Liberal Intolerance

In 1777 our Continental Congress voted an expenditure of $300,000.00 (an enormous amount of money back then) to buy and distribute Bibles throughout the country. By contrast, more than a decade ago, the Supreme Court ruled that the Gideons (international organization spreading the Gospel of Christ through the distribution of free Bibles) could no longer give away (free) Bibles on public school properties throughout the United States. And in a ruling soon to follow, all public school systems were to eliminate the Bible from their library catalog and remove the book from the shelf. I have one of those Bible’s in my library, retrieved from the local high school dumpster by our daughter, as she and several other students rescued God’s Word from the trash after being thrown out of school. I treasure that Bible, and nearly weep over its total disregard and its God-fate rescue from a landfill burial, every time I use it. The Bible has been removed, along with any visible presentation of the Ten Commandments, from student access for fear, “...if they read them, meditated on them, and perhaps venerated them and observed them, this is not a permissible objective” ruled the Supreme Court. Look where we are today!

[Psalm 119:1] “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.” Some folks have been known to lament that there is little enjoyment in a life lived under the restrictions of biblical morality and teaching. The most enjoyable life, we’re told, is in a life without moral restraint. It is true that sin and immorality can be pleasurable (Hebrews 11:24-26), and it is true that the Bible contains prohibitions against sin and immorality. But it is not true that pleasure is ONLY found in sin. There is so much more to enjoying life than whatever fleeting fun we may find in doing things that ought to bring us shame (Romans 6:19-23). Genuine, lasting, deep joy is only found in following the instructions of our God, who both knows and wants what is best for us. The liberal thinkers are becoming more and more vocal in their condemnation of Christians as being an “intolerant” people. They just cannot seem to tolerate what they view as our intolerance. Do you find that somewhat ironic? We (Christians) should be tolerant, they tell us, of those who chose to commit to others in a homosexual lifestyle and “same-sex marriage,” as opposed to marriage ordained by God in the Bible. We should be more tolerant of Islam by viewing it only as “a religion of peace,” regardless of what the Koran teaches and what the practical evidence clearly shows. We should be tolerant of those who choose death, rather than life, for defenseless infants in their mother’s womb. We should be tolerant of sexual promiscuity rather than advocating the “narrow” view that only husband and wife should become “one flesh.” Am I reading things all wrong? Or, is it the case that the “tolerant” are becoming increasingly intolerant of: ...our unapologetic conviction that truth is absolute (John 8:31-32) ...our unapologetic conviction that truth is attainable (2 Timothy 2:22-26) ...or, our unapologetic conviction that truth is revealed through the infallible, inerrant words of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17) ...or, is it our unapologetic conviction that truth is non-negotiable, even when some find the truth offensive (Galatians 4:16) ...or, our conviction that Jesus is the only way to God (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). Truth, by its very nature, is intolerant of that which is false (1 John 2:21). If the choice is between being tolerant of falsehoods and being true to the Word of God, then may I (we) have the courage to stand firm and bear the reproach of those who choose not to tolerate me (us) in my (our) lifestyle of truth and righteousness.