By: Rev. David Wilson Rogers
Tolerance is destroying the integrity of the church. Understandably, it has its place in the Christian faith, but vast misunderstandings of and inappropriate use of tolerance has really undermined the credibility of Christian witness in modern America. It is a practice that must be prayerfully reconsidered by the whole church.
The concept of tolerance has long been debated in Christianity. Early on, the understanding of tolerance was applied to broadening understandings of the breadth, height and width of God’s unrelenting grace. While well intended by many Christians, tolerance ran into conflict with some long-held, and deeply cherished, Christian doctrines, beliefs and practices.
Eventually, tolerance became a popular buzzword that defined what kind of Christian one was. For those who used the word in a negative way, tolerance came to refer to the practice of turning a blind eye to blatant sin and watering down the authenticity of Christian practice with an anything-goes mentality. For those who used the word in a positive way, tolerance came to refer to the practice of opening up Christianity to diverse experience, forgiveness, and an all-encompassing expression of God’s unconditional love.
Unfortunately, both applications of the idea of tolerance undermined the credibility of Christian witness. The problem is not necessarily tolerance, but rather it is a tremendous misinterpretation of what tolerance does—and does not—really mean. As a faithful Christian community, it is vital that we look prayerfully into our attitudes toward tolerance and do so with a faithful reading of Romans 14.
First, it is vital to recognize that tolerance does not mean “anything goes.” Christianity must have standards and practices that lead people into a closer relationship with Christ and serve to empower the church to act in vital ministry. Clearly, there were times when Jesus did not express tolerance. He cast out money changers, he condemned self-righteous religious leaders, and reminded his followers that no person can serve both God and money. If tolerance means allowing just about anything in the name of God’s love, it is not tolerance at all—it is spiritual laziness and sin.
Second, tolerance is not overlooking difficult and challenging realities in the name of being welcoming, inviting or loving. Every Sunday people are presumably welcomed into churches but are not truly wanted. They may be different, understand God in ways that are inconsistent with church doctrine, or have a life experience that is difficult for church members to understand. Yet, when they are invited in and merely tolerated, the false veneer of the church’s acceptance is readily evident.
God’s love demands much more—more than rigorous adherence to the narrow path of intolerance driven by doctrinal purity and more than the polite tolerance driven by intents to welcome and include. God’s love calls for Christians to truly love others.
Loving others requires that we take time to know one another. This is particularly vital when we do not really understand one another. In knowing one another we take the time to understand why we approach and practice Christianity differently. As noted in Romans 14, we take seriously what it means to encourage and strengthen one another rather than hold to destructive notions of what it means to practice or reject tolerance. God’s love is neither tolerance or intolerance. It is embracing the full humanity of every person.
