The 'Gospel' of Tolerance: You Must Approve

By Jennifer Hartline
9/6/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Judge not me nor anything I say, do, or want, lest ye be judged intolerant

The Gospel of Tolerance really only has one rule: thou shalt tolerate any action, belief, lifestyle, agenda, and person except the person who believes a certain lifestyle, action or agenda is wrong and has the gall to say so out loud. The real goal here is not acceptance but submission. It's not enough to "get along" or tolerate quietly. You must approve. You don't dare disapprove publicly. Those who don't tow the line will be punished.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (Catholic Online) - Stacy Trasancos is one gutsy Catholic. Last week she wrote a little blog post about how she's getting tired of wondering "what in tarnation we're going to encounter" every time she and her kids leave the house. Two men ogling each other at the pool? Two women engaged in public displays of affection in the park? These are scenes she'd rather her young children not be exposed to every time they go out in public, but it's become impossible to avoid in her community.

For having the nerve to express her objection to immorality, she's become the object of wrath and nasty threats from homosexual activists. Those who understand how Stacy feels (count me in) also know that her real crime is that she has rejected the Gospel of Tolerance.

The Gospel of Tolerance really only has one rule: thou shalt tolerate any action, belief, lifestyle, agenda, and person except the person who believes a certain lifestyle, action or agenda is wrong and has the gall to say so out loud. The Gospel of Tolerance requires that you have no objection to that which it says must be tolerated. In fact, it requires that you not even question that which it says must be tolerated.

Noncompliance will not be tolerated.

The Gospel of Tolerance only contains one verse: "Judge not, lest ye be judged." It should be edited, however, to read more accurately, "Judge not me nor anything I say, do, or want, lest ye be judged intolerant." In the vocabulary of the Gospel of Tolerance, sin has no meaning. It has no concept at all.

Those who preach this gospel have fashioned a "christianity" more to their liking, since the real thing cannot be tolerated. Theirs is a toothless kitten; soft, warm, cuddly, sleepy and sentimental. Its only purpose is to soothe and affirm. It makes no demands. It certainly will not tolerate any demands forthcoming!

If their christianity has a savior at all, he is merely an amiable, sympathetic mascot for their cause and the only thing he ever said was "Don't judge." The only "sin" to require forgiving is the sin of intolerance, which of course is only committed by those who object to being told what they can and can't object to.

The Gospel of Tolerance is a ruse; it's just a marketing ploy. The real goal here is submission. It's not enough to "get along" or tolerate quietly. You must approve. You don't dare disapprove publicly. Those who don't tow the line will be punished.

Just ask the teachers who've been suspended for expressing opposition to gay "marriage." Or the Catholic health care facilities being told they must dispense contraception against their explicit beliefs; or the Catholic adoption agencies that must close down to avoid being forced to place children with homosexual couples against their explicit beliefs (beliefs they're supposed to have the freedom to live by).

Ask the business owners now fighting lawsuits because they don't wish to participate in gay weddings or receptions. When did they lose the right to run their own business as they wish? Under the Gospel of Tolerance, there is no freedom to disagree, no right to object. You must submit. Either carry the banner or risk losing your livelihood and liberty.

Well here's a radical piece of truth for you: tolerance is not a virtue. It's not a moral victory to acquiesce to evil.

"We need to remember that tolerance is not a Christian virtue. Charity, justice, mercy, prudence, honesty -- these are Christian virtues. And obviously, in a diverse community, tolerance is an important working principle. But it's never an end in itself. In fact, tolerating grave evil within a society is itself a form of serious evil." - Archbishop Chaput

It used to be that we could hate the sin and love the sinner, but the problem is now we're not allowed to hate the sin anymore! We have to love the sin, celebrate the sin, and above all, stop calling it sin!

It's not intolerant to make the judgment that something is morally wrong and oppose it. Just as sex does not equal love, neither does tolerance! There is such a thing as sin, and it leads to death, and Love demands that we tell our brothers and sisters the truth so that they might decide to reject sin and gain life.

Christians now find themselves in the sobering territory of the new Dark Ages, when evil is called good and darkness is ...

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1 - 10 of 58 Comments

terig
1 year ago
Great article. Everything I've been thinking but can't articulate like you can. I will be passing this article on to my friends and family. We have a right to believe this lifestyle is a sin. It's called religious freedom.
E. Burke
1 year ago
The thesis of this article expresses feelings that are not uncommon judging by comments and worthy of discussion with all sides participating so that we may be able to advance the debate instead of just making the same points repeatedly.
Please understand if the below argument appears one-sided; it is because I am using a quote from this article. Certainly both sides can do more to state a problem accurately.

One thing that would help to advance understanding is to accurately describe a problem or complaint, for example, when the author says that " because I believe that . . . marriage only exists between a man and a woman . . . I'm the one who's called an enemy of freedom and human rights and an intolerant bigot."

