians become tolerant simply to get along we become tasteless salt and a diminishing light in the world. Our lack of motivation to restrain evil causes us to accept anything and it will only be a short time before society crumbles under the weight of its own sin.
If we continue to allow the progressives on the left to dictate how we are to live and silence our voices, then we are allowing the devil to use the tool of tolerance to destroy the greatest nation the world has ever known.
