An Exchange With Chuck Colson About “Tolerance”

from Stand Firm by Sarah

[Hat tip: JW]

M&L: The postmodern insistence on tolerance appears to be winning the day even in the church. What has to happen to reverse that trend?

Colson: But it's not tolerance. It's the reverse of tolerance. It is saying only one point of view is acceptable for public discourse. Tolerance means everybody's point of view is going to be respectfully listened to. That is not the case today. Tolerance has been defined as "Here is the creed by which we, the cultural elite, think you should live, and if you're opposed to that, you're intolerant." That's exactly what they're saying.

For example, with the Manhattan Declaration I helped write, the iPhone app for it was taken down because of criticism from the gay community that it was deemed offensive. It's the most irenic, winsome document you could write--4,700 words that I think is the finest worldview statement today. But the very fact that we make a truth claim caused it to be an offense to people. So now you're suppressing free speech in the interest of one side of an agenda. That's exactly what tolerance has become.

from Reformed Theological Seminary's Ministry & Leadership, Spring/Summer 2011

I think the only place I disagree is with his free speech complaint. Technically speaking, suppression of free speech comes from a State interference, not a free market decision. Jobs was a political liberal -- and he was certainly not going to allow his work to contribute to conservative ideas. So he didn't. That's within his rights, too.

That's why we need great Christian inventors. Great Christian writers. Great Christian physicians. Great Christian entrepreneurs.