Tough Questions & Biblical Answers: Total Tolerance
A buzzword in today’s culture is “tolerance.” The Bible endorses the idea of tolerance; as a matter of fact, God’s Word demands that Christians be more than tolerant. As followers of Jesus, we must love all people. We are commanded to forgive those who wrong us. We are directed to show mercy and grace to all. Understanding this, one would think that the modern “tolerance” movement would embrace and applaud Christianity. Sadly, such is not the case. Today’s “cultural tolerance” movement has its roots in 19th and 20th century philosophy which says that nothing is absolute. This philosophy asserts that there are no absolute truths - Who is to say what is right or wrong? One religion (and its beliefs) is no better than the next one. It is in this area that Christianity and “total tolerance” do battle. The Christian faith asserts that there is one true God. This God has revealed Himself through the Bible, and the Bible has clearly defined truth and what is an acceptable lifestyle as well.
British author Dorothy Sayers commented on this conflict between Bible truth and “total tolerance” in the following statement: “In this world, there is a view called Total Tolerance, but in Hell, it is called despair. It is the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, enjoys nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing.” We live in a world that wants to dilute the concept of truth. Our current culture naively asserts that every thought, every opinion, every desire must be true and valid. This is the thinking that loudly shouts: Everything must be tolerated and even applauded. To suggest that a lifestyle or an opinion is false, results in one being labeled as phobic and intolerant.
I find it interesting that so many people profess a love for Jesus and yet have a disdain for Christianity. Many maintain that they respect Jesus and what He stood for, yet they are quite ignorant regarding His actual words and teachings. People point to the fact that Jesus loved sinners. They applaud that Jesus helped the hurting. They love that Jesus came to assist the hopeless. While all these assertions are true and are reasons for real celebration, Jesus was not loved by all in His day. Jesus was very clear that the God of the Bible is the only true God. Jesus maintained that Hell is a real place and that the unrighteous will end up there. Jesus was unyielding (dare we say, intolerant) in His assertion that the only way to get to Heaven is through our submission to Him and His teachings.
The truth of the matter is that today’s “tolerance culture” promises peace and hope yet fails to deliver either. In our “do whatever pleases you” world, people are more displeased than ever. In our “I want absolute freedom” society, people are more enslaved than ever. In our “I need more and more stuff to be happy” world, people are more emotionally and spiritually bankrupt than ever. Perhaps we need to look to God and find refuge in His direction. Maybe we need to admit we are weak and broken so we can find restoration in God’s healing love and mercy. Great strength is found in Jesus. Peace-giving purpose is discovered when we turn our lives over to God. To the weak and struggling Jesus has offered a simple solution: “Come to me and you will find rest.” Keep looking up!