Redefining Tolerance

I read a quote in the paper about Christians yesterday and it set my brain churning. Tolerance has become such a buzz word lately. Everyone has the right to interpret things as they feel, choose to live as they feel, follow whatever lifestyle they feel. For some reason tolerance is used as a word to protect people from the consequences of their actions. As if we have no right to treat someone differently or comment on their lifestyle. If we do we are intolerant. Oh, the nerve..

Jack McClellan for example http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20113265/

How the heck does this happen? How did freedom of speech get so completely misconstrued as to protect this man's right to lust after small children? And why in the world would anyone feel that we should tolerate his 'preference for prepubescent bodies". Sick, sick, sick. I just can't stop thinking about how violating this is. Yet he's been given a platform, in the name of free speech, to air his views on national television. "You say pedophile like it's a bad thing." Unbelievable. The decline of the morals in this country absolutely are horrific.

The thing about tolerance is that Christians are the first to be called intolerant. People will say that Christ was all about love and acceptance so why do we not accept all of the cultural changes and lifestyles people are choosing. Apparently these people don't read their Bibles.
Christianity by definition must be intolerant. The whole basis of our belief is that Christ is the only way. Christians are to be loving and to accept people for who they are. But what they want is to have their SIN accepted and justified. That's completely different.
God gave us free will and there are so many things that are grey areas for us to choose with our hearts. But there are some things that are pretty clear, with no room for compromise. Yet we do, out of convenience, freedom of speech and, yes, tollerance.

The acceptance of people like this man makes me ashamed of our country. The rate of divorce, sex, drugs, theft, deceit and hypocrisy in the American Church is equally appalling. But you know what? It's because of this call for tolerance. It's a sad, sad thing.