An increasingly common refrain (in this instance, from the NY Times):
People who think they have the truth are dangerous. Everyone has the right to determine what is true for him or herself. No one should try to press their view of truth on others.
Hmmm…Is this not someone attempting to make a statement of final truth? Does this person not think that “they have the truth”? Come on, think about it, the above is a completely self-defeating statement.
Not only that, but it’s imploring others to abandon their flawed positions, and adopt this enlightened perspective. They’re straight up proselytizing. They are doing the very thing they think they are forbidding.
Intolerance will not be tolerated!
So, are Christians intolerant because we claim to know truths? Are we intolerant because we hope to convert people? Those who criticize us for attempting to convert others are certainly trying to convert us! Those who criticize us for having standards are claiming that we don’t meet up to theirs.
So where’s the breakdown? Maybe we need to reconsider the definition of tolerance. That’ll be part two.
No, we aren’t intolerant when following the true Christian creed of compassion. However, just because we are compassionate doesn’t mean we don’t stand for the fact we really do have the RIGHT and ONLY answer to existence, purpose, truth, and more. Going through “God is there and he is not silent” and it’s really refreshing to hear once again the truth of God’s way that we follow being the RIGHT answer for the world.
That quote above is exactly what that book addresses, relativism. The scourge of our time, and really according to Shaeffer a new idea for popular belief. Relativism at its very core makes NO sense. Just as Shaeffer says absolutes exist, ie can’t randomly walk through a brick wall. Solid’s exist, rules exist. MORALITY and TRUTH exists. GOD exists.
making me want to go back and finish that book now
…and you’re making me want to go start it!