The New Tolerance Is Cruel

http://billrandles.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/the-new-tolerance-is-cr... | 2-10-11 | Bill Randles

A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs 12:10)

Currently, there is an alternative to the judeo christian concept of love for our fellow-man, which is called tolerance. It looks like love and perhaps more importantly to many it actually feels like love, but it’s not love at all.

In fact though it is called tolerance, it’s not even tolerance in the traditional sense of the word. A better expression would perhaps be fawning accommodation, but tolerance is what they are calling it these days.

In this post christian era, the highest ideal is that we in the majority bend over backwards to be tolerant of every deviance from society. We are to be tolerant and accepting of foreigners and their customs, of other religions, cultures and practices.

Of course credit is never given to the fact that the most tolerant place on the planet has always been the christian west. Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom to life on your own terms have been the hallmark of places like America and Britain. But that definition of tolerance has recently been upgraded.

The new tolerance doesn’t simply mean that you must allow for differences among people or society without castigation or persecution. We are now required by the Orwellian definition of tolerance. to positively promote such lifestyles, customs and deviance (moral or otherwise), almost to the point of the denigration of the majority culture.

We should be tolerant of differences, indeed, we should ever be hospitable to the stranger, allow for religious differences, celebrate the fact that there is freedom of speech and of thought , traces of the formerly christian culture. This comes from Moses and of course Jesus and the prophets, and seeped its way into western society.

But the new tolerance goes beyond that and is actually quite cruel.

For example, take the new toleration of Islam. When there is something toxic about a culture, an inherent flaw in it, to “tolerate it” almost to the point of admiringly upholding it almost as a model “religion of peace” does no service to the people in it. Our own Government practiced this after 9-11, 2001.

The Muslim people desperately need to be confronted as human beings with the serious flaws of their own false religion, and 9-11 was an ideal ‘teachable moment’, but the new tolerance made it impossible to do on a large-scale. I believe this new non judgmental tolerance is cruel because it is both artificial and it is patronizing.

Muslims are human beings also, and in spite of the teachings of Mohammed they still have a conscience and know very well that what happened on 9-11 was an act of criminal barbarity. As human beings none of them would want that to happen to them or any people they know. But the new tolerance “runs interference” on any real soul-searching.

The rush to justify Islam, and to appease the “hurt feelings ‘ of Muslims in America and elsewhere actually hurts Muslims, because it denies them full responsibility as moral agents. Islam and it’s adherents have committed 16,000 acts of terror since 9-11, but in the new tolerance, they are mere victims to be pitied.

I have been seeing the destruction of this cruel, new tolerance in the area of homosexuality as well. Those who try to point out that homosexuality is a destructive, literally damning way to live, are shut down by the new tolerance as “Haters”, of the homosexual.(I am trying to break the habit of calling them “Gay”, I don’t accept the premise, they aren’t “gay” they are miserable and drug, alcohol, suicide statistics bear this out.)

But who really “hates” the homosexual, and who truly “Loves ” them? Those who practice the new tolerance actually hate the homosexual, by condemning them to this “Lifestyle”, affirming them in that which is sterile, deadly, filthy and which debases and kills the conscience. This kind of “acceptance” is deadly.

Those who truly love the homosexuals are the ones who tell them in the name of the Lord, that God has something better for them than that, and that they are responsible beings who must give account for this distortion of God’s prophetic institution of marriage, and that change is entirely possible and so is forgiveness.

This new toxic tolerance has even seeped into the evangelical christian church. There are those who have been embarrassed by the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles and Prophets of the Bible against Sodomy. They would gain cheap points with the world for being “compassionate” over against those “judgmental religious hypocrites” who dare to speak truth in love to this generation.

This is how Christians are consistently betraying one another and their Lord, by posing as the “tolerant loving christians”, over against the faithful witnesses to truth in our time.

We must ruthlessly call this heresy out for what it is, a perversion of the Biblical teaching of love which is based on truth and a revelation of the Holy God. Real Love isn’t humanistic “tolerance” , it is Holy, and upholds the Truth of God. Love hates evil and rejoices in the Truth.

The ironic thing about the new tolerance, is that it only runs one way. Be aware that those who once pleaded for “tolerance” for homosexuals, Islam, atheism,abortion and pornography, etc, will prove to be so intolerable of christians that they will one day soon persecute us without mercy .

I close with a beautiful quote from Dorothy Sayers, which is linked to a good article on a blog called religiopoliticaltalk.com

“In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair, the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die.” (Dorothy Sayers)

Comment by Jerry Roseleip on February 7, 2011 at 4:40pm: Great article! We are not showing love by accepting the sin. Instead we are assisting in the damnation of those who persist in it.

Comment by Matt on February 7, 2011 at 8:03pm: To misquote an old commercial

"Where's the Gospel?"

