Are You Intolerant

[marksman]

Are you intolerant is the question. The atheist and homosexual regularly level this accusation at us because we disagree with their man made ideas. Their worldview is that everyone is right so you should not critisize others. Of course they have not realised that they believe everyone is right if they agree with what they say. if you don.t you are intolerant.

I would like to thank God that my spiritual journey has included a large variety of expression of the church and their various doctrines because it has developed an enquiring mind in me right down to wanting to know what the scriptures teach as opposed to denominational traditions.

The bible says in Pro 27:17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Disagreement need not mean conflict. It can be useful to develop ones grace. I like a good discussion because it challenges what I believe and confirms what I know or challenges what I know.

We are told that we are being changed from glory to glory so change is here to stay with the believer who wants to mature in their faith. What I believe today may not be what I believe tomorrow. When we mature, challenges are seen as positives, not personal attacks on our integrity.

Christian forums are wonderful places to sharpen our thinking and hone our beliefs. They are valuable as in most churches, you have to accept what is preached with no opportunity to question. Forums are places to develop our tolerance of others who are less mature or do not think the same as we do. Which brings us to the idea some of the writers are not very intolerant of other points of view. When they fail to convince others that they are right and everyone else is wrong, they belittle and descend into sarcasm.

I have noticed that some people repel all boarders with no visible evidence from scripture to back them up. Because there are 35,000 denominations it is inevitable that we are not all one in Christ, sad to say so variation in belief is inevitable.

We can either make it an opportunity to dialogue and learn or a contest to prove that we are right and they are wrong. It all depends if we are tolerant or not. Personally, I don't mind being challenged on what I believe as long as the challenge is supported by scripture, which is not always the case. Very often it is my church does this so it must be right meaning that my church is the standard for all others.

The bottom line is that people will know we are dsciples of Christ by our love for one another but it seems that denominations make it a contest of doctrine as the deciding factor as to whether we are acceptable or not.

 

[aspen]

Are you intolerant is the question. The atheist and homosexual regularly level this accusation at us because we disagree with their man made ideas. Their worldview is that everyone is right so you should not critisize others. Of course they have not realised that they believe everyone is right if they agree with what they say. if you don.t you are intolerant.

I would like to thank God that my spiritual journey has included a large variety of expression of the church and their various doctrines because it has developed an enquiring mind in me right down to wanting to know what the scriptures teach as opposed to denominational traditions.

The bible says in Pro 27:17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Disagreement need not mean conflict. It can be useful to develop ones grace. I like a good discussion because it challenges what I believe and confirms what I know or challenges what I know.

We are told that we are being changed from glory to glory so change is here to stay with the believer who wants to mature in their faith. What I believe today may not be what I believe tomorrow. When we mature, challenges are seen as positives, not personal attacks on our integrity.

Christian forums are wonderful places to sharpen our thinking and hone our beliefs. They are valuable as in most churches, you have to accept what is preached with no opportunity to question. Forums are places to develop our tolerance of others who are less mature or do not think the same as we do. Which brings us to the idea some of the writers are not very intolerant of other points of view. When they fail to convince others that they are right and everyone else is wrong, they belittle and descend into sarcasm.

I have noticed that some people repel all boarders with no visible evidence from scripture to back them up. Because there are 35,000 denominations it is inevitable that we are not all one in Christ, sad to say so variation in belief is inevitable.

We can either make it an opportunity to dialogue and learn or a contest to prove that we are right and they are wrong. It all depends if we are tolerant or not. Personally, I don't mind being challenged on what I believe as long as the challenge is supported by scripture, which is not always the case. Very often it is my church does this so it must be right meaning that my church is the standard for all others.

The bottom line is that people will know we are dsciples of Christ by our love for one another but it seems that denominations make it a contest of doctrine as the deciding factor as to whether we are acceptable or not.

