Positively Tolerant

     At some time in our fairly recent past if you asked someone for the definition of the word "tolerance" you would have been given a definition that states: the position of recognizing and respecting the beliefs and practices of others without necessarily agreeing or sympathizing with those believes.  "Everyone has a right to his own opinion." You might be surprised that the world in which live now calls this definition "negative tolerance."

     There is now a new definition which the postmodern world calls "positive tolerance".  Positive tolerance says that every single individual's values, lifestyles, beliefs, and claims to truth are equally valid. So, if a person claims that any individual's values or beliefs are superior to another or more correct than another's - that is hierarchy and constitutes bigotry. Thus a bigot is any person who believes in moral hierarchy (that there is a lifestyle, belief, etc. that is greater than another's).

     Under this new "positive tolerance" if say, you or I state that the claims of Christ are superior to those of Mohammed or Buddha -  we are bigoted.  Traditional tolerance was simply the right to hold to one's belief system and practice it while being respected and treated fairly. However, "positive tolerance" demands that I celebrate and approve all belief systems and declare them to be equally as valid as my own.  The most quoted verse from the bible is no longer John 3:16; it is now Matthew 7:1, "Judge not lest ye be judged." Christians are frequently accused of being judgmental the moment they dare to make a moral judgment. (Moral standards are now equated with being judgmental which is equated with being intolerant.)

Under positive tolerance justice is impossible.  In order to establish justice, one must make a moral judgment on right and wrong. But "positive tolerance" does not allow one to make moral judgments. It actually forbids any such thing. The irony here is that the more open-minded one becomes (not making moral judgments), the more close-hearted you become  (don't care about justice for people). The end result of positive tolerance is moral and intellectual intimidation or bullying to get you to no longer hold to moral standards or pursue objective truth.

The sad commentary on all of this is that we are not only seeing the effects of positive tolerance in the world; it is becoming increasingly comfortable within the church as we become less and less protective of the standards of morality and holiness set forth in the Holy Scriptures and more and more tolerant of lifestyles and practices clearly forbidden in the word of God.

I for one, believe that God holds his ministers to a high and holy standard of lifestyle and behavior, that He favors those who do not do violence to the sacred Word of God, and that God still values integrity, discipline, obedience, and holiness among His people. To some within the Body of Christ this is bigotry and judgmental.

I trust you will be "tolerant" of me.