Why I Refuse 'Tolerance'

Merriam-Webster Definition of:

Tol-er-ance  noun

2 a: sympathy or indulgence for belief or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own
   b: the act of allowing something

Examples of tolerance
-a tolerance for other lifestyles

We live in a world where the only virtue we are permitted to teach our children is tolerance. And, not tolerance as in the above definition of the word, but tolerance as in accepting and not judging the lifestyles, beliefs, opinions and decisions of anyone else. Our society thinks that tolerance means we will live in a peaceful world, where no one bothers anyone else, under the banner of, "whatever works for them is fine, but I choose (fill in lifestyle or belief here)."

That is not what tolerance is. Tolerance is acknowledging that what someone is doing is in fact wrong and putting up with it to avoid further conflict. We do not tolerate things we love or things we approve of...like puppies, or nice days or children. We tolerate things we object to, like an obnoxious co-worker or a head ache or an annoying student. Tolerating those things does not mean we do not deal with them, it just means we put up with them. It does not mean we don't expect more from those people, and we encourage them to act in the way they are. We choose to address it in a respectful and tactful manner.

So, this is why I am objecting to tolerance. I refuse to 'tolerate' (societies meaning of the word) gay marriage, pre-marital or extra-marital sex, and thousands of other morally incorrect things. Today, I want to specifically speak about Gay 'Marriage' and why I refuse tolerance.

About a year or so ago I posted something on my Facebook page about the traditional and right marriage. That is, marriage between one man and one woman only. The feedback I received was appalling  And, keep in mind, this feedback is coming from people I have personal relationships with-family and friends. I could not believe how aggressive people got. One young woman I went to school with even went as far as to say that if I expressed these views publicly in society then I should be prepared for violence and even death. WHAT? Are you kidding me? I should be afraid of someone killing me because I believe in marriage?

But, that's what our world has come to. See, these people (most of whom are Catholic, by the way) who so adamantly agreed that I was being intolerant, disrespectful and judgemental honestly wished death on me. They didn't care what I believe and know to be true, or why I believe it. All they saw was that I was not living up to societies standard of being tolerant of other's lives, no matter what how they live or the decisions they make.

We don't have to accept the things that other people do that are wrong. We don't have to pretend that it is okay with us and that we don't care. We don't accept that a child got beat up on the playground because that is wrong. As Catholics, we believe gay marriage doesn't even exist. It is not a marriage or union of any kind, and if a gay couple choose to live out their lives as such, then it is a sin. Plain and simple. We are not inflicting our beliefs on society by believing that, and we are not at all being intolerant. What we are doing is speaking truth.

I am not saying we need to go about condemning gay couples. Of course we can't do that, because that to is a sin. However, we cannot go about pretending that their lifestyle is fine because it works for them. That too is a sin. Sin impacts the whole of society, even if we cannot see the surface of it. And, our goal, as Catholics, is to be evangelists by our mere existence  and we are not doing that by stooping to societies lie that, 'if it works for you, it's okay with me.'

We need to love gay couples, and show them Christ in that love. We need to care for them and teach them and lead them. We need to not pass judgement, nor encourage them and we definitely don't need to 'tolerate' the way they live! We just need to love them, despite their flaws, sins and imperfections. Love like Jesus loves, because, in reality, we have sins as deep as theirs that just may not be as obvious to the whole world.

I could go on and on about this. But, I challenge all of you to protect marriage in it's true & purest form. Never, ever settle or accept anything less. You are not being judgemental or cruel and you most certainly aren't wrong. Be totally, 100% convicted in what you believe, and share that by how you live out your life. Do not be ashamed for refusing to accept what society thinks in correct, and always speak truth.

Always keep in mind what John 15:18-25 says,

"If the world hates you, just remember that it has hated me first. If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you as its own. But I chose you from this world, and you do not belong to it; that is why the world hates you. Rememeber what I told you: 'Slaves are not greater than their master.' If people persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours too. But they will do all this to you because you are mine; for they do not know the one who sent me. They would not have been guilty of sin id I had not come and spoken to them, as it is, they no longer have an excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. They would not have been guilty of sin if I had not done amounf then the things that no one else ever did, as it is, they have seen what I did, and they hate both me and my Father. This, however, was bound to happen so that what is written in their Law may come true, 'They hated me for no reason at all.'"

Blessings,
Emily xo