Of course, I am intolerant. I really do not know why it is so hard for extremely conservative and extremely liberal people to admit they are intolerant - although, I do think it is funny watching them both trying to duck the label. I am intolerant of people who annoy me by reflecting my personal sins in their behavior - especially when it spotlights my own intolerance. It seems to me that conservative Christians do not believe they can be intolerant or arrogant because they have the truth - just like everyone else believes about themselves; the logic reminds me of the time I caught my mother in a lie, as a kid; my mom's response to me was "I am not lying, I am your mother!" Extreme liberals like to believe they are immune from being intolerant because they are open minded, unfortunately for them, they are only open minded about issues that are important to them - just like everyone else. So the dueling eye logs continue to deny and lunge / deny and lunge...........

 

[Selene]

Are you intolerant is the question. The atheist and homosexual regularly level this accusation at us because we disagree with their man made ideas. Their worldview is that everyone is right so you should not critisize others. Of course they have not realised that they believe everyone is right if they agree with what they say. if you don.t you are intolerant.

Hello Marksman,

I think that a large majority of us are intolerant to some degree. We are called to love our neighbors, but also to love our enemies. There are not many of us who can love our enemies. There are many of us who cannot even pray for our enemies. Many times, we pray for our family and friends...... but our enemies?

In 2006, Charles Roberts entered a school in an Amish community in Pennsylvania and shot 10 girls, killing 5 of them. The killer then shot himself. What happened afterwards was the remarkable thing. The Amish community including the parents of the 5 school girls who were killed forgave Charles Roberts. The most powerful demonstration of the depths of this forgiveness was when the Amish community attended the killer's funeral and reached out to the killer's family. This is God's grace because this kind of forgiveness rarely happens. If it was your own child who was killed, can you forgive the killer immediately? I admit....that I don't think I have enough faith to do this. This is what it means to love. Love and forgiveness are intertwined and interrelated. Christ demonstrated this kind of love when He was dying on the cross. He forgave His killers.

In Christ,
Selene

 

[religusnut]

As a Christian I do not find in the Bible that I am to be tolerant of sin. I tolerate and try my best to help all people but I do not tolerate their sin. We as Christians are labeled hate mongers because we take a stand against anything. Usually if you take a stand against things like prostitution or alcoholism or drug abuse the people that are involved will get angry because they are found out and either repent or leave. As in the case with things like Homosexuality they are taught and even meticulously trained to scream that you hate them and you are filled with hate.

Like the word Gay that was coined to make perversion sound like fun, the word hate is a word that this group of people came up with to make anybody that stood against them appear to be violent terrible people.

The Bible talks about people that call good evil and evil good.... Even using the word Gay for homosexuality is doing this and using the word Hate for those that oppose homosexuality are doing the same thing. The sad thing is that there are large numbers of those that profess to be Christians that are too ignorant to know the difference.

 

[Foreigner]

My intolerance comes from people who automatically label the behavior of some as the opinion of all within a group or organization.

For example: "It seems to me that conservative Christians do not believe they can be intolerant or arrogant because they have the truth.."

What is missed is that people are labeled "Intolerant" most often are not labeled that because of their behavior, but rather their beliefs.

The very fact that a person would not support abortion on demand, gay marraige, etc. is enough to get them labeled "Intolerant" no matter how civil or cordial the discussion.

I can understand that, though... No one likes having their lifestyle or lifestyle choices considered immoral.

If those here making blanket accusations of intolerance were honest though, they would admit that the most flagrant acts of abuse and intolerance are committed by those who do not like it when someone will not give their lifestyle - choice - activities an absolute and complete seal of approval.

 

[gregg]

was JESUS intolerant of yard sales at his fathers house? was he intolerant of little faith?or for the lack of love- to love one another?

 

[Martin W.]

Yes I am intolerant.
I also find the groups or agendas that I am intolerant towards .....
.... are twice as intolerant toward me.
They win the intolerance competition hands down.

I also find Jesus was intolerant on many issues and he said so clearly.

I also find many Christians today would tolerate and love the moneychangers in the temple.
Not Jesus. He made a whip and drove them out.