Is tolerance good?
It is popular to see oneself today as “tolerant”. Such is often equated with an enlightened view towards other people; a view that sees value and worth and dignity in others. Conversely, to be “intolerant” is often equated with bigotry and prejudice: a view that sees others as inferior and defective. Certainly there are areas where we ought to be tolerant of others: a human being has great value and worth regardless of the color of their skin. But simply because we can all agree that “tolerance” is a very good thing when it comes to something like the color of your skin, does that mean that tolerance is good in everything? Should we tolerate murderers and kidnappers? I think we would all agree that such things are decidedly intolerable! It becomes obvious then that there are some things we should tolerate, while there are other things we should not tolerate. To categorize a person who desires to take a firm stand on a religious issue as being “intolerant” is likely to be no more a bad thing than saying a person who is against murder or kidnapping is intolerant! Simply attaching the label of “tolerant” or “intolerant” to a person does little in the way of actually allowing us to come to a moral judgment on the goodness and soundness of their beliefs and ideas. For instance, it is very popular for people to say things like: “all roads lead to heaven” or “One religion is just as good as another”. Apparently they see such statements as being quite tolerant and therefore, quite good. Conversely, anyone who seems to disagree with such statements is quickly dismissed as being intolerant, that is, apparently quite bad. The actual goodness or soundness of such statements cannot be understood by simply attaching a label like “tolerance” to them.
Was Jesus intolerant?
Would Jesus tolerate the idea that “all roads lead to heaven” or that “one religion is just as good as another”? To answer that fairly, consider the words of Jesus in John 14:6:
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus statement here really doesn’t need much explanation. He was pretty clear on this matter of many ways or many roads to heaven. So clear as to make it virtually impossible to reconcile Jesus statement in John 14:6 to the modern notion that all religions are just as good as another. As if this were not enough, consider what Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14;
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. “
Jesus was decidedly intolerant of the idea of many roads all leading to heaven. But the real issue is: was his intolerance a good thing or a bad thing? Perhaps an analogy would help clarify the matter. Instead of looking at the idea of tolerance in a religious context, let’s put it in the context of physical health. If, for instance, you found out that a loved one has cancer and that they were going to their Dentist for treatment …would you not be concerned about such? And when you asked them why on earth they are going to their Dentist to get treatment for cancer they answer back (rather smugly): “Look, one doctor is just as good as another!” Would you actually be satisfied with such a response? Would you tolerate it? After all, cancer is a life or death issue and to merely conclude “One Doctor is as good as another” is probably not a very good way of dealing with an issue of such magnitude. Well, I think you see the point. And the greater point is in understanding that in Mt. 7:13-14 Jesus was dealing with an issue of even greater magnitude than mere physical life. The “life” he spoke of wasn’t just concerning the 70 or 80 years we have here in this earth. He was speaking of eternal life. And eternity is, after all, a rather long time. If we can see the foolishness of treating a life threatening disease with the attitude of “one doctor is just as good as another” …can we not see the greater foolishness of treating something as profound as our eternal life with rather flippant “One religion is just as good as another”?
When it comes to treating something as serious as cancer, it turns out that one kind of doctor isn’t just as good as another. Likewise, when you are dealing with something as serious as your eternal destiny, one “way” isn’t just as good as another. As far as getting back to God (and into heaven) is concerned – there is but one road, one way: and that is only through Jesus himself. All other roads are intolerable.