TOLERANCE AND GOD

We are living in a very
difficult time in our world. We live in a world where tolerance is often
demanded by those in our society and our government. One definition of
tolerance which I read said, that: "Tolerance is being forced to put up
with something with which you disagree" .

Recently in California a law was passed saying that if a
boy feels that he was really a girl or a girl feels that she is really a boy;
that they must be allowed to use whatever dressing room or shower room they
desire in the public schools. In other words a boy may join you daughter in the
school showers and you daughter may join the boys in their school shower. Also,
a law was passed that said that if your son or daughter had these inclinations
that you are forbidden (by law) as a parent to seek counseling for them. This
is some folk's idea of what tolerance should be like.

As I consider this I think
their idea of tolerance is just plain crazy! It's not unlike the Calvin and
Hobbes cartoon which was run not long ago.

Calvin and Hobbes are shown walking through the
snow. Hobbes asks: "How are you doing on your New
Year's resolutions?"



Calvin replies: "I didn't make any. See, in order to improve oneself, one
must have some idea of what's 'good.' That implies certain values. But as we
all know, values are relative. Every system of belief is equally valid and we
need to tolerate diversity. Virtue isn't 'better' than vice. It's just
different."



Hobbes replies: "I don't know if I can tolerate that much tolerance."

Calvin response was: "I refuse to be victimized by notions of virtuous
behavior."

That in a nutshell is the
problem. People demand tolerance of their ideas based upon the concept that
there can be no right or wrong, no good or bad. This flies in the face of all
of us who were raised with strong moral and ethical values. Yes, I will readily
admit that my values are based upon God's Word, the bible, but then to begin
with so were most of the laws of our land.

To declare that there is no
true right or wrong, no definable good or bad is ludicrous. There have to be
constant's by which we can guide our society or it will crumble around us,
which is what I am afraid is beginning to happen. It is like declaring a three
egg omelet is good, because it only had one bad egg in it. You can say it is
good, but that does not make it so.

We see developing in our
country a path, a way that is taking us away from everything that made us a
great nation. "The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the godly
will flourish. There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends
in death." (Proverbs 14:11-12, NLT) Is there truly no right or
wrong, no good or bad? God say that there is. Notice what he says in Revelation
21:8 "But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those
who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars, their fate is in
the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death, (an eternal
separation from God)."

Some today are saying,
"Who is this God? He's not real! He is only the remnants of an old
mystical teaching. Psalms 14:1, tells us: "Only fools say in their hearts,
'There is no God.' They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of
them does good!" You can be tolerant of evil or you can decide
that there really is a right way to live. The choice is yours!

MY CURRENT MOST HATED EXPRESSION

Have you ever heard someone say something really dumb? I mean something
that indicates that they really haven't thought before they spoke. Here are a
couple of examples:

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"A
fellow nurse at my hospital received a call from an anxious woman. 'I'm
diabetic and I'm afraid I've had too much sugar today,' she said. 'Are you
light-headed?' my colleague asked. 'No," the caller answered, "I'm a
brunette.'

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Here's
another dumb statement: "Most cars on our roads have only one occupant,
usually the driver." (Carol Malia, Anchorwoman).

OK, we can all read these statements and realize that they were not
thought through before they came out of the peoples mouths. Granted these
things are just dumb, they have no lasting consequence or importance in the
grand scheme of things, but shouldn't we think before we speak?

My current most hated expression is "Oh
My God." I am so sick of hearing this pop out of the mouth of almost
everyone I meet. It seems that no one can express surprise anymore without
misusing the name of God in what they say. You hear it a hundred times a day on
television as well as on the radio. We as a people have lost our respect and
reverence for the creator of our universe, our Heavenly Father, our God, when
we use His name in such a frivolous way.

Have you heard someone casually use the name
of our God as a curse, an exclamation of frustration or even surprise? Sure you
have, maybe you've done it yourself. That is only a small example of one way we
can speak out of habit rather than through thought. Let me encourage you
however to start thinking before you speak. There are things that are of more
consequence to us than we sometime think! Let me encourage you to say something
to those who do this and remind them just who's name they are invoking.

 

Jesus speaking in Matthew
12:35-37 says, "The good man out
of his good store gives good things; and the evil man out of his evil store
gives evil things. And I say to you that in the day when they are judged, men
will have to give an account of every foolish word they have said. For
by your words will your righteousness be seen, and by your words you will be
judged."

So how about it, how about stopping
and thinking before you speak, especially when you are speaking about things that
will effect your eternity. After all Jesus said the things that come out of our
mouths, are a result of what has been stored up inside of us. Yes, you can say
you are sorry for having said something, but wouldn't it have been easier not
to have said it at all.