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| What Tolerance? |
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Our society loves to talk about tolerance. They say: There is no one right idealogy. Everyone is correct, as long as they are living "their truth". No one has the right to say that anything is right or wrong about anything. Generally speaking, these mantra's are directed at Christians. We are expected to be tolerant.
I remember a time several years back where I listened in horror to a Muslim refugee from Algeria tell her horrendous tale of living under radical Islam. (No I am not saying that all of Islam is violent and murderous,just to be clear!!) I was so appalled at her experience and I shared it with a friend, who was a self-professed feminist. I very clearly explained the facts about what happened to this woman, the facts of the religious beliefs and how awful the situation was. I was amazed that my frield, so sold out to the feminist point of view, in the same breath preached at me how I needed to be tolerant. If that is tolerance, I want no part in it.
So now, I ask a simple question. Where is our tolerance? Who is saying, we need to tolerate the Christian point of view? No one.
Here's the truth....there is no tolerance in the eyes of Christ. Jesus says:
11:23 He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
Either we accept Christ or we don't. Its that simple. There is no in between with the Lord.
So I say to our godless society, tolerate this:
Either Jesus is who is said He was or He is a lunatic.
If He is a lunatic, we are all still dead in our sins
I choose to believe that Jesus demonstrated that He is God by his virgin birth, living a sinless life, coming as a man, both totally God and totally man, was convicted on bogus charges, was crucified on a bloody cross so I that I could have eternal life. He died, was buried in a closed tomb and rose again three days later to join His father in heaven. He promises that He will come again for His church and rapture her to spend eternity with Him.
He is who He said He is
He will do what He said
He is God
I am not
He makes the rules
This is His world, not my own
The least I can do is obey his commandments, love Him, love my neighbor, and tell the world about Jesus.
Its that simple
Either you believe it, or you don't
I would rather spend my entire life believing that there is a God and find out that I was wrong, rather that to spend my entire life believing that there is no God and find out that there is. |
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| To add a comment to "What Tolerance?" |
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| October 17, 2007 |
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| Thanks, Soldier. This whole thing of tolerance is so intolerable to me that I refuse to tolerate it!! I hope that makes sense! People who are saying that you need to be tolerant are really just saying that they disregard your beliefs/point of view and basically just want you to pipe down so they don't get further offended. But, we know, that the truth is offensive. Sometimes I think that being offended is actually ok. It shows that a chord was struck. Anyway, thanks for your great comment and of course for a star!! |
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| October 18, 2007 |
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Great blog Tracy, again... (I could get used to saying that!) That's a pretty good creed you posted too. The truth is, Christianity gets a bad rap. We are seen as intolerant, the only religion that claims exclusivity. But THIS IS FALSE!! Every major religion claims exclusivity and is therefore intolerant of assertions of "truth" by other religions. Muslims claim theological exclusivity, radically so in fact. Hindus are uncompromising on the authority and exclusivity of their scriptures, among other things. Buddhists are intolerant of certain Hindu beliefs, having originally sprung from Hinduism itself. Even atheists are intolerant, just try to tell them that God exists! (I was just reading Ravi Zacharias' interview in Lee Strobel's The Case for Faith last night, and he discussed this very thing!)
Soldier is right, we need to act in a loving, accepting, and yes tolerant, way towards people, though not giving the impression that we approve of all the things they do. This can be difficult! May the Holy Spirit guide us and give us wisdom! ~mike |
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| October 18, 2007 |
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I'm with you, Tracy! I could've written your final paragraph verbatim! :-) It's what I believe, it's what I know, and others are free to choose whether or not they'll believe it. My part is to love them and share this great message. What they do with it is between them and the Holy Spirit. God's ways are not man's ways. Just like you said, He makes the rules and all I'm called to is obedience. I don't have to understand everything before I obey, nor do I have to have all the answers about Christianity for someone who has difficult questions. (I'm not talking about basic gospel here.) I just need to point 'em to Christ! |
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| October 18, 2007 |
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| Soldier, I essentially said the same thing as you: love the sinner (do not endorse the sin). |
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| October 18, 2007 |
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| I am 100% with you!!! Working in Washington, DC I have to deal with that mentality all the time, but I do not move from where I stand. Like I learned in church "Standing in the Word of God" ;-) |
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| October 18, 2007 |
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I took a bible study class where we used Beth Moore's writings and videos, and this particular study said this...God Is Who He Says He Is. God Can Do What He Says He Can Do. I Am Who God Says I Am. I Can Do All Things Through Christ. God's Word Is Alive and Active In Me. I'm Believing God. I have this memorized, and I try to say it every now and then. I choose to believe. Great blog. |
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| October 18, 2007 |
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I have a saying that is added to the end of my regular email account:
"In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity" -- Peter Meiderlin (c 1627)
Tolerance has a place in the latter two only.
Thanks Tracy. |
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| May 11, 2008 |
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3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ: 3:19 Whose end [is] destruction, whose God [is their] belly, and [whose] glory [is] in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
19:2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore [is] wrath upon thee from before the LORD.
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