Ask the Pastor

A forum for people who are earnestly searching for Truth

Question: "Are Christians intolerant of people from other religions?"

Answer:  
Sometimes we Christians do come across in an arrogant, self-righteous way that smacks of intolerance. I heard about a preacher on campus who was very hostile and insulting of university students. In my opinion, he was a poor representative of Jesus Christ. However, most Christians are not that way. Christians are basically tolerant of people from other religions and persuasions. In a pluralistic society, it is necessary for all of us to get along, to respect the personhood and rights of one another. We are an ideologically and religiously diverse people, and unless we learn to live in mutual care and respect, our society won’t be able to survive as a free democracy.

Having said these things, I want to speak to a related issue. In a pluralistic society, and particularly in a university campus setting like UCSD where comparative religions and anthropology courses abound, it is hard not to be influenced by religious and moral relativism. A climate of relativism causes many students and faculty to interpret any strong religious belief, including Christian belief, as intolerance, often resulting in misunderstanding, disrespect, and sometimes ridicule toward those who hold these views.

The assumption is that one cannot believe in any absolute truth or moral values without being intolerant. But that’s really not the case. Actually every major religion has some non-negotiable “truths” that contradict the beliefs of other religions. And all the founders of the world’s major religions had teachings that were different from one another, and in many cases, were mutually exclusive of one another. For example, the nature of God, the nature of humankind, the need for salvation of some kind, the means of salvation, and the concept of afterlife are essential teachings of all major religions, and most religions hold mutually exclusive points of view on these things.

Is it being intolerant to believe in something or Someone that others don’t believe in? It seems to me that that’s not intolerant, unless the believers feel a need to force everyone else to believe what they believe, or unless they belittle those who disagree with them. Actually, I believe it is much more intolerant to treat people of religious conviction as if their convictions are of no value. Or, just as bad, as if they are equally valid with everyone else’s religious belief. The only way that can be true when dealing with mutually exclusive truth claims is if all religious beliefs are equally invalid. That viewpoint shows disrespect for the convictions of all religious believers, and relegates them to the area of fantasy or fiction, as if hey have no relevance in the REAL and objective world.

Tolerance is a two-edged sword that cuts both directions. We Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We believe Jesus loves every person and people group, that He died for our sins, that He rose from death and now, as risen and living Savior of the world, offers to every human being a personal love relationship and the gift of eternal life. Further, we believe that every person on this planet deserves the opportunity to hear about Christ’s love and to respond to His invitation to eternal life. We hold these beliefs with the utmost love and respect for all human beings, including those of other religions or those who have no religion at all. We ask that you seek to be tolerant of us, as we seek to be of you. May God bless you in every way.

Ask The Pastor Archives: "Why should I believe in GOD?"
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