When Tolerance Is Sin
by William MacDonald Tolerance can be a virtue, but it can also betray an inexcusable weakness of character. We admire the person who tolerates differences where no great issue is at stake. He allows for a variety of preferences, methods, and unimportant viewpoints. He would rather be killed for a sheep than for a lamb. But there is another form of tolerance that is despicable. That is the willingness to remain silent when God's name is blasphemed or Christ is dishonored. It is the treachery of silence when truth is on the scaffold. It is the unwillingness to speak out against evil. Tolerance that condones deceit and unrighteousness is sin. Those who think that Jesus was always tolerant should read Matthew 23, a denunciation of hypocrisy. This passage proves forever that our Lord was capable of scathing indignation at the pretense of religious leaders. Or they should read Revelation 2:20, where he ...