BEING TOLERANT

Being tolerant is no longer a subjective practice. It is now an objective practice because rather than being tolerant by choice; we must now be tolerant by law. The on line dictionary says that to be tolerant is “showing willingness to allow the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.” But law and cultural practices seem to demand tolerance where our conscience may be telling us we must not obey and follow along with our social norms when in fact we not only do not agree but are adamantly opposed and offended by this kind of tolerance. One can hardly “allow the existence of opinions and behaviors” that are openly sinful and destructive to our social structures and faith in the name of tolerance.

“What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.” (John Wesley 1703-1791)

In the Book of the Acts of the Apostles we read: “the high priest questioned them, (Peter and the other apostles) saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name (Jesus), yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” Jesus