If someone says you’re intolerant, just what does that mean? Well, it means that you are prejudiced, narrow-minded, a fanatic, biased, chauvinistic, well you know, just an ole stick in the mud. Wow! That sounds really bad, especially knowing that as a very conservative (bad word) Christian (another bad word), I fit the bill! I’m very dogmatic about what I believe, so therefore, I’m an intolerant ignorant jerk, especially since my beliefs don’t coincide with the current flow of horse hockey the liberal left keeps shoveling on my shoes and calling it deliciously aromatic cuisine. No, what they shovel still looks and smells like horse hockey. It is horse hockey!

The general thought of the world around us it to “live and let live,” meaning basically that everyone does their own thing, anything is okay, no consequences for our actions, nothing is our fault, blah, blah, blah, que sera, sera. So if we go against the general consensus of the majority, then we, say they, are a trouble maker.

Being a conservative Christian does not mean that I’m even insinuating that I am perfect or always right. Oh contraire, anyone who knows me would beg to differ. My wife could knock that notion out of the water in a second. So away with that thought.

Being a conservative Christian also does not mean that I’m hiding behind bushes in an attempt to catch someone doing something that I think is wrong, although, that is how we are pictured by the liberal elite, very intolerant of others. Look, I have enough to deal with in trying to keep me in line. I do care if you mess up your life, but it’s your life. If that is what you want, then have at it. I’ll pray for you, but that is all any Christian can do.

To me anyway, a conservative Christian is simply a true Christian who actually believes what the Bible says, the Bible being the very words of God Almighty. Also, we believe that if God said it, then that settles it, and that is the way it should be. Now that is a simplified version, but pretty much it in a nutshell, and yes we are intolerant, if it means we do not accept those standards that are contrary to God’s Word.

Actually, if you think about it, the most intolerant people on the planet are those who claim to be tolerant. That would be the left-wing liberal, goody-two-shoes, tree-hugging, go green, blind, it’s all about me crowd. These idiots are so full of hot air, they could blow up an onion sack, and there sure are a lot of those floating around.

BULLETIN! I know someone who is even more intolerant than the politically self-serving liberals. He is even more intolerant than we mean ole conservative Christians. His name is Jesus. He is God. Let’s see what He says about just a few things.

·        Eat from that tree, and you’ll die. Genesis 2:16-17

·        I’m the only one you are allowed to worship. Exodus 20:3

·        You can’t have any idols. Exodus 20:4

·        Respect my name. Exodus 20:7

·        Keep the Sabbath holy. Exodus 20:8

·        Honor your parents (male/female). Exodus 20:12

·        Don’t murder. Exodus 20:13

·        Don’t cheat on your spouse. Exodus 20:14

·        Don’t steal. Exodus 20:15

·        Don’t lie. Exodus 20:16

·        Don’t covet. Exodus 20:17

·        If you obey me, you love me. John 14:15

·        If you don’t obey me, you are not my friend. John 15:14

·        If you serve me, you must follow me. John 12:26

·        I, Jesus, am God. John 10:30

·        No one can come to God except through me. John 14:6

·        Homosexuality is a sin. Romans 1:18-32

·        I was born of a virgin. Matthew 1:23

·        I rose from the grave. 1 Corinthians 15:4

·        I instituted capital punishment for your benefit. Genesis 9:6

·        If you don’t believe in me, you are condemned. John 3:18

·        I will cast those into the lake of fire who refuse to be saved through me. Matthew 10:28

·        I won’t be mocked. You will reap what you sow. Galatians 6:7

·        All of you are sinners, and fall short of my glory. Romans 3:23

·        Your sins will pay you with death. I can give you eternal life. Romans 6:23

·        Nobody is righteous, no one. Romans 3:10

·        None of you understand. Romans 3:11

·        None of you seek me. Romans 3:11

·        Nobody does good, not one. Romans 3:12

·        None of you are any count. Romans 3:10-18

·        I raise the dead to life. John 12:17

·        I am coming back. Revelation 2:5, 16; 3:11; 22:7, 12, 20

·        I will judge those who defile the marriage bed. Hebrews 13:4

Well, let’s stop there. This is only a drop in the proverbial bucket out of the Scriptures of what Jesus has said and done. The Apostle John tells us there was much more that was not even recorded in the Scriptures. John 21:25

Obviously, it is not wrong to be intolerant if intolerance means you respectfully

stand on correct principles. So where lies the problem? When the Devil’s crowd accuses Christians of being intolerant, what are they actually saying? They are saying that we do not agree with them, so therefore we are being stubborn, judgmental, and intolerant. Apparently then, the problem with intolerance lies in the source of why we are being intolerant. If my source is my opinion and it conflicts with God’s opinion, then I am being unnecessarily intolerant. However, if I am simply refusing to go contrary to God’s opinion, then my intolerance is in line with my obedience to God, and it is acceptable to Him.

Other words that are related to “intolerant” are bigoted, prejudiced, fanatical, narrow-minded, biased, dogmatic and opinionated. The liberal left would have us believe that any of these words are descriptions of closed-minded Christians. So in other words, if the majority says that two plus two equals five, but I say it equals four, then I’m being intolerant, according to them. Even though the math text book says it equals four, I’m being intolerant. Now does that make any sense?

Think about this, keeping in mind the math text book and our simple math problem, I believe homosexuality is a sin and will be judged by God. The text book, the Bible, confirms my belief. So I agree with God instead of the liberal left, but they say I am intolerant, and they don’t mean it in a nice way.

I believe that if a man and woman live together as a married couple but are not married to each other, it is a sin and will be judged by God. It’s called “shacking up.” The text book, the Bible, says so, but the liberal left screams not so.

I believe that abortion is nothing short of murder, plain and simple. The textbook, the Bible, says so. It is a sin and will be judged by God. So I’m the trouble-maker?! Is that reasonable? Jesus said,

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

Here is where the problem lies. You can’t reason with someone who won’t listen to reason. Jesus said in the previous verse, “Let’s talk about this and reason this out.” When people are eaten up with sin in their lives and refuse to believe the text book, there is no reasoning with them. They are always right, in their minds, and you are always wrong, in their minds.

What would happen at a basketball game if the referees had to ignore the rule book? You would need no referees. Each player would make their own rules and change them at will. There would be no standard to follow.

This is where society is today. We have thrown out the rule book, the Bible, and there are no standards to follow.

“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25)

When society gets to this point, and we have, anyone who chooses to follow the rule book, the Bible, is intolerant, judgmental, and a trouble-maker.

Okay, I’m intolerant. If it means that even though I’m not perfect, I insist on following the rule book (textbook), the Bible, then I’m guilty. But if it means I hate my brother because they disagree, then you are guilty, because you falsely accuse.

“Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” (1 Peter 3:16)

Many Christians today are scared to death to be classified as intolerant. Perhaps that is why they won’t speak up when they know what they are hearing and seeing is totally contrary to the Word of God. Our country is in shambles simply because those who claim to be Christians have chosen to not speak out for Christ.

There may be another reason in addition to “fear.” You may actually believe that which is contrary to God’s Word. If that be the case, God help you. I would rather be intolerant for Jesus Christ and condemned by the world, than tolerant for Satan and accepted by the world. Now you get to choose.

Grant Phillips

grantphillips@windstream.net

My articles are posted at “Pre-Rapture Commentary” http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com and many are also posted at “Rapture Ready” http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html