How Do You Define "Tolerance"

Current definition of "tolerance": Tolerating everything except intolerance; intolerance employs the "absolute" rather than the "relative".

"Old-Fashioned" definition of "tolerance": Tolerating ideas while being able to openly disagree with them, stating they are invalid, etc.

 

"Current definition of "tolerance": Tolerating everything except intolerance; intolerance employs the "absolute" rather than the "relative".I remember a sermon by Josh McDowell on "Focus on the Family" that expressed the same sentiments. He believes it is a major failing of education and will have/does have, major repercussions within our culture.

 

Deacon, wasn't that just on Moody's radio stations a few weeks back? I believe that's where I heard it, and I tend to agree.

AJL

 

I can see how this spreads. People see what happens when one persons views run over anothers (slavery,kkk,nazi's,etc...) and know that it's wrong.

What they don't understand is the reasons christians may seem intolerant (by their definition) is because some things are directly opposed to what we know as absolute truth, and even extends to trying to suppress such truth.

The only thing I see that can be done is to continue to spread the gospel and pray that they would see the truth when it is presented to them.

[ November 15, 2002, 10:19 AM: Message edited by: jcrowe ]

 

Amen

 

The following book may be helpfull:
"The new tolerance" by Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler. published by Tyndale house
yours, Jon.

 

My dad explained it when I was a teenager this way:

in a field there are lost of posts that have been put in. All of them are leaning except one which is upright. The upright post is the standard by which you can tell how far all the others are leaning.

Tolerance is what the leaning posts all feel for each other. It excludes the upright post, because that is by its nature an intolerant position -- anything deviating is leaning. But to a leaner, all leaning is OK, no matter which direction it is.

So world tolerance will always have to exclude the truth, because the truth is, by nature, intolerant of un-truth.

 

I think that "tolerance" is a poor substitute for the Christian balance of truth and love. As Christians, we are to speak the truth and obey the truth. We are to love all men, even our enemies, with the love of Christ.

"Tolerance" does neither of these. It does not know the truth and adamently denies that it can be known, or that it exists. "Tolerance" does not love. It tolerates; wishing that the other person would go away or change, but never confronting or correcting wrong behaviour. It does not reach out to help a victim, but justifies the victims circumstance or behaviour, leaving them to suffer.

"Tolerance" is thus the antithesis of Christianity. We should not practice it.

 

"Tolerance" is thus the antithesis of Christianity. We should not practice it.

Tolerance implies all these as swaimj listed. It also has created much of the prejudice we now witness. true freedom is only through truth, no other avenue can have freedom as its destination, as all others seek to deny truth and make it irrelevant to the course.

Toleration assumes there may be another acceptable way, truth proclaims the one way, truth and life...but always in love and seasoned with Grace.

God Bless.
Bro. Dallas

 

Well I do not define it the way the world does. The shame of it all some christians have fallen into this trap of politically correct, which is what tolerance falls under.

We have to tell the truth, out of Love, but despite the feelings of others. I mean if we don't want to say something because we do not want to affend some one, shame on us. I think we see this a lot in the pulpit. Preachers [ not all of course ]don't want to affend the big tiethers in the church, people that drive the BMWs and so forth. This is why a lot of people do not go witnessing any more they say its rude. I think all of us would run next door and warn them of a fire ball heading directly to their home, but we shy away from telling them they are heading for a lake of fire if they don't accept Jesus as Lord. All of this is tolerance IMHO.

I Love Jesus.

 

this is what i remember back when i was a kid;
quote/unquote from dad-BOY i ain't gonna tolerate any backtalk boy!

 

Helen, thats good. Thanks!

 

Josh McDowell's book is a great read. I would highly recommend it.

In the Father,

Russ <><

 

Hi Dr. Griffin,

I define tolerance as holding yourself back in self-restraint from interfering with an event, a belief, or anything else.

 

Tolerance is why my cat hasn't ripped my daughter's face off.

 

Tolerance on my part, is when I allow you to believe I am right. Tolerance on your part, is allowing me to believe that.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Tolerance is me believing that my way may not be the only way or the right way.

Joshua

[ November 18, 2002, 03:18 PM: Message edited by: Rev. Joshua ]

 

Tolerance is how much one is willing to tolerate.

When we buy electric components, say a battery, and the battery is rated at 9 volts, the govornment allows a .5% tolerance. That means that battery can say it's a nine volt battery as long as it measures between 8.595 and 9.405 volts.

But it has become a catch phrase to belittle those who don't want to change laws to accomodate 1% of the population. Or to stereotype those who want to protect their children from evil. Or who don't want to yolk up with error.

Tolerant: opposite of Fundy Baptist.