"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.
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Now that is ammunition for me when I get to tell some friends about how the Bible never changes in any part but all verses agree with the other in implication, indication, demonstration, and application.
ReplyDeletePeople complain that Christians (and by inference, Christianity) is intolerant. They are correct. However they misunderstand what is not tolerated. They are calling Christianity intolerant of people who fail to match up to the standards. This is incorrect. God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to die for those who fail to meet the mark. And that is all of us! Christianity includes all who will come. There is no need to change before accepting Jesus. And once you do truly accept His grace, this same grace will draw you to live in accord with His will, which is contained in the Bible.
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