The Tolerance Myth

Tolerance. What a unique word. I claim it is a unique word, not because it is rarely used, but unique in that the meaning is only one sided. The word is mostly used by people who disagree with what someone has to say, while they themselves are not being tolerant of others.
How many times has someone given a speech or an interview on tolerance, only to give away how intolerant they are? They use words like “open minded” and “accepting” while speaking of tolerance. Then when speaking of people who are intolerant, they use words like “close minded”, “narrow minded” and “bigoted.” Does that sound like a tolerant person?
There are two primary myths that have been perpetuated by those who preach tolerance. The first myth is that love equals tolerance. That if you claim to love someone, or even everyone, that you would be tolerant of their behavior and beliefs. That myth gets shattered once a person has children.
Imagine your two children are playing together and you are in another room. You hear a loud smack and one child starts crying. You rush into the room to see what is going on when the older child confesses, “I hit her, but you must be tolerant of my behavior because I was born this way. I was born to hit her and if you love me, you will not try to change my behavior.” Absurd, but the child would be right if you equate being tolerant with love. Yet, love states that you would want to change that illicit behavior, because it is not a good behavior. Love does not equal tolerance, but love equals intolerance.
The second myth that is being perpetuated is that Jesus was tolerant. Those who preach this point to John 8 and the account of the adulterous woman. After the accusers fled, he states, “I do not condemn you, either.” (v 11 NASB) They use that phrase to show that Jesus was tolerant of the woman and did not condemn her. That he accepted her lifestyle and did not tell her to change her life. They are partly correct. However, while he did not condemn her, he was far from tolerant. He followed that statement up with another statement, “Go. From now on sin no more.” (v 11 NASB) He specifically told her to change her behavior, from that point on, to sin no more. Jesus was being intolerant because he wanted her to change her life. To change her life for the better.
Another thing Jesus was not tolerant about was salvation. He never preached that there are multiple ways to God or that “all roads lead to Heaven.” He spoke of false teachers and false prophets that would lead people astray. He specifically said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6 NASB) There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus. That is not a very tolerant thing to say.
He was not accepting of other people’s beliefs. He did not accept the gods of the Greeks or Romans. He did not accept the gods of the Babylonians. He did not accept the god of the Ishmaelites. He told some groups that they could not claim God as their Father for their father was the devil, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44 NASB) Claiming that someone’s beliefs are wrong. That is not very tolerant.
Jesus was not very tolerant. It is Jesus’ way or no way. Jesus destroys the tolerance myth.