Tolerance. According to Webster, it’s a willingness to accept behaviors and beliefs that may be different from your own. At first glance, that would appear to be a good thing as most of us could benefit from being more tolerant of others but tolerance may not always be the most appropriate response when dealing with certain issues such as faith.
For instance, being tolerant doesn’t imply Catholics should turn their backs on words or actions that are not aligned with the basic tenets taught in the Bible. Nor does it remove the responsibility we have to respond to un-Christian behaviors when we are confronted with them. This begs the question. ‘When should we step forward and acknowledge our beliefs, and when should we remain silent showing our tolerance of others’ words and actions?’
Let me explore that a little. I recently attended a wedding for a young couple in their thirties. Through the course of the ceremony, I noticed references to faith, prayer, and God didn’t make their way into the process. After the vows were exchanged, I spoke with the pastor who performed the marriage, and he sheepishly explained the bride and groom had insisted on excluding any references to God. Though I was taken back by this response, I chose to be tolerant and pray the Lord would open that couple’s eyes to the truth. These young people aren’t the first, nor will they be the last, to turn their backs on their Creator. Most students of the Bible would tell you, straying from God’s teachings didn’t fare well for many of the Israelites in the Old Testament.
The modern-day world we live in today is a tumultuous one, entwined in social unrest, political sensitivities, overreactions to cultural differences, and worship of ‘things’ other than God. You don’t have to look far to see something that would have been unimaginable 15 years ago. Whether it’s our society’s recent infatuation with the LGBT culture and how we mistakenly characterize those behaviors as courageous. Or our worship and idolization of rock stars, professional athletes, and any number of others in the public domain who live existences based on decadence, pride, and licentiousness. Perhaps, as the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy, we are approaching the last days. When ‘people will be haughty, abusive, conceited, ungrateful, and irreligious.’ Regardless, these examples suggest we have drifted away from, if not entirely off the spiritual grid.
To be clear, I harbor no ill feelings toward anyone of the LGBT community, or any of those poor confused individuals who can’t seem to figure out what sex they identify with. I believe God’s words and intent are reflected in the Bible. In a book known for its metaphors and symbolism, that is one topic where there is little ambiguity.
On the front page of a major newspaper, there was a recent article about an incredible milestone our country had achieved. It marked the day the first US passport was issued to a citizen who claimed to identify with neither of the sexes God created. This was heralded as a breakthrough for the rights of all those who have chosen, or will choose, to be sexless. Upon reading the headline, two sobering thoughts emerged. The first was indignation that a journalist or any media would view such an event as noteworthy, all for the sake of being perceived as politically astute. The second emotion was one of profound sadness as I realized how far we have stepped away from God’s teachings.
Not long ago I was at a restaurant having dinner with several colleagues. One member of our party noticed two men in the adjacent booth engaging in amorous activities and he made a remark about their behavior. A second person at our table confronted him, suggesting he was imposing his personal beliefs on the two in question.
The first man responded. “It’s not my belief,” he said. “It’s written in Scripture.”
It’s fair to say, an uncomfortable silence settled over the table like a dense fog, and I sat there quietly along with the others, hoping someone would change the subject. As I later processed the conversation, I remembered a passage in Matthew’s gospel. It’s a reminder of God’s expectations for us as we bear witness to sin and deviation from what He has taught us. ‘Whomever denies me before others, I will deny before my Heavenly father.’ (Matthew 10:33). I realize now, instead of being embarrassed by my friend’s remarks, I should have supported him. At that moment, he displayed what I lacked; the courage of his convictions to acknowledge God.
How often have you witnessed unchristian behavior and chosen to remain silent, fearful of appearing judgmental, or touching a nerve in the political correctness arena? In the case of the wedding, the couple’s lack of faith hurt only themselves but we are surrounded by deviant behaviors every day. Just turn your TV to a mainstream news channel and I’m sure you’ll get your fill of them and more.
So, back to the question, ‘how should we respond when confronted with words or actions we find morally and spiritually offensive?’ I can do nothing about my lack of action months ago when my colleague crawled onto political thin ice and articulated his beliefs. But going forward, I will remember the scripture in Matthew’s gospel, and the passage from James chapter four, where he stated simple words for all of us to follow. ‘To know the right thing to do and not do it is a sin.’ (James 4:1)
The next time I am confronted with words or actions I find morally offensive I will pray for God’s direction in my response. Whether that manifests itself in my words, actions, or prayers for the individual(s) involved, I am resolved to not deny Him through my silence. Silence only condones those behaviors, allowing them to grow and fester.
Perhaps it is as simple as acting prudently and with conviction when the opportunity presents itself. The late Dr. Martin Luther King stated this clearly when he said, “All I can do is the right thing. The rest is up to God.” As we go forward in our lives, I pray the Lord provides each of us the wisdom to understand the meaning of tolerance in our lives, and the courage to take action when tolerance may fail.
5 thoughts on “Tolerance ”
Thank you so much for posting this your post is very supportive for me and i want to learn more about these type of post Keyboard Puffer Jacket is for Men’s and Women’s and in very reasonable prices.
While I’m sure well intentioned, the author clearly betrays his limited interaction or connection with LGBTQ people. Being gay, for one, is not a “behavior.” One can be gay and sexually active or one can be gay and sexually inactive. A gay priest who is celibate is still a gay priest even if he struggles to accept it. Engagement in sex is not a prerequisite. Transgender people might struggle to accept their gender identity, but that in no way means they “can’t figure it out.” The struggle is almost always acceptance of their gender being contrary to their birth assigned sex. They almost always, however, DO “figure it out.” Finally, weaponizing scripture (used in the past to morally justify slavery, misogyny and prohibitions against mixed race marriages, among other things) is rarely a good idea. The footnotes in the New Testament to passages allegedly relating to homosexuality make clear that the term translated into “homosexual” was the word “catamite.” “Catamite” was the Greek word for adult men who paid under age boys for sex. Unless the two men in the next booth at the restaurant were actually an adult male and a male child engaging in sex for money, nothing in the New Testament would pass moral judgment on their romantic affection for each other.
A good bit of the problems cited is the Orwellian butchering of language by emulating the Red Queen. Toleration does NOT mean approval though many seeking approbation of their social and personal acts would have it that way. Unless something spoken is morally offensive or personally insulting to the point of expecting reply or affirmation, I generally do not accord it the dignity of a response. There are times when a raised brow and a stony visage say as much as a spoken word.
Pingback: VVEDNESDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit
”Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“We’ve had enough exhortations to be silent. Cry out with a thousand tongues – I see the world is rotten because of silence.” [attributed in various wordings to St Catherine of Siena]
“He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral. Why? Because anger looks to the good of justice. And if you can live amid injustice without anger, you are immoral as well as unjust.” St. Thomas Aquinas.
“If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity.” Albert Einstein