The most tolerant person I know!

Tolerance seems to be the major theme of conversation in our world today.  But as discussed in my last post, tolerance is not the goal of this discussion.  At the heart of the tolerance discussion is the idea of pluralism.  So let me talk about true tolerance.  Tolerance is not the idea of accepting other believes as true but allowing each person to have their own beliefs.  True tolerance values the opinions of others because of the value of the individual.  Their opinion can be right or wrong, but their value is unmeasurable.  Tolerance says, "I value you enough to allow you to have you own opinion."  At the same time tolerance does not mean that I will never challenge ones wrong beliefs.

Okay...I have rambled on enough.  Let me illustrate this by telling you who is the most tolerant person I know!  It's God!  Think about this, isn't free will...tolerance!  You have the right to make right and wrong decisions.  But just because you have that right (tolerance) does not mean that God wants you to continue to make poor decisions.

In fact, you have the right (tolerance) to continue to live a life apart from God.  But aren't you glad Jesus did not set back and say, "They has the right to live that way, and we must accept their reality as true (pluralism).  Yes, Jesus allows people to live lives apart from him. But he is unwilling to allow them to continue with out the opportunity to know the truth.

Our world says that "forcing" your version of truth on someone is intolerent! But I contend that speaking the truth is not a sign of intolerance, in fact, it is a sign of tolerance and compassion. What about those who do not beleive the truth. Well, God has some tolerant words for them. 1 Corinthians 14:38 - But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.