Tolerance Test
This is from http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/
"May I suggest a tolerance test?
a) Dump your old car oil on the beach and see if emerging people tolerate it.
b) Use the names on someones group email to sell your book, and see if the emerging people you are spamming tolerate it.
c) Dress up as prosperity preacher, fly to the poorest country in Africa and offer to preach in their churches. Take up an offering at every church. Tell the young believers that God will reward their generosity. Keep doing it until you have $20,000. Fly home on a first class flight and buy a new car with your profits. Then tell the emerging church people what you have done and see if they tolerate it.
Reality check: If i say something on my blog that is not right, judgment will come swiftly and harshly upon me, within hours, within minutes. We believe in right and wrong. We make value judgments based on right and wrong. We do not tolerate evil. Must not. I am not tolerating wrong teaching by standing up against it.
- Don't believe in sin?
Then there should not be a problem with dropping bombs in Iraq."
posted by Dan Price @ 1:09 PM
5 Comments:
Unfortunately, tolerance can go too far. I think taking it "too far" stems from an absurd extreme postmodernism where as Ken Wilber puts it "there is nothing but interpretation, and thus we can dispense with the objective component of truth altogether." (He then says "in which case this theory cannot itself claim to be true: 'So, if true, it is false. So, it is false.'")
Backers of 100% Tolerance would side with the Extreme Postmodernist in saying that no viewpoint is better than another since all perspectives are simply perspectives from perspectives. Of course people can claim this until, like you said, somebody steps on THEIR toes.
And yet - Jesus blew down walls and boundaries and displayed embarrasing levels of acceptance and grace. It's a weird balance to walk and an even weirder world to live in. But I'm lovin' every moment of it...
Jesus accepted all those who came to him or welcomed him or inquired of him. He did not tolerate those who opposed him or tried to mislead others.
-- Dan Benson
http://fixedandconsidering.typepad.com/fixedandconsidering/
Interesting blog. I'll be back to read more...
I'm sorry but I disagree with Mr. Benson.. I think that when Christ was up on the cross and he's saying "Father forgive them".. in my opinion, that's being pretty tolerant of those who obviously opposed Him. Just a respectful thought...
Wow, interesting thoughts everyone. I'm just throwing things up on my blog that I think are thoughtful. It is interesting to see how we frame different topics and what kind of correlation it has in our minds. I would have to agree that those who would back 100% tolerance of everything would be extreme in their views. I'll have to think more about whether this is useful to talk about or not...
Thanks for all the comments!
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