Burning Quest - Part 22

It really grates on the nerves to hear folks say,  "Oh you are so intolerant!" or "What a bigot!" when others make certain statements that goes against what they themselves believe.  Just think of all the suppression of not being allowed to greet those you meet in public with,  "Merry Christmas!"   Praise God there is someone like President Donald Trump of the USA with courage to stand up and make a difference.

I do have to agree with Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda to a certain extent.  Sri Dhammanana, author of What Buddhists Believe, rightly admonishes those of other faiths, as well as of his own, that they are all very intolerant nowadays.  If only we would practice what our 'creed' exhorts, there would be peace and harmony instead of all the ongoing bickering, fighting and wars (Page 228).

Sri Dhammananda states,

"The intolerance that is practiced in the name of religion is most disgraceful and deplorable" (Page 228).

From the Christian perspective, how many of us followers of Jesus Christ actually knuckle down and live "The Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5:3-12).  Perhaps to varying degrees.  Of course when we attempt this type of living under our own steam there will not be much success.  This may be where the intolerant accusation would hit a raw nerve.

However when a follower of Jesus Christ walks in step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26) he or she will be living to please God.  We will be blessed peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).

Colossians 3:12-17 are excellent verses to live by especially when we put them into our lifestyle practice and...

 "clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (vs 12).

And then when we...

"...bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances we may have against one another..." (vs 13)

we do a lot for being tolerant.

The overcoat virtue is...

"...love which binds [all the above] together in unity" (v14).

There is to be a 'ruler' and that is...

"...the peace of Christ" (v 15).  

We are to...

"...let the peace of Christ rule [our] hearts..." (v 15). 

We do all the above in the...

 "...name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (v 17).

The New Testament is chock full of these ways of Christian living.  Those that instruct us towards "tolerance" are such as:

"Bear with one another and forgive" (Colossians 3:13); "bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2); encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:15); "be at peace with one another (Mark 9:50); "Be of the same mind with one another (Romans 12:6; 15:5); "tolerate one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2) and many more.

Here's a Google definition of 'tolerant':

1. " Showing willingness to allow the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.

2.  Able to endure (as in plants withstanding harsh weather conditions, etc)."

Granted, we followers of Jesus are also told to be salt and light in this world (Matthew 5:13-16).  If we are truly living according to the peacekeeping ways, forgiving others, etc, we will be 'showing willingness to hear others opinions" and withstand others's behavior.  The more we do this the more "light" we will shed in ever increasing radius like a lighthouse beacon.

The light shows up the rocks, guiding the ships to safety.  Salt in a wound, stings but heals.  Salt in food enhances flavor and preserves food.  What the cruncher is, in being salt and light to the world, how does "tolerance" fit in?

To get a clearer picture of what type of "tolerance" we are and are not talking about:  there's "traditional" tolerance and shall we say, "new definition tolerance".  These distinctions I've gleaned from the  radio broadcast by Dr. James Dobson and son Ryan with their guest speaker, an apologist, Josh McDowell who gives a very strong message on the topic.  Click the link:  tolerance vs the intolerable.*


Basically, the "traditional" meaning is as above mentioned by Google, recognizing and respecting others beliefs but not necessarily agreeing with them.  Nowadays this is labelled "negative" tolerance" by those of the new definition, which they term "positive tolerance".

This "positive" tolerance, according to what Josh McDowell reported, is what today's generation of children has been taught and imbibed.  This is that...

"every single individual's beliefs, values, lifestyles and truth claims, all are equal, there is no truth greater than another"; "NO hierarchy"

 of these so-called 'truths'.

Those of the 'positive' tolerant's camp call those 'negative' ones "bigots".  They want the negative tolerant people to give "permission and praise from society to live in peace".    "Tolerate us!" they demand.  If the traditionalists do not, then they are further labeled, "intolerant".

McDowell went on to say these 'new generation tolerant people' give "permission to be tolerant of the tolerant but not to be tolerant of the intolerant, therefore they would not be so very tolerant after all which in turn, would they also not be "bigots"?

Dr. James Dobson said,

"'Tolerance' seems to apply to everyone except those who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ."

If we Christians are to be salt and light in this world, we would be lumped in with the negative intolerant bigot group.   If we  believe God's Word, the Holy Bible, to  be God's standard for living, that God Himself is our "basis of truth", our morality standard; then all we do and say needs alignment to Him and His Word.  Our daily living needs to reflect our Heavenly Father's standards.  He made us.  He knows what is good for us.

So do we go bashing people over the head with all this?  Do you recall in the previous Burning Quest - Part 21, about the Hindu guru who became a follower of Jesus Christ?  Did you note his meekness?  He could have eaten beef and said that his family and friends were intolerant of him.  He chose though to not let any beef pass his lips.  

There was balance and compassion, love and respect of his family and friends.  He wanted to maintain a good relationship with them.  He also, of course, wanted to be able to share Christ with them.  If he had been so intolerant of their ways, so uncaring, he would have heartrendingly alienated them all with absolutely no chance in a thousand of being salt or light in their lives.  He definitely would not have gotten a chance to win many to Christ.

I like the injunction of Romans 14:21 ESV...

"It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble..."

To be salt and light in this world is good but to force a way of life upon someone else is not Christ-like.  Those of us who belong to Christ need to keep this in mind even as we live as a beacon for Christ.   

Yet in the case of those who should know better due to a heritage such as the Americans have with their founding fathers who based their constitution of freedoms on God's Word, those may need blunt confronting such as mentioned in the opening paragraph  example of President Trump and Christmas.    

Outsiders looking in at our life may indeed find our salt and light living an offense as Sri Dhammananda suggests.  We do not compromise our God-given standards but we do not force them on others.  When we have opportunity to speak up for God and His standards when folks ask, have courage and endurance, despite opposition, to do so with humility, gentleness, compassion, kindness and patience lavishly gilded with God's love.  

The 'positives' may never hear from anyone else.

                                                         ~ERC  May 2018~

Note:

*There is a second broadcast of the same title, a part 2 of the broadcast.

For further insight please read 1 Corinthians 8:1-12; Galatians 2:11-21.