Tolerance

While looking through some news sites recently, I came across one of the major things that I disliked about Americans and that's how illogically ignorant they are. Most depend on their interpretation of God as non-existent because they don't understand His plans and methods of letting things happen. Therefore, they lean on their own understanding of God (see Prov. 3:5) and dub it contradictory to the Bible (which they haven't studied either) and come to the conclusion that God doesn't exist.

But through the past, the issue of tolerance is something Christians do not possess, especially towards homosexuals. I respectfully disagree with this statement; but of course, being a Christian I would naturally argue against that. So let me try to back it up.

Tolerance (n) - the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with. One example off the top of my head is the hot summer days. I hate being hot, I hate sweating, and I hate the humidity most of all that makes me feel like I'm suffocating. I rather be cold than hot since I can warm up a lot faster than I can cool down. However, I can't help that it's hot in the summer, so I need to tolerate it by wearing less clothes.

"Well that definition just shows that Christians have no tolerance at all for gays". Not really... There is one church I can think of (and a few ones that names escape me right now) that are intolerant towards gays and that's Westboro. Westboro is famous with websites such as God Hates Fags, quotes such as "You're a sinner and you're going to hell."

But the reason why they get so much attention is because they are a negative source that the media loves to leech off. These "Christians" are also lawyers (I won't make the typical Christian lawyer joke) that have a lot of power and money and misuse it. They use that power and money and worm their way through the legal systems and do these rallies to promote hate. It naturally gets media attention and also provokes the victims. If the victims lay a hand on them, they get sued, which involves more money which gives them more opportunities to rally. A really devious plan indeed.

However, Westboro doesn't and shouldn't represent all Christians. Nor should they even be used as an example of Christians. If you look at some interviews questioning their actions, they anger quickly, tempers start to explode over the smallest, most trivial questions that even I can answer with ease, and they start cursing. Doesn't look like a typical Christian to me.

But most of your churches don't allow gays to have leadership over the church. Correct, but because they're living in constant sin and don't have the requirements met to lead people. Just like you're not going to hire someone that is physically handicapped to a packing and moving job. Why? Because heavy lifting is a requirement, and if the person is missing an arm or a leg, then it'd be awfully hard to lift lacking the physical ability to do so. So when a homosexual is teaching, what happens when he stumbles across Romans 1:18? So by allowing someone that to have leadership or even for a churchgoer to continuing living in a life of sin is a very unintelligent move. James 2:10-11 says that all sins are equal, so that means having a homosexual in a leadership position is the exact same thing like having a child molester or a current serial killer lead. Same goes with churchgoers, but those are easier to deal with because they don't hold a high position so they should be loved on like everyone else in church, if they don't agree... well.. just follow the steps of conflict between people.

I'll admit church members do not like homosexuality nor support it, but the ones that live an effective Christian life will not condemn you for it. If you tell them you're gay, one shouldn't immediately shout and preach at you, but should still love you for who you are. It's in the Bible, yet we do not condemn them for it. I have a few on facebook, but I do not provoke them in writing statues aimed towards them. That would be intolerant because I'm aiming my insults towards you. If I try to show you the Truth through love and not through condemnation, that's tolerance, because I'm treating you like anybody else and if you look at the definition above, I'm currently allowing your behavior to exist. That's being tolerant (plus living out Jesus' example of unconditional love)

Lastly, the intolerant people are the very people that claim Christians are intolerance. This next part is a little difficult to follow since it seems to go around in circles. But the intolerant people are clearly hating on Christians, not because of their love of God, but because of the lifestyle we live. Lifestyle. Yes, the same word we use for homosexuals behavior... their lifestyles. The people that claim we're intolerant and hates our lifestyle are NOW, by definition, intolerant. Yes, amazing how hypocrisy works. One of the jokers in my college class claims that he hates Christians and yet pride himself as the most tolerant person when it comes to accepting others. Hilarious

Yet this is what's becoming of the world. More and more Christians are being oppressed while pro-gay speeches and even most of anything that represents what people think of as anti-Christian is being praised. Yet this is the definition of tolerance. For Christians to be oppressed more and more and worldly ideas and the so-called Social Justice to be promoted is to be called tolerant.

I would also like to add about people denying God on top of hatred of Christians. But I don't think it really fits since it's just an empty insult to provoke Christians. Some may have basis, but others don't and just say it to provoke or otherwise discredit that there is one so they don't have to answer to what their conscience consider is wrong.

There isn't much to add, since we can't drop this image overnight. Westboro has unfortunately become the face of Christianity due to them having the word Baptist Church in their name and the media doing so much coverage of them. The only thing we can do is to prove them wrong by loving others unconditionally, just like Jesus done

PS. The rainbow flag used to be a flag for intolerance not for gays. (but it is currently now for gays)... So in ending, this is now a bit invalid after what's all said and done.

Till Next Time!

EDIT: I was doing quiet time today and it occurred to me that I don't think I made this clear. Should we tolerate sin? No, but we should tolerate the sinner. Hate the sin not the sinner is what I'm getting at. Sorry if I didn't make it clear.