Are Christians Intolerant?

With the passing of the reverend Jerry Falwell this week, I was reading a website where readers were able to leave comments. Many Christians who were associated with the reverend spoke with great admiration of the great example he left and things he accomplished for Christ. At the same time, there were others who felt quite the contrary. One fellow wrote of Mr. Falwell's "intolerance" in that he believed that all non-Christians were going to hell.

When I read this, I felt a sad pit in my stomach. It's the same feeling of grief I often get when I hear of people speaking the way this fellow did. Yes, it is true that we believers believe as Jerry Falwell does. But it is not out of intolerance. That is what is so frustrating. If we Christians decided that we wanted to make ourselves better than others so we made up this belief that everyone else was so much more worse than us that they are going to hell, then that would be intolerant. But we are not motivated that way. The Christian response to those who are apart from Christ is driven by love. We warn about the dangers of hell because we don't want anyone to go there. It is out of love that we share Christ.

The apostle Paul wrote, "Since we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men...For the love of Christ compels us because we are convinced that one [Jesus] died for all..."

Christians are those whose lives have been turned upside down by the love of Jesus; who have had their eyes open to this "love that surpasses knowledge". Our message is that someone has suffered and died in your place to pay for a debt that wasn't his. Is that intolerant? No.

The unwillingness, or maybe just spiritual inability, of people to see Christian truth any other way than intolerant, is a sober reminder of what the Bible describes as the world under the deception and blindness of the prince of darkness. Of course, if such a soul were to read this, they would shout "intolerance".

Is it then just a matter of irreconcilable differences? I don't think so. With the Lord, nothing is impossible. I, as well as others believers, were all one time at odds with the faith. I remember my own feelings of hostility when confronted with the message of sin and forgiveness. It is an almost irrational sense of offense that responds in anger. It is what the Bible describes as being in a state of sin. Yet the Lord was able to make his light shine in my heart.

All we Christians can do is to show as much grace, kindness and love as possible. It opens the door so that even those who may be offended by the faith will at least listen. And it is by hearing the word of Christ that faith comes (Romans 10:17). Our attitude that we project should be one of inclusion. We are not going to heaven because we are better. We are not superior, but it is simply one beggar showing another where he may find bread.