"Tolerance" is a current cultural catchword by which many religious views and scrutinized, judged and sometimes rejected. There is a logical limit, however, to the entire concept of tolerance.
There is no room for tolerance in a chemical lab. Water is composed of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. No deviation is allowed.
There is no room for tolerance in music. You cannot play a note half a step off key or 3 beats behind time while the rest of the orchestra plays it as it's written. Tolerance is not a virtue when it comes to the written sheet music.
There is no room for tolerance in math class. Topics such as geometry, calculus and trigonometry do no allow for variation from exact accuracy. The solution of a mathematical problem is either right or wrong. How intolerant that sounds!
There is no room for tolerance in sports. I stepped out of bounds just an inch. The baseball went foul just an inch. Come on, quit being so intolerant and bigoted.
There is no room for tolerance in auto mechanics and carpentry and so on. You get the point.
In theology, in life, the same principle applies. Certain realities are just the way it is. To continue hitting your head against a biblical wall with which you disagree does not make the wall fall down. It just hurts your head.
In theology, in life, tolerance is a virtue for sure. It is a virtue with limits.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
What About Hypocrites and Charlatans? #9
I read a letter that someone recently wrote to our local paper complaining about a church she attended and how all that the minister did was beg for money. Because of this experience, she declared that she was not going to church anymore.
Let's assume her assessment was an accurate one and that the minister was off base. We could even further add that there were probably hypocrites, a bunch of them, at that church. Or maybe not, but perhaps you'll see my point in a minute.
A doctor is supposed to take care of my physical needs. Sometimes a doctor is shown to be a thief or a molester or some other type of charlatan. Does that mean you never see another doctor for the rest of your life? You may not visit that doctor, but you know they are not all crooked.
A teacher is supposed to take care of my educational needs. Sometimes a teacher is shown to be a thief or a molester or some other type of charlatan. Does that mean you never see another teacher for the rest of your life? You may not visit that teacher, but you know they are not all crooked.
A lawyer is supposed to take care of my legal needs. You know how the rest of this paragraph would go if I were to continue.
SO, why is it that we act so surprised when a minister is shown to be a bad apple? Why do some folks use that as their reason (i.e., excuse) to stay away from church and from the fellowship of other Christians who are as imperfect as they are? Christians, and other interested onlookers, let's face it - we are imperfect, sometimes even sinful. We are ALL tainted by various levels of hypocrisy. While some may use the existence of hypocritical Christians and hireling pastors as a reason to stay away from church, I see it as all the more reason to go to church and to reach forward for my better self, my godly self.
If you are going to use such logic to stay away from church, I ask you - why don't you be consistent and use the same logic to other related areas of your life? Is it perhaps because such logic is actually flawed?
Let's assume her assessment was an accurate one and that the minister was off base. We could even further add that there were probably hypocrites, a bunch of them, at that church. Or maybe not, but perhaps you'll see my point in a minute.
A doctor is supposed to take care of my physical needs. Sometimes a doctor is shown to be a thief or a molester or some other type of charlatan. Does that mean you never see another doctor for the rest of your life? You may not visit that doctor, but you know they are not all crooked.
A teacher is supposed to take care of my educational needs. Sometimes a teacher is shown to be a thief or a molester or some other type of charlatan. Does that mean you never see another teacher for the rest of your life? You may not visit that teacher, but you know they are not all crooked.
A lawyer is supposed to take care of my legal needs. You know how the rest of this paragraph would go if I were to continue.
SO, why is it that we act so surprised when a minister is shown to be a bad apple? Why do some folks use that as their reason (i.e., excuse) to stay away from church and from the fellowship of other Christians who are as imperfect as they are? Christians, and other interested onlookers, let's face it - we are imperfect, sometimes even sinful. We are ALL tainted by various levels of hypocrisy. While some may use the existence of hypocritical Christians and hireling pastors as a reason to stay away from church, I see it as all the more reason to go to church and to reach forward for my better self, my godly self.
If you are going to use such logic to stay away from church, I ask you - why don't you be consistent and use the same logic to other related areas of your life? Is it perhaps because such logic is actually flawed?
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