I Guess Im Intolerant

My Political Philosophy professor finds it amusing when I speak in front of the class. And he doesn’t mind even if what I’m talking about is subtly bashing his beliefs and religious convictions. This afternoon, for the nth time, he made me talk about Christianity and what my personal beliefs would say about our topic, and though he’s a Muslim (a Suffi to be exact) he allocates a portion of his class time for me to gush about my Jesus. I seriously don’t mind, duh. He listens to my arguments and does it with the biggest smile on his face. I mentioned that his beliefs are considered heretic in mine, but he doesnt care, he even encourages me to talk some more. It's plurality he says.

     In the past, tolerance was such a far-fetched concept to Catholics. They were very intolerant to say the least. They have burnt millions of people they believed to be heretic and had a very sophisticated manner of torturing those who wouldn’t recant. Intolerance in those eras has ostracized other religions, prosecuted protestants, massacred Jews and burnt countless of women whom they believed to practice witchcraft. and the list of horrifying deeds go on. With all these things said, you would imagine how appalled my classmates were when I said I TOO AMINTOLERANT.

    Okay, let me first qualify my answer. For most of you, you know im not the type of person who would shave your head and burn you at the stake once i would know of your unbelief. Obviously, im talking about a contemporary definition of intolerance- which has evolved politically and socially over the years.

    So for the sake of having a clean-cut discussion on the topic, ill stick to this definition which my professor insists on and i would like to disagree with.

TOLERANCE:  The belief that multiple religions or secular world views are legitimate and valid. Each is true when viewed from within its own culture. It is accepting varrying practices and principles some people believe in.

    If that's the case, then I'm intolerant.

    "The Christian is most often claimed to be "intolerant" when he refuses to accept and speaks out against "alternative lifestyles," such as cohabitation or homosexual behavior"

     Yes, I'm not afraid to say that I am against homosexuality... and i believe that it is wrong, so is abortion, and witchcraft, and premarital sex, and alcoholism, and things like that. And yes, I believe in an absolute truth. And yes, I also believe in one God who will judge everyone in the after life because I believe in HELL and that sinners will get roasted in it unless they repent and acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and Savior because He is the ONLY way. 

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6

      But unlike some people think, my so-called intolerance doesnt cause me to harbor hatred, in fact God commands me to do otherwise and show His love to those who are lost. My intolerance is non-coercive unlike in the medieval times, i merely shun or frown on certain behavior or attitudes that i deem sinful, unjust or in some way inappropriate, but i never impose. How i wish i could, but Christianity doesnt work that way.

       I know people who practice heresy and yet i love them still. I have friends who are homosexuals, who cohabit with their lovers, who watch pornography, who worship Budha, who rejects Jesus and some who don't believe in His existence at all. This is a pretty harsh statement, but I believe they're all headed in hell, just like all sinners, just like me five years ago. But the best part is, they don't have to.. if and only if they'd believe in Jesus and surrender their lives to Him, repent and turn from anything the Bible calls sin.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23

 The love of God in my heart never ever led me to condemn these people... i have zero tolerance with their sinful acts, but i have genuine love for them, love them so much that i pray for them everyday and wish so hard that their eyes may be opened to God’s saving truth. It's the least i could do after knowing what Jesus did to save a wretched, damned girl like me.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we
 were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

       This post is a little bit muddled for now, i sort of am in a hurry. But let me end with this one.

       My professor gave me five minutes to talk in answering this question, "Bernice, how important really is conversion? And do people really need to be converted?"

 I went up in front and explained. My ideas though, weren’t entirely mine, but by my friend Ardie. He told me, "Diba Nice, it's really not about 'conversion'? But it's about sharing God's love to people? You share your faith to others, and let them decide for themselves. Coercion was never the goal of Christianity, but to spread the love of Christ to the world."

 Those werent the exact words, but im pretty sure it's close. Hearing him say that was really something. I just hope people understand it as much as Ardie does. And yes, the answer is yes, people need to be SAVED. Billions are indulging themselves in sin, millions are believing in some false religion, worshiping false gods and are walking in the wrong path. So many of my friends strongly adhere to certain belief systems which are not of God, and it breaks my heart to see them that way. PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW JESUS, they NEED to be saved. That's why we have missionaries, that's why we have martyrs, that's why we have churches and campus ministers, preachers, and evangelists...that's the reason why I'm posting this blog.