Or maybe it is just easier to complain about the intolerance of the "tolerant" than risk speaking of the comfort of Christ and actually have a *gasp* repentant and believing homosexual walk in the Church door where we might actually have to offer forgiveness and fellowship.

I see no real point in this article. It says nothing that has not been said thousands of times before. Oooooo - the world is going to hate Christians. Well, duh. Bet let's at least give them the opportunity to hate us for the cross rather than as Pharisees (who - by they way, were threatened with hell by Christ more than any other group of people because of their preaching of Law without Gospel)

Since this article offers no solution to the problem whatsoever - might as well move along - nothing to see here.

Comment by Matt on February 7, 2011 at 8:08pm: OK maybe that was a little blunt

But I get so tired of people complaining about social issues and then not discussing the Gospel at all.

What, is the forgiveness of Christ some big issue we want to keep all to ourselves?

So how do we proclaim the forgiveness without softening the Law? There must be a way. Christ did it. Paul did it. Luther did it. Walther did it. Maybe we should try it.

Comment by James Robertson on February 8, 2011 at 6:42am: Titus 2:11 For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
12 instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world;
13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works.

Comment by James Robertson on February 8, 2011 at 10:30am: THE DANGER OF EFFEMINATE CHRISTIANITY

For there is some danger of falling into a soft and effeminate Christianity, under the plea of a lofty and ethereal theology. Christianity was born for endurance…It walks with firm step and erect frame; it is kindly, but firm; it is gentle, but honest; it is calm, but not facile; obliging, but not imbecile; decided, but not churlish. It does not fear to speak the stern word of condemnation against error, nor to raise its voice against surrounding evils, under the pretext that it is not of this world.

It does not shrink from giving honest reproof lest it come under the charge of displaying an unchristian spirit. It calls sin ’sin,’ on whomsoever it is found, and would rather risk the accusation of being actuated by a bad spirit than not discharge an explicit duty. Let us not misjudge strong words used in honest controversy. Out of the heat a viper may come forth; but we shake it off and feel no harm.

The religion of both Old and New Testaments is marked by fervent outspoken testimonies against evil. To speak smooth things in such a case may be sentimentalism, but it is not Christianity. It is a betrayal of the cause of truth and righteousness. If anyone should be frank, manly, honest, cheerful (I do not say blunt or rude, for a Christian must be courteous and polite), it is he who has tasted that the Lord is gracious, and is looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God.

I know that charity covereth a multitude of sins; but it does not call evil good, because a good man has done it; it does not excuse inconsistencies, because the inconsistent brother has a high name and a fervent spirit. Crookedness and worldliness are still crookedness and worldliness, though exhibited in one who seems to have reached no common height of attainment.

Horatius Bonar

Comment by Dave Gosse on February 8, 2011 at 12:50pm: Where's the Gospel?

Here

One-legged Afghan Red Cross worker set to be hanged after convertin...

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 12:03 AM on 7th February 2011

An Afghan physiotherapist will be executed within three days for converting to Christianity.

Said Musa, 45, has been held for eight months in a Kabul prison were he claims he has been tortured and sexually abused by inmates and guards.

Mr Musa, who lost his left leg in a landmine explosion in the 1990s, has worked for the Red Cross for 15 years and helps to treat fellow amputees.

Read more

Comment by James Robertson on February 9, 2011 at 8:44am: So Much for Tolerance
By Ken Connor
2/8/2011 - Townhall

One of the hallmarks of contemporary Liberalism is an embrace of multiculturalism. A truly progressive society, so the thinking goes, is one in which people from all walks of life – all racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds – can coexist harmoniously, even though they have radically different world views and conflicting notions about how to order themselves in society. Inculcating a spirit of multiculturalism in our children has become a top priority in America's schools. It is important, we've decided, for young people to learn tolerance at an early age: You may not look the same, or act the same, or believe the same as your neighbor, but you should nonetheless treat him with respect and dignity as a fellow human being. America's strength lies in her diversity, after all.

In recent years, however, the notion of what it means to be "tolerant" has changed radically. There was a time when tolerance meant just that: tolerance. I may not agree with my neighbor's religious beliefs, or lifestyle choices, or cultural mores, but as a law abiding, dignified citizen I tolerated these differences in a peaceable manner. My neighbor would extend me the same courtesy. If the occasion arose, say, come election season, we might engage in a lively discussion of our differences, debating the merits of each person's views. Today, however, a new understanding of tolerance reigns: I must not merely respect my neighbor's right to think and act differently from me, I must embrace, celebrate, and promote my neighbor's way of life, even if that means repudiating my own values in the process.

So much for tolerance.

Comment by James Robertson on February 14, 2011 at 2:38pm: The peak of tolerance is most readily achieved by those who are not burdened with convictions.
- Alexander Chase