Tolerance: the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with ~Oxford dictionary
This word people on the left like to throw around when Bible believers point out what Jehova has said in His word. They use it as a bludgeon to try and beat down what God has said. Those who use the word do not practice what it says as they don't put up with dissent or allow other opinions and behaviors they do not agree with. It is a hypocritical double standard.
One of the arguments they use is that Christianity teaches tolerance; that Jesus himself does so. Is this true? Does God tolerate sin? Let us take a look.
The bible quotes Jesus, John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Is this a tolerant saying? Is Jesus here allowing for any other belief, or opinion on how to get to the Father? I think not.
When Jesus confronts the pharisees, is he tolerant of their actions? Mathew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Seems to me that Jesus, by action, thought, or word lays it out that He expects that there is only one way and that no other way is tolerable. We cannot get to heaven through Mohamed, Buddha, our own good deeds, or any other way. The ONLY way that we can be saved from our sins is through Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
The other argument that those on the left give in response to this is that Christianity is hate because it does not allow for other views. The odd part about that argument is that the left itself does not tolerate Christian views. Christianity is barred from being taught in schools. Its symbols are barred from public display. It's practices are being increasingly criminalized. Again the left hypocritically does not practice what they preach. What the left calls hate, is actually what the Bible calls love.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
The same Chapter goes on to explain why so many reject Jesus as a symbol and embodiment of love and acceptance.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
For a variety of reasons, people reject the notion that, Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; They do not want to recognize that what they do is sin, therefore they hate the light. Yet, somehow, they want to turn that around to say that Christianity is hate when the exact opposite is true. Jesus came to give us all life, and life eternal, but what they can't deal with is having to do it Gods way.
We as believer try to tell people what is going to happen for their rejection and we are called the haters. How can we hate someone that we care for so much that we are willing to share with them the way to avoid eternal punishment? How can it be hate to want what is good for others? The bible describes this too. Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! They reverse the order.
So the questionis, is God tolerant? No. God will not accept evil. God will not accept sin.
Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
But that does not mean he hates people. He loves them enough to give them a way of forgiveness. He loves them enough to send his followers out to tell them the good news. Yet these same folks who claim to be so tolerant can't stand this notion and do everything in their power to stamp it out so they can continue to live a sinful lifestyle apart from God.
Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
As much as people like to complicate things, a simple line really says it all. Matthew 12:30
He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
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