Is Christianity Intolerant?

One effect of our current cultural focus on inclusiveness and the avoidance of anything that might marginalize others is that many people are afraid to recognize differences between cultures, genders, and religions. But this doesn’t negate the fact that many differences exist.

The fear, I think, is that if we acknowledge that certain aspects of people groups are different from one another, it will also lead to the conclusion that they are not only different, but some are better or worse than the others in these areas. People who think this way are labeled as bigoted and intolerant.

For example, a young man named Christian was very careful throughout my conversation with him at the park to emphasize that he doesn’t think one religion is better than another. He feels he has no right to judge one religion differently than another and for this reason believes it would be offensive were he to be committed to any religion.

Christianity, for example, would be considered intolerant because of the exclusive claims of Christ as the only way to a right relationship with God.
But a comprehensive view of the Bible in history and the Gospel message is anything but intolerant. Books could be written full of reasons in support of this claim, but I will mention just a few.

The Bible begins with the foundation that man is made “in God’s image”. Not just Jewish men, definitely not just Christians, and certainly not men only, but all of humankind are made as special creations of God and thus worthy of respect and dignity.

This is the Judeo-Christian foundation for justice and civility in society that provides a universal standard by which to judge when people don’t live up to it.

The condemnation resulting from Adam’s sin is also universal, as is the giving of our moral conscience and our accountability to follow it.

The favor given to Israel as God’s “Chosen People” looks exclusive, until we realize that God’s ultimate purpose would be to use them as a “light for the nations” in reconciling all people to Himself.

This giving of different roles by God to different people isn’t exclusive or intolerant, since all people are simply judged according to how they live out God’s particular purpose in the place in life they are assigned, no matter who we are or what people group of situation we are born into.

And we are all made one at the cross of Christ, emphasized by Paul in his statement that “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This passage, misused so often to deny our God-given roles, actually reaffirms them as it explains our common need for the forgiveness only found in Jesus.

To call the Bible “intolerant” is to misunderstand the nature of “tolerance” itself. It doesn’t mean to agree with every idea, to be blind to differences, or to be devoid of any sort of discernment or judgement of others. It is simply a description of how we act once we have recognized those differences, that we have respect for others and leave the final judgement to God.

Sometimes the most loving thing one can do seems to be the most intolerant for a time; to help someone recognize their own sins or shortcomings and help them down the right path. Tough love of this sort puts the long-term welfare of others as more important than our short-term popularity.

Shallow criticism of the Bible and the people of God fails to understand this important truth.