Tolerance does not mean Agreement

[memoriesbymichelle]

Tolerance does not mean agreement. You get this all the time in the polical arena libs want us to be more tolerant, but they won't tolerate our beliefs.

Just because we have decided, for whatever reason, that we know about someone's "sin" and we let it go or "tolerate" it, does not mean we agree with it at all.

Why is that hard for some to understand?

 

[dayhiker]

Michelle .... one wonders ....
I spent the weekend with a community that for the most part isn't Christian. I got to share my faith in Jesus with several people there. It was interesting that I was accepted. None indicated they were interested accepting Jesus ... it is amazing what they have learned about love tho.

 

[AvilaSurfer]

Tolerance does not mean agreement. You get this all the time in the polical arena libs want us to be more tolerant, but they won't tolerate our beliefs.

Just because we have decided, for whatever reason, that we know about someone's "sin" and we let it go or "tolerate" it, does not mean we agree with it at all.

Why is that hard for some to understand?

Well said.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

How can we change the mindset of people that think tolerance means we accept and support their view?

 

[dayhiker]

I can't say I worry to much about what others think about my expression of tolerance. If I'm around a person long enough I express why I do what I do. Its their responsibility to treat others with love, I will of course support anyone who wants to change.

 

[iambren]

First,I think it re4flects the spirit of our age that anything goes under the banner of "tolerance". It's not as easy to be the party-pooper,cut across the grain to be a truth-teller.

Second, the folks that yakkety-yak about tolerance are simply lazy thinkers at best,deceivers at worse. Every thinking person realizes that tolerance is a double edge sword.

Third,as Christians we must realize and own the gospel from God who is extremely intolerant. If one wants to sin with tolerance they are free UNTIL the day they must meet a judging God. Then they'll see REAL intolerance.

Further note: What worries me is when I see church leaders blending with the worldly stars. The world would not be too chummy if we proclaim the whole gospel that includes a wrathful God.

 

[dayhiker]

The problem as I see it with the goodness and the wrath of God is that preachers that irritate most of us, OK lets say me, don't preach it in a way that is realistic. I know people that have a great desire to love people and are loving people in an amazing way. They are blind to the evil in people. So when they hear preaching that God is about to pour out wrath on everyone who isn't a Christian they know that is false. Well, of course it is false that preaching has proved to be false for decades now. People who didn't accept Christ didn't have the wrath of God poured on them, they lived their life as what every type people they were and died a natural death. Then they faced the music just like we all will have to give an answer.
Those that preach wrath have a good point when they talk about we need to answer for for our life. But most of what we face isn't the wrath of God but just reaping what we have sown. A few people get do tangled up in sin that Satan is able enter them an really confuse and play havoc in their life. But I see very little of God's wrath on people. I think many one person, show was in my house and had the gospel preached to him rejected it and walked out and 3 blocks later was hit by a car and died. He was reaping the alcohol he drank. Satan had him very messed up in the way he thought about everything. So God may not have even been involved in his life. But those of us who ministered to did have a feeling it might have been God.
Well, all that to say preaching God's wrath misses the mark so often that I just don't even listen to it now. But there will be a day when that style of preaching will be urgent and then we should preach.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

I agree dayhiker. What I hate to see is when people want to portray God as this Mean Taskmaster that just can't wait to punish us! I happen to think God is VERY tolerant. He has been tolerating the Jews for thousands of years and has been very patient with them. He will not be mocked, that's for sure, and if you are trying to dupe people regarding God I would hate to be you, but His wrath, IMO, is for the evil people. I think a lot of people will come to Christ in the last days, but a lot are going to fall away too.

It just aggravates me when people want you to accept THEIR view or their lifestyle, but then bash you because you want to live as a Christian. It's truly mind boggling. Just like whenever someone says they don't like Obama, some liberal is right there to call them a racist. I don't like Obama but I love black people. I don't dislike Obama as a person, I dislike him as a President and even that is different than just disliking him. I don't like how he operates and I don't like the policies and beliefs he tries to instill in us but it has absolutely NOTHING to do with the color of his skin.

Tolerance to me is agreeing to disagree with respect.

 

[bobross]

Tolerance to me is agreeing to disagree with respect.

That's it right there.

 

[Chad Farwell]

tolerance is tolerance of tolerance (kind of fire with fire)

 

[Soyeong]

Tolerance is being egalitarian towards people elitist towards ideas, not the other way around.

 

[MorkandMindy]

How can we change the mindset of people that think tolerance means we accept and support their view?

Perhaps an analogy might be that I have many books I allow in my collection, some of which I disagree with in part and a few almost entirely.

Tolerance is being egalitarian towards people elitist towards ideas, not the other way around.

Certainly tolerant of people, it is surprising how much many people do change over time, usually becoming less arrogant and more open.

As for ideas, I think each has to be given a fair trial. I'm surprised how often an idea that sounds stupid turns out to be a good candidate explanation for something.