The Myth of Tolerance

Read this last night:

http://www.livinglutheran.com/blog/2011/03/intolerance-among-the-tolerant-generation.html

Upon further reflection, I have come to the conclusion that I am not tolerant.

Go ahead.

Call me what you will.

Stubborn.

Pig-headed.

Hard-hearted.

Close-minded.

Keep them coming.  I don't mind.  It won't change the fact. 

I am intolerant.

Dictionary.com defines tolerance as: a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own

Sounds like a wonderful way to be.  Fair.  Objective.  A permissive attitude towards others and their opinions and practices...their race...their religion...nationality...etc.  A permissive attitude towards other's ideas which are different from my own.  Ahhh.  Panacea--the cure all.

Not.

I'm sorry.  I cannot tolerate all beliefs which are different from my own.

I do not and will not tolerate a belief system which permits the killing of a woman who was raped because she is now considered unclean.

I do not and will not tolerate a belief system which states, "God hates gays."

I do not and will not tolerate a belief system which places one color of skin above another.

I do not and will not tolerate a belief system which promotes the idea God approves of killing another person because he/she is an unbeliever.

I do not and will not tolerate a belief system which says we must earn any portion of our salvation.

This is just the tip of the ice berg.

There's a whole host of things that I will not tolerate.

But I'm O.K. with it.

I haven't found a single person in Scripture who was completely tolerant either.

Even Jesus wasn't tolerant of everything.

I think I'll follow Him instead of all those other voices screaming for tolerance.

Instead, I'll strive for love.  Both the easy kind and the tough kind.