Tolerance

Good morning everyone!

I really shouldn’t be up so early this morning. I quite literally spent all of yesterday finishing a term paper and a take-home final exam (now all I have left is my research paper and then I am done, I was very productive!). But, our wonderful little “fur-ball ‘o’ fun,” or Brandi, as my Dad calls her, relentlessly bit away at my hands and feet and barked loudly in my ears. Oh the joys to having a dog!

Anyway, I have been thinking this week. You know what I have realized? … I realized that “shenanigan” is a rather funny word. Say it with me: [shuh-nan-i-guhn], Shenanigan! lol

Ok, in all seriousness, now. I have really been thinking this week about tolerance and its effect on our spiritual lives. This is going to be rather difficult for me to discuss with much authority, because tolerance is not a spiritual concept, but a political/social one. There aren’t many verses on tolerance in the Bible.

You see, I was walking down the halls at UM (it is great to be a Miami Hurricane!) and a sign caught my attention. It was advertising for a student tolerance group. Essentially, from what I gathered, the group was promoting the tolerance of all societal “sects” in UM. From the Christians, to the Rockers, to the Gays, to the Muslims, to the Atheists, to whomever you wish, this group said that in order to coexist peacefully, we must be willing and able to tolerate and respect each others beliefs. Now, on the outside, this seems like a glorious proposition. Almost utopian, even. Here is the problem:

If we set our minds onto tolerance, two things – in my opinion – will result…

1) The first is its effect on the entire culture. Tolerance will lead to cultural relativism. Of course, we are seeing this now. There is no absolute. If everyone is allowed to have their own beliefs, then there is no ultimate or supreme truth. Everyone believes that what they believe is truth to them. Your truth is your truth and their truth is their truth and they are equally true, even when they apparently negate one another. Oh how dangerous! Like I said, we are seeing this now in our culture. By tolerating each and everyone’s belief, we are subtly accepting this as truth. On a more personal level, I believe that this affect leads to a lack of assertiveness and an inability to properly defend your faith. If everyone is going to have their own beliefs, what is the point of speaking out for your own or knowing why you believe it?

2) The second is tolerance’s effect on the individual. Once we get into the habit of tolerating other people and their opinions, we begin to tolerate other things in our own lives. The most critical area is sin. When we get in the habit of tolerating things we know are wrong, or things we disagree with, we will begin to tolerate those same types of things in our own life (i.e. sin). You let one small, insignificant thing pass by without addressing, and before you know it you are on a slippery slope in rampant sin.

So what’s the solution? We stop tolerating? If only it were that easy. Satan has crafted society so that we seem bigoted and hateful if we cannot learn to tolerate and respect other people/beliefs.

Honestly, I do not know if I have a fail-proof solution to this conundrum. I think we need to learn how to separate the two aspects of toleration and not to allow that in your personal life. Accountability will help with this.

What do you think?

MTI