Tolerance

One of America's greatest qualities is tolerance. The freedom we have in the United States allows us to do what we want (as long as it's legal), look the way we want (as long as we have clothes on), belong to whatever religion we want to, choose a vocation we feel like choosing, cross state lines at will. Bottom line is we are free to live our own lives without the interference from the government or other people who don't necessarily like the way we are. However, some of this tolerance has morphed into a sentiment of intolerance in the name of being tolerant.

The Advocates for gay marriage would like for their opponents to change their mind and allow for it. Environmentalist believe anyone who doesn't buy into global warming is foolish and they should be forced to used certain practices to reduce greenhouse gases. Folks that don't want to be politically correct are disgusted with those that do, and they don't care to associate with them. My point is that even though we claim to be tolerant by not judging others, we are intolerant of other people's opinions if they don't fit into the model we want.

One of the biggest examples of this is universalism, the idea that there are multiple paths to Heaven, and that no religion is absolutely correct. This ideal seems to be gaining steam, maybe because of the attitudes of 'tolerance' by America. There are many people who simply believe that there are many gods and we are all correct by worshiping the one we do because they all exist. Or maybe they believe there is one God but he has many different names, and there are just varying opinions on how to get to Him, but they are all right.

Well these ideas are certainly not the basis for any religion that I know of so I guess they need to start a new one. For the Christians in America and around the world Jesus clearly says in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". The entire Christian faith is based on the fact that Jesus Christ is the son of God and he was sent to Earth in the form of a man to die for all mankind's sins. He was resurrected on the third day and if you believe all this then you will have eternal life in Heaven with Jesus and God the Father. So there is no way Christians can believe that there is more than one way to Heaven.

The majority of Americans claim to be Christians. If that is correct, then none of them should buy into the theory that there is more than one way to get to Heaven. If they do, they are no longer Christians because Jesus, the reason for Christianity, clearly said this cannot be true. So if you don't believe Jesus then he is a liar and if he is a liar then everything Christians believe is based on lies. 1 John 5:10 says, "Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son". So either you believe Jesus, or you are not a Christian.

The unfortunate thing is that folks who believe there is more than one way do so in the name of tolerance, then they become intolerant of people who believe something different. These people want to live in a utopia where we can all just get along. They don't want disagreements or one group not accepting another groups beliefs. Please don't be sucked into the vacuum of thinking a certain way because you believe you're being tolerant of others. You can be tolerant but still disagree with them, there is more than one way to think.

JB