We constantly see intense and hostile reactions to those oppose abortion and denounce homosexuality. There is an obvious hypocrisy on the part of social liberals in our culture who claim tolerance while intolerantly condemning others who disagree with them.
The problem seems to be that there has been a shift in the meaning of tolerance. Historically, it has meant a respect for a person’s right to choose. Today, it has come to mean a required acceptance and approval of another’s conduct. The Bible acknowledges the first, but denies the latter.
God grants each individual the right to choose their course of action. Moses, God’s great law-giver of the Old Testament, stated this plainly when he said: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Notice God allowed their freedom to choose, but He warned that He could not accept their bad choices. This is the consistent pattern of God’s tolerance.
Jesus also allowed choice (“. . . how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not” – Matthew 23:37), but He openly condemned sin and wickedness, and He warned of the eternal consequences (Matthew 25:31-46)
The apostle Paul consistently presented sinners with the choice to obey God or not, but when evil men were in error, his patience and tolerance endured “no, not for an hour” (Galatians 2:5).
Christians today are instructed to “earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 3). In doing so we are presenting our fellow men with the choice to serve God or reject Him. We tolerate their right to choose, but we can offer no endorsement of religious error and moral depravity.
– by Greg Gwin