While that is the way many anti-gay marriage folks see it, and it's ok as far as it goes, but it doesn't the real complaint that pro-gay marriage folks see it, and so it is not complete but only elicits a response from pro-gay folks such as - "it is not the anti-gay BELIEFS that creates conflict, it is rather their ACTIONS, e.g., to pass legislation imposing those religious beliefs on everybody by force of law."

To sum up, a talking point that omits the real objection it just elicits an opposing talking point in response, and going back and forth like this does not take the discussion further.
Esther Ventura Ferencz
1 year ago
I have come back Jennifer to POST this article on some friends walls on facebook~~It has so POWERFULLY touched my friends. WE need more TRUTH and in your face commentary as this, so PLEASE DONT STOP!
JeanCatherine
1 year ago
a.mcewen

Who said were playing victims were standing up for religious rights. Rights that might be taken away because of so called tolerance.

By the way ever been over to the Courage Apostolate set up by the Catholic Church?

How tolerant do you think this website is? God Bless.
S. Hay
1 year ago
Further thoughs on tolerance.

“Tolerance is an attitude of reasoned patience toward evil, and a forbearance that restrains us from showing anger or inflicting punishment. But what is more important than the definition is the field of its application. The important point here is this: Tolerance applies only to persons, but never to truth. Intolerance applies only to truth, but never to persons. Tolerance applies to the erring; intolerance to the error.” Old Errors and New Labels -FULTON SHEEN

“In reality, “tolerance” has done more to suppress religion than has any persecution. It has left us not only afraid to debate about our beliefs; it has made us afraid even to discuss them.”

-G.K. Chesterton

“Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference, which is an elegant name for ignorance." –G.K.Chesterton
a.mcewen
1 year ago
You give "tolerance" to a dog, not to a human being. If the young lady does not like seeing gays "oogling" each other at the pool and the park, she should go somewhere else or stay inside. It is a free country and while people have the right to their definitions of "sin," they don't have the right to define it for others. Sorry but she is in the wrong here.

And by the way, some of those response were intelligent and concise. Why must u all always play the victim here. You are NOT being persecuted by simply being reminded that not everyone feels the same as you about matters such as homosexuality.
NotacafeteriaCatholic
1 year ago
I wish all Catholics had the wit to stand up for what is right as you both have. You are in my prayers...and thank you for allowing the light of Christ to shine through you in a time of such darkness. 'Blessed are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of man' Lk 6:22
Paul Stanner
1 year ago
Dear Jenifer :

Kudos to you Ma'am. An excellent and long overdue article. It's way past time for Christians and Catholics , who are probably the most reviled group in America , to get DAMN angry at this idiocy and say forcefully --- NO MORE !!! Even Jesus tossed a good temple after all.

Please be advised however that all is not lost. For the rest of the story click the link below.

Paul Stanner { Your Baptist friend in The Middle Cosmos }

http://crackernationnews.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/there-is-a-promise-coming-down-that-dusty-road/
Esther Ventura Ferencz
1 year ago
WOW and WOW again Jennifer you wrote an awesome piece on TRUTH! Yes you spoke as I DO and I am a woman who is a grammy, I have said and spoken as YOU in many ways and forums and have been chastised and called a BIGOT. Hate MONGER, Unchristian, and one who speaks in HATE SPECH! WOW... the list is sooo long that these progressives see as the GOOD we KNOW as EVIL ..we are to accept w/out question, doubt, calling a sin a sin, and being mindful of the EVIL ACTIONS all about us and YET smile and say, OH SO HAPPY FOR YOU! NO way in burning hell will I convert to the so called TOLERANCE POLICE~ Great Piece....BRAVO!!!!
MORE BRAVE SOLDIERS OF CHRIST NEEDED JENNIFER!
DLL
1 year ago
Why must we live in a society that tolerates and legalizes sin? Why must we live in a society that will not tolerate God and prayer? Why must we live in a society that despises Catholics because they express moral viewpoints and want a moral government? Why must we accept same sex marriage,sodomy,pornography,abortion,free condoms to most anyone,abortions for minors without parental consent,legalized prostitution and drugs,euthanasia,sex education that parents don't approve of,etc.? Our economy is corrupt and our economy is going down the drain and people are unemployed or are becoming devastated and poor,losing their homes to corrupt dealings,natural catastrophes and are spending their lives paying off high interest rates without ever paying off the principal they owe,but are encouraged to spend more money to stimulate the economy. Hot button issues are the distraction from practical solutions. Amoral laws and immoral laws are made legal to satisfy minority constituents with agendas,as that is the way our government thinks that it is serving compassionate human needs and rights? Tolerate amoral and immoral laws and throw out all moral laws and practices and bedlam is the result. The wage for sin is death and Christ died that we may be forgiven sin and forgive others their sins against us. If sin rules a society and sin is law than that is intolerable and unforgivable and even damning. Sin is selfishness. The selfish are bound and determined to tolerate each other and damn all who want to be unselfish while desiring to reject all sin,especially in the name of Jesus Christ out Lord and Savior.

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