TOLERANCE ISCF Leaders’ Train & Plan | 25 January 2010

◊ A WORLD ISSUE
Religious tolerance went on the public front burner after September 11, 2001. Suddenly, the world was confronted
with a truth they had long been trying to ignore: religion makes a difference in this world. The secular world has been
trying for centuries to try and forget that religion exists.

Over the last few decades in particular, many secular theorists (sociologists, historians, etc.) came to believe that with
the rise of science, reason and technology, religion would simply die out. September 11 was a rude awakening to the
fact that not only is religion alive and kicking (for better or for worse), it makes a big difference – particularly when
religious groups have beliefs that clash with others.

◊ A JAMES RUSE ISSUE

Tolerance has gotten onto our school’s radar recently, too. For many years, Christians have enjoyed many privileges
within the school community. But recently, pressure is being applied by a variety of groups to push Christianity out of
the comfortable position it enjoys. For instance:
› Year 7–8 Scripture is now opt-in, not opt-out
› Numerous alternatives are now offered for those who do not wish to attend the once-a-term church services
› Most recently, it has now been established that contributions to the end-of-year Carols Service are now open
to non-Christian groups, with a view to making the event itself a completely interfaith ‘Celebration Service’

None of these presents a problem in itself. We need to remember that Christianity has historically flourished not when
it enjoyed respect and dignity (e.g. the Holy Roman Empire), but when it was crushed and persecuted (e.g. the early
days of the Apostles, the underground church in China, etc.). However, it simply demonstrates that we need to be
thoughtful about how we relate to the other religions and cultural groups around us.

◊ A DAY-TO-DAY ISSUE
More than this, and perhaps most importantly, religious tolerance is really something that every one of us must wrestle
with on a daily basis. In fact, we all have a ‘working knowledge’ of tolerance, whether we consciously think about it
or not. To find out how you approach the issue of religious tolerance, you simply need to answer this question for
yourself: how do you view and respond to your friends of different religions? Are you okay to talk to your friends
about their religions? Have they ever asked you about Christianity? If so, how did you answer? How did the
conversation flow? This will reveal your understanding of religious tolerance.

◊ THE ALLEGATION
So, especially in recent times, here is the allegation that is levelled at Christians:

Christians are intolerant to be proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is wrong to proselytise people by
shoving your religion down their throats. We should let people believe what they want to believe and not try to
convert them to our point of view.

So – how do you respond to this? If someone confronted you with this allegation, what would you say?
◊ THE WORLD’S DEFINITION OF TOLERANCE
It’s vital to understand that this allegation rises very naturally out of a particular definition of religious tolerance.
According to the world’s definition, tolerance is about giving up any absolute and exclusive claim to truth. It goes
something like this: “Look, you think your religion is true and I think mine is true. If we can just agree that you
believe what’s true for you and I believe what’s true for me, then we can get along. Stop acting as if your view of truth
is the only correct one, and that I have to get myself in line with your view or vice versa. Let’s just agree that there are
different ways of going through life, different views of reality, different beliefs about right and wrong – and that they
are all equally valid.”

But there is a massive problem with that definition, and it can be revealed by realising that there is a massive problem
with the allegation that embodies it.

The problem with the allegation is this: saying that it is wrong to try to convert people to our point of view is itself
trying to convert people (namely, us) to your point of view, which is no more valid than ours. It is simply a Western,
individualistic and secularised point of view that has become the view of the wider culture.

It is not tolerance to give up any claim on truth and falsehood. It is not tolerance to say, “You believe what is right for
you, and I will believe what is right for me; neither of us will try to convince the other toward our own beliefs.” This
view is in fact utterly intolerant: it refuses to tolerate those who make truth claims! The problem is that saying no one
can make truth claims... is itself making a truth claim. The allegation, and the definition it stands upon, doesn’t work.

◊ A DEFINITION THAT ACTUALLY WORKS

Well then, if tolerance is not about giving up truth claims, then what is it about? Here is a definition that squares with
reality much better than the world’s definition. Tolerance is about how you love and serve those who hold
different beliefs to you. If you hate or oppress or kill those who hold different beliefs, you are intolerant. If you love
and sacrificially serve those who hold different beliefs, you are tolerant.

Notice that this definition allows people who disagree – people who believe fundamentally different things – to
discuss and engage each other on what they believe to be true. In fact, this definition encourages such discussion,
since if you allow someone to go on believing something that you believe is wrong and harmful, you are not loving
and serving them. One of the key ways to love and serve those who hold different beliefs to you is to participate in
dialogue with them about the reasonableness and truthfulness of what you both believe. This, then, is the ground we
stand upon, and the reason why we ought to continue to proclaim the truth of the Gospel and attempt to convince
others that it is true.

◊ WHY THE ALLEGATION STILL STICKS

However, the allegation has some ground in reality. We are guilty of not loving and sacrificially serving those who
hold different beliefs to ourselves. No one in the days of the early church called into question the ‘tolerance’ of the
early Christians; this was because it was so evident to outside observers that they loved and sacrificially served all
those around them – even those who believed differently to them. Listen to this quote from a letter by Julian the
Apostate, the Roman emperor from 361–363AD, who attempted to revive the worship of the Roman pantheon of gods
throughout the Empire. He found that the love and sacrificial service of Christians was his chief obstacle:

“These [Christians] not only feed their own poor, but ours also; welcoming them into their [love], they attract [the
poor] as children are attracted [to] cakes.”

“Whilst the pagan priests neglect the poor, the hated [Christians] devote themselves to works of charity, and by a
display of compassion have established and given effect to their [harmful] errors. See their love-feasts, and their
tables spread for the [needy]. Such practice is common among them, and causes contempt for our gods.”