Tolerance. One of the most misunderstood words in language, or at least in the English language.
You can have a tolerance for pain. Your body can tolerate medications more than they once did and thus the medications become less effective. You can tolerate someone’s behavior.
I personally have less tolerance for things than I once did. Some reasons are medical reasons. There are other things that I finally decided that I was simply tired of tolerating and therefore no reason I must tolerate.
Or should I say, not tolerate in the way the world has come to define the word. Tolerance these days is defined as acceptance and supporting.
Before anyone begins to jump on some high horse and think I am talking about certain social issues, get over yourself and put your assumptions back in your back pocket close to where it belongs.
I had a very long post written but I decided to make this as short as I can. First of all I have two polarizing examples that will make my point clear.
- Example: The death penalty is a law in some states in the U.S. of A.. Does that mean I have to SUPPORT it or Tolerate it? I’ll keep using the death penalty here. If you believe it should be a law in my state and you live in my state as well and there is a vote coming up, do I have to SUPPORT it just because you want me to? And if it does become a law do I have to SUPPORT it or Tolerate it?
- If you want to go another more controversial law you can consider abortion. It’s a law. Do you SUPPORT it or Tolerate it?
So what I want to talk about today is having to tolerate what other people say about Christianity, Jesus, and God. A great many in the public eye like to speak out against Christianity while praising or supporting other faiths or even no God at all. And if someone calls them on it then the person doing the calling is called a bigot or intolerant.
If you are of another faith or don’t believe in God, that’s your deal. It has nothing to do with me. I have friends here in the blogs that believe in other faiths or no God at all. We get along just fine. So before you start calling me a bigot as I continue, I’m about the least bigoted person you will find. I figure God gave us free will. I’m not the one to take that away from anyone.
I don’t SUPPORT what people say about Christianity. I take that back. I don’t support ALL of the generalizations and negativity aimed at Christianity. Some things said may be true, about some Christians. If a specific person is being discussed and the things mentioned are true then they are true.
But if I were to get on a news program and say that I don’t like what someone says about the negative generalities I can almost guarantee you that I would end up with hate messages in various places. Why? Because I am supposed to ACCEPT and SUPPORT the hate at me but no one is supposed to TOLERATE or PUT UP WITH my defending my faith, my beliefs.
I can hear the thoughts of some now. “Ronovan, you can’t be serious. You Christians think you have it so bad. You rule the world. You have it so easy. You can get away with anything. You are in control of everything.” Let me read my Bible at lunch in a local school, alone, in my classroom, and see what happens.
I read blogs, opinions of people, and remain friends. I don’t always support what people say but I don’t have to. I can still be friends with someone and not support every single thing they support. And I don’t go out and yell and scream about not supporting something.
Is it Tolerance the world wants from Christians or is it SUPPORT they want? There is a difference. Let’s turn it around. I want you to SUPPORT what I believe. You know, Tolerating would be good but no, I am saying now as an example, I want you to SUPPORT what I believe about something and make it a law. Do you think you can do that? The answer is no. You can’t. You want to say yes. You may comment yes, but the honesty in you should say no.
A society says they kill the first born child if it is male. It is legal in that society. Do you SUPPORT that? You are now thinking, “Ronovan, that’s not even close to what we are talking about.” Actually by saying I can’t freely act like a Christian, that I can’t fulfill my faith as a Christian as the Bible says to do so, you are saying to put my faith to death.
I tell you Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the Cross for our sins, was resurrected so we could be saved. That I believe what Jesus said in the Bible about his being the only way to the Father. I’m done. You can take it or leave it.
For some reason there are people that don’t like that. They think it’s forcing something on them. They think it is some form of I don’t know what. But they just can’t handle it. It’s up to you to believe me or not. I’m not going to beg, or repeat it over and over to you. I’m moving on and going to Wendy’s for a burger and fries. And yes they are fries, not chips. Chips are thicker and not like the thin strips like American fries.
If you had questions after I said that about Christianity I would answer them, but that would be to you. No megaphone shouting in your car from me. And I wouldn’t even say that up there about Jesus being the only way unless there was some reason that came up in a conversation.
All my faith says to do is share it with others. Not force it. Some try to do that and they are wrong. I will tell you that now. If you are a Christian and reading this then you need to look what Jesus said; If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet~Matthew 10:14. No mention of yell or cram it down someone’s throat until they run you out of town.
I’ll tolerate things. I’ll put up with things. But just as I don’t intend to force you to support things that you may not believe, don’t try and force me to support things I don’t believe in and use tolerance as a front to do it. It won’t work with me. Make a law out of something all you want, but it doesn’t mean it will be supported by people.
As I’ve written this I am sure there are various things that have come to peoples’ minds. What issues could Ronovan be thinking of. Don’t try to guess because you would be surprised at how wrong you might be.
Are there things you are tired of people forcing you to SUPPORT by telling you to Tolerate? Share it below in the comments. Or fill out the form below if you don’t want it to appear in the comments. I may use the results in a future post, without names and contact information included.
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ronovanwrites 
Facts are incontrovertible. Opinions are arguable (and that goes for hypotheses and theories, too). Faith just is. Persons of faith can choose to change faiths, or the details of their faith, but that choice comes about because of the testimony (or witness) of the spirit within them.
