Is the Church Too Tolerant?

Critics would charge just the opposite. they would say that Christians are too intolerant; we alienate, condemn, embarrass, and shun people we should be reaching. And indeed there is a move afoot to portray the American Church as a bigoted, dogmatic, narrow-minded bunch. But despite the Fred Phelps' of the world, it appears the American Church is actually drifting Left when it comes to tolerance.

George Barna has been compiling statistics on the Church for decades.  But a review of last year's research conducted by the Barna Group provides "a time-lapse portrayal of how the religious environment in the U.S. is morphing into something new." From Six Themes of Change in the Church:

The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over the Christian Church. Our biblical illiteracy and lack of spiritual confidence has caused Americans to avoid making discerning choices for fear of being labeled judgmental. The result is a Church that has become tolerant of a vast array of morally and spiritually dubious behaviors and philosophies. This increased leniency is made possible by the very limited accountability that occurs within the body of Christ. There are fewer and fewer issues that Christians believe churches should be dogmatic about. The idea of love has been redefined to mean the absence of conflict and confrontation, as if there are no moral absolutes that are worth fighting for. That may not be surprising in a Church in which a minority believes there are moral absolutes dictated by the scriptures.

Events like the recent Big Tent Christianity operate on the assumption that the Church's intolerance, among other things, has narrowed the parameters of God's House. Barna's findings, however, reveal just the opposite. We "avoid making discerning choices for fear of being labeled judgmental" and are increasingly lenient, believing there are fewer issues to be dogmatic about.

So is the Church intolerant or too tolerant?

Those who typically charge Christians with intolerance often do so by pointing to Jesus. He loved the outcast, they say. He accepted sinners and offered forgiveness. And indeed He did! However, I must admit: Jesus does not strike me as a great role model for tolerance.

Was Jesus tolerant when He said, "If you do not believe I am the one I claim to be, you will die in your sins" (Jn. 8:24)?
Was Jesus tolerant when He said He was the only way to God (Jn. 14:6)?
Was Jesus tolerant when He drove the money changers from the temple (Matt. 21:12)?
Was Jesus tolerant when He claimed not to bring peace, but a sword (Lk. 12:51)?
Was Jesus tolerant when He drove away potential disciples by saying they must eat His flesh and drink His blood (Jn. 6:66)?
Was Jesus tolerant when He called the religious leaders "hypocrites, "serpents," and a "brood of vipers" (Matt. 23)?
Was Jesus tolerant when He told the invalid He'd healed to "Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you" (Jn. 5:14)?
Was Jesus tolerant when He warned of "false Christs" and "false prophets" who would deceive many (Matt. 24:24)?
Was Jesus tolerant when He spoke about hell (Matt. 13:42, Matt. 25:41, Lk. 16:24)?
Was Jesus tolerant when he told the prostitute to "go and sin no more" (Jn. 8:11)?

All that to say, Jesus does not strike me as a model for "tolerance." He was pretty black and white. He challenged people's sins, incited controversy, and actively drove others away. Heck, even those He forgave He challenged to stop sinning unless something worse happen. Yikes! Of course, this is not to diminish the fact that Jesus WAS kind and loving, that He wooed people to Himself through His grace and mirth. The point is, the "tolerant Jesus" portrayed by many critics and/or religious liberals is a myth.

The above article summarizes, "There is a place for tolerance in Christianity; knowing when and where to draw the line appears to perplex a growing proportion of Christians in this age of tolerance."

When it comes to tolerance, "knowing when and where to draw the line" is the issue.

The "new tolerance" renegotiates lines. The "old tolerance" reinforces them. The "new tolerance," rather than expounding the boundaries of the Church, actually eliminates the boundaries for the Church. For where there are boundaries, there must be intolerance. Alas, what the Religious Left really seeks is not tolerance, but fewer boundaries.

So what do you think, is the Church intolerant or not tolerant enough?