CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST
November 16, 2003
CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR:
Our congregation Our nation, leaders and military
Our college students The Stolte’s in Germany
Those looking for jobs David and Leon in the Navy
various friends and co-workers Yevette’ mom has a bulging disc in her back
holiday travelers
THOSE INTOLERANT TERRORISTS
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 15:18).
If you are reading this article, you are probably an intolerant terrorist, at least according to Ellen Goodman and others. Why? Because we believe in Jesus Christ, we believe that scripture is the word of God, that it is truth, and that there is absolute truth, and that God has standards by which to live. And what caused Ms. Goodman to think such?
A fellow named General William Boykin spoke in several evangelical churches about the war on terrorism, his personal experiences, and his belief in God. He called America a Christian nation, dared to say that our war as Christians is against Satan, and that the warlords of Somalia are idolaters whose gods are nothing in comparison to the General’s God. Ms. Goodman found this offensive. Among the things she considers intolerant is a soldier in full uniform preaching politics and talking about a spiritual enemy. He dared to identify the enemy as Satan. Most pundits and politicians who heard this equated it with Islam and considered this intolerant of such a “peaceful” religion. Please note that the reporter who reported this story has yet to release the full text of what the General said. “Is my theism bigger than your Hinduism, Buddhism, Zorastarianism, or atheism?” She also stated that “our struggle is not between one religion and another, but between fanaticism and tolerance.” She considers “tolerance” America’s civil religion and that to call one God bigger than another is sacrilege (Ellen Goodman, Houston Chronicle, 10/26/03). There have been calls for an investigation of General Boykin and for his resignation.
Evangelical Christianity is intolerant because we believe in the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the Son of God, Jesus Christ. We believe in right and wrong, sin and error, and that there is one truth and standards to live by. This offends our civic religion of tolerance. That is why the civic religion is opposed to “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, now being decided by the Supreme Court. Our civic religion wants the removal of all Christian “symbols” and ideas from the public square. Christmas scenes, the Ten Commandments, faith based programs are all out of bounds for the civic religion because these are intolerant. This has been going on for forty years. Everything from children praying over lunch to passing out tracts to commencement speeches have been blocked by our tolerant civic religion. The latest book to examine such activities is David Limbaugh’s Persecution.
If our civic religion is tolerant, would it not allow the free speech of all to be expressed. While stated in words, in actions it is another thing. Tolerance as been redefined to mean acceptance, and that the unacceptable is not allowed to speak. So much for our tolerant civic religion.
Ms. Goodman listed other religions and philosophies that she considers equal. Let’s briefly consider those. Hinduism, with its multiple gods is certainly a religion of tolerance, as long as the cast system remains in tack. No one can move from one level to another, there is discrimination between each level, and Hinduism has been notorious in attacking other religions. There has been a rise in the attacks on Christian missionaries, and the conflict between Hinduism and Islam is well documented. She mentions Buddhism. Like Hinduism, there is a lack of respect for human life. Buddhism has dominated southeast Asia and has done nothing to prevent either poverty or communism.
Then there are those “tolerant” atheists. Should we consider the tolerant Soviets who slaughtered millions of their own people in peace time? Should we consider those tolerant Chinese communists as well? Should we consider Europe’s tolerant atheists who allowed over ten thousand French citizens to die in a heat wave this past summer?
But Christianity is intolerant. It was the Christian Dr. Paul Bland who went to India and worked with people with leprosy, rebuilding their limbs and preaching the gospel. Hospitals have been established by missionaries in many countries. Dr. Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader, has gone to Africa when Congress is not in session to help people with AIDS. Charles Colson has established “Prison Fellowship” here and in many countries to bring criminals to Jesus and to help their families. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton among others were established to teach the Bible. Dartmouth was established to teach Indians (native Americans). No, the United States is not perfect, and scripture has been abused by Bible believers. But it is often Bible believers who stood for corrections and changes, such as William Wilberforce defeating slavery. What causes the U.S. to respond to disasters where other nations say and do nothing? It is our fundamental belief based on the Bible. We see life as valuable. That is why we opposed abortion and euthanasia, and why we want to see others free from dictators and the intolerant. Ms. Goodman is right in seeing our civic religion as tolerance, if defined correctly. We believe that all religions and philosophies can be heard, but they are not all equal. Tolerance doesn’t mean we cannot debate differences. We just do not persecute others because of disagreements. And this is what Ms. Goodman and others have missed. She concluded her article by saying that “Boykin has, I am afraid, thrown his lot in with the enemy.” He, and we, are intolerant terrorists.
“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). It could be physical, and it definitely is verbal. So today we must choose who we will serve; man or God?
George B. Mearns