I’m a Christian, too. Some details of my faith in Christ may differ from yours, but it’s not a matter for argument. I also enjoy learning about other people’s faiths, and I don’t mind hearing them bear witness about it, just as I would hope they wouldn’t mind hearing my testimony.
The Constitution of the United States prohibits a government-established church, but it also prohibits laws that restrict the individual person’s freedom to worship. I just wish individuals wouldn’t think they are entitled to do what Congress can’t do.
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You make a good point Ronovan, and I expect you’ll get a lot of feedback here. I am an atheist and am glad we can be friends with our poetry and commenting on each other’s blogs. You bring up something I never considered with the recent use of the word ‘tolerant’. I do think that tolerance of something should involve voicing our opinions without being childish or vindictive. I think you’ve achieved this in your post. People who aren’t tolerant aren’t just voicing their opinions – they’re bullying. If I tell you you’re an idiot for believing in God, that’s bullying, or at least a weak attempt at it. I definitely DO NOT support bullying.
I guess it’s that old mantra of ‘I do not agree with you, but I respect your right to have an opinion’. Now I just hope I’ve gotten my opinion across. I think I might’ve waffled a bit…
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I like waffles. Syrup, butter, MMmmmm. It’s Sunday morning here. You have me ideas.
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I like the way you write. You opened some interesting points. I am a complete non believer. I do not have a talent for faith in religion or ideology, I don’t even believe in science- it changes. I tell my patients: “As far as we know at the moment ….”
I believe people are mostly decent, I believe variety is nice in everything, races, religions, opinions.
But that is where I feel an important point lies.
A lot of people presents OPINIONS as FACTS. Religious people, believers, many other.
The other point is WHAT DOES TOLERANCE MEAN?
You mention tolerance of pain. Tolerance is not necessary acceptance.
I do not have to like or support something to believe in people’s right for their opinions as long as they do not pretend they are facts and do not force them on others.
in a way, I toouched on that in one of my blog posts-
https://luciemuses.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/this-is-a-reply-to-a-fellow-doctor-blog-post/
I LIKE YOUR BLOG, thanks.
Lucie
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hmm, I’m not going to fill out the form. I think we are both on the same page here.
Perhaps the word tolerance needs to be re-defined.
I think it comes down to judgmental people.
If I happen to fall in love with a woman (I’m a woman) then some might find this intolerable. I will be judged as being sinful. In my part of the world there is very little tolerance for such things, especially by our politicians.
But those same politicians will go out and fornicate with 10 others, and that is then accepted as normal??
I don’t know, but to me that is some kind of messed up. (not them fornicating with 10 woman, I mean that is their own business, but them being judgmental towards me in this case just an example who loves a woman) I mean who are they to judge me? And who am I to judge them?
I could go on, and on. To me tolerance is accepting people despite of our differences. Even neighborly love. But honestly I think that differences is what make us interesting. Someone from a different cultural background, I mean what is not to love about that?
What I don’t tolerate as you put it, is when someone wants to shove their ideology down my throat by force. So we may have a difference in opinion or belief. That is what makes life interesting. Don’t go killing me over it.
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Reblogged this on Michaelphelps1's Blog and commented:
AGAIN, RONOVAN MAKES ONE STEP BACK AND DO SOME SERIOUS INTROSPECTION! THINK!
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In the UK there was a case of a Christian couple who owned a facility offering bed and breakfast. They refused to allow a gay male couple to share a bedroom. The case went to court under the UK’s Equalities Act with the gay couple arguing they had been discriminated against due to their homosexuality, which is illegal under the legislation. The owners of the bed and breakfast argued that as Christians they would not have allowed an unmarried man and woman to sleep in the same room so they where not discriminating. The court determined that the Christian couple’s actions constituted discrimination and they had to pay compensation to the two gay men. While everyone has a right to hold whatever religious convictions they choose they do not have a right to discriminate on the basis of such beliefs (however sincerely they are held). The owners of the bed and breakfast did, in my opinion act intolerantly by foisting their conception of morality on 2 (adult) gay men which is wholly wrong as it treats the homosexual pair concerned as second class citizens. I am, incidentally an agnostic with a great respect for people of sincere beliefs from the Christian and other faiths.
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Hi Ronovan,
Thank you for raising this hot potato of an issue. I am a Christian as well but not one who believes in standing on street corners shouting through a megaphone. I see life as composed of many, many complex shades of grey as well, of course, rainbow colours and therefore try not to judge others but like yourself, if I am tolerant of others, I do expect the same courtesy. I had thought that there was greater acceptance of Christianity in USA than you describe. I now describe Australia as being a predominantly non-Christian country. There is a general level of antagonism and hostility and I do feel somewhat repressed but no one has tried to kill me or throw me in prison. There is much, much worse. xx Rowena
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Hi Ron, I think your post is a very useful piece and I love it when someone deconstructs commonly used words and makes us think. Me, I’m a plodding atheist, or maybe agnostic or a TAP (temporary agnostic in practice) but hey you and me we can both go to our particular versions of hell or wherever in our own handcarts and wave at each other in the way. Live and let live. You won’t see the New Statesman in your neck of the woods but this review and book it considers may be of interest. It puts the lie to a lot of guff spouted by both those of religion and those of a secular view, poking sticks at each other over who causes the biggest bloody conflicts and so on. It also looks at the source of beliefs which I thought interesting. See what you think.
PS and I love waffles too!
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