Tolerance
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Tolerance is: “The ability or willingness to allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of something that one does not necessarily like or agree with without interference. To accept or endure with forbearance.”
Our world is continually demanding more and more tolerance. Tolerance in and of itself can be a very good thing. As Christians, we are taught to be tolerant. In Romans 10:12 Paul says, “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” Paul is teaching the Christians at Rome to be tolerant of people who are of other nationalities. At this point in history, the Jews typically despised and hated the Greeks and wanted nothing to do with them. However Paul taught that all nationalities are equal in Christ. In Christ we are to be tolerant regardless of race, riches, social status or gender. We are all one in Christ.
Yet tolerance for some things is not good. Many times over in the Bible murder is condemned and was not to be tolerated. Murder is wrong. Murder is wrongly taking the life of another person. There are many concepts that are not tolerated in our society as well. Our society does not tolerate (and shouldn’t) the molestation of children, rape, or slavery. Almost all in society will quickly stand up, condemn, and punish all who participate in any of these un-tolerated actions. So even in a society that screams and begs for all to be “tolerant”, that same society is still not tolerant of many things.
So what it comes down to is that society has decided what should be tolerated and what should not. Anyone who teaches against or condemns something that society has determined as right is then deemed intolerant. The question then must be raised: Is it up to society to determine what should and what should not be tolerated? Rome tolerated the killing of Christians. Egypt tolerated killing of all males under 2 years of age. Other societies still in existence today view wives as property and treat them as such. We go down a dangerous road when we allow society to determine what should and what should not be tolerated.
The reality is, God has already determined right and wrong and His standards of morality are eternal and unchanging. Societies will come and go and change in their moral standings, yet God’s standards stay the same. God’s standards of morality are truth and right. God’s standards of morality cannot be compromised because He is the creator. Therefore we must be ready and willing to uncompromisingly stand for truth even when society calls our teachings “intolerant”.
When society calls Christianity intolerant, society has ironically become intolerant of truth. It is a sad state of affairs when society will no longer tolerate truth.
