The New Tolerance

Have you ever been faced with the challenge of keeping your cool? Something or someone just pushed you too far and you had to choose how to respond? I have had that situation happen all too often.

Buttons are pushed, words are said, and regret will inevitably creep in. We could just walk away. We should just keep our cool. Instead we become very angry and lash out. We yell. We stew. We get even. We "teach them a lesson".

How should we respond? We should respond in patience and in love. We should respond with tolerance.

Not long ago, the word 'tolerance' meant 'bearing or putting up with someone or something not especially liked'. However, now the word has been redefined to 'all values, all beliefs, all lifestyles, all truth claims are equal'. Denying this makes a person 'intolerant', and thus worthy of contempt.

Tolerance and political correctness have become very well known in American society today. Children and adults alike are taught that we need to be open to almost everything; anything other than complete acceptance would be “close-minded” or “intolerant”. I would like to touch on all of these subjects in regards to tolerance, religious freedoms and our response as Christians.

The new definition of 'tolerance' makes the Christian’s claim that Jesus is the “only way to Heaven” seem 'intolerant', which allegedly justifies much of the anti-Christianity in the media and the education system.

But this argument is clearly illogical and self-refuting. That is, if these 'tolerance' advocates reject Christianity, then they are not treating this belief as 'equal'.