The original meaning of tolerance advocates for acceptance of a person with his/her unique differences, whether that be sex (male or female), hair color, personality, place of origin or religious beliefs.
Because of the ambiguity of its definition however, ironically, tolerance can be weaponized to impose uniformity by those with influence and power.
Today, tolerance has come to mean something else: a push to accept all sorts of behavior, not people.
This leads to an embracing of the false sense of the word, which can be dangerous to any society.
Namely, others’ conduct, regardless of its harmfulness to themselves or others, must be acceptable at all costs–all in the name of “tolerance”.
Tolerance: no fruit, gift or virtue…?
In Christianity, some may be surprised to learn that tolerance is not found among the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, Gifts of the Holy Spirit or the Four Cardinal Virtues as outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
One may ask: why not?
The answer lies with Christ Himself.
He loved everyone–so much that He died for all of us–that we might turn from our evil ways and cling to Him instead of our sins.
He even loved His persecutors, but He did not tolerate evil acts except during His Passion: He used it as the definitive weapon against evil, obliterating its power over us.
Instead, Jesus liberated people from spiritual, mental and physical abuse and stopped those perpetrating wrongdoing.
All four writers of the Gospels record that He did not tolerate, but instead exorcised the demons and cured all kinds of physical and psychological maladies–all forms of evil.
He also did not tolerate, but drove out the thieves in the Holy Temple who claimed to be doing God’s work (Mt 21:12).
Jesus does the same with sin and evil in the world through us today….
Tolerance or timidity?
Today, tolerance is often practiced as a justification for standing by and allowing evil to flourish through the vices of indifference and cowardice.
A coward is someone who allows himself to be bullied or “cowed” into submission by threats or violence.
So that leads one to wonder:
Is it tolerance that Jesus wanted from His followers?
Well, take a look at what He told them shortly before He died:
“…they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake…” (Matt 10:17-18).
A few lines later, Jesus also forewarned them:
“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved” (vss. 21-23).
At the first sign of trouble did Jesus tell His followers to give in, take cover or hide until the persecution was over?
No, He said whoever endures or perseveres until the end of his life will be saved.
How could they persevere in the face of such tremendous familial, social and cultural pressure?
He told them He would send the “Spirit of Truth” who will advocate for, strengthen and defend them during their trials (John 16:13). It is the same Spirit St. Paul refers to as “(…)not [being] a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline (2 Tim 1:7).
In the next line Paul exhorts the new Christians from his imprisonment “not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God” (2 Tim 1:8).
(In)tolerance
Do these passages sound like Jesus and Paul are advising Christians to conform, hide, apologize for or recant their faith when things get rough?
No.
Shouldn’t the leaders in the early Church have tolerated the harsh persecutions of their members, backed off, and not publicly spoken out against it?
No.
Were Christian martyrs ever killed for their intolerance?
No, they were murdered because they would not accommodate the intolerance of the world.
Their allegiance to a Person–Who is the Truth–could not be bought, coerced or broken so they were slain by the very people who championed tolerance as their battle cry.
This means all Christians around the world are called by God to resist the tyranny of tolerance (which is really intolerance) and resist evil, even if it means shedding their own blood.
After all, the Christian’s primary mission in life is to get to heaven, and love demands that he attempts to take as many people with him as as he can.
And love does not tolerate; it transforms.
There is no greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13).
It is day 1 of the first novena, the Holy Spirit Novena.
Join me with fellow Catholics around the world in praying this powerful 9-day prayer.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love! God be with you always.