There are approximately 1.61 billion Muslims in the world today.
I believe that there are many good and beautiful things in the religion of Islam.
I believe that there are a lot of good people who are Muslim.
I also believe that Muslims are wrong in their belief that Jesus was just a man and not God incarnate, and that Muhammed is the last and greatest prophet.

(Intolerance Alert!!!  Intolerance Alert!!!)

There are approximately one billion Hindus in the world today.
I believe that there are many good and beautiful things in the religion of Hinduism.
I believe that there are a lot of good people who are Hindus.
I also believe that Hindus are wrong in their belief that there are many gods and that we will be reincarnated when we die.

(Intolerance Alert!!!  Intolerance Alert!!!)

Let’s be honest – you can believe just about anything in the philosophical and religious marketplace that is America today.  You can believe that God is a male or a female, that everyone is God, that this rock is God, or that there is no God.  You can believe in heaven and hell, or annihilation, or reincarnation when we die.

Just don’t say that someone else’s belief is wrong.

Intolerant.  Is there any question that this is one of the most negative labels that can be given to a person or a religious group in America today?  Woe to you if you fail to bow before the Idol of Tolerance that has been erected in contemporary America.  Woe to you if you do not believe its Gospel, that “all beliefs are equally valid,” or disregard its cardinal teaching – “Who are you to say that someone else’s belief is wrong?”

Ladies and gentleman, I give you American Idol #3:  The Idol of Tolerance.

Now, did anyone else squirm a little when I said that Muslims, while they may be good and sincere (and numerous), are ultimately wrong?  Or when I proclaimed the same about Hindus?  Did anyone fear that I was being a little too arrogant, a little judgmental, a little too sure about my own beliefs and narrow-minded concerning how things REALLY are?  To be honest, I know that I squirmed a little, because as I wrote it I knew I was breaking the cardinal teaching of the Gospel of Tolerance, outing myself as a non-believer in the American Idol of Tolerance.  It would certainly be much safer to just play along and proclaim that all beliefs are equally valid and true in their own way (and God forbid if I ever committed the unforgivable sin of trying to convert a Muslim or Hindu into a Christian).

Of course, nobody is tolerant about everything.  No matter how sincerely someone believes that 3+3=5, any respectable math teacher is going to say “your belief is wrong.”  No matter how badly I want to believe that John Kerry won the last election, sincerity of belief isn’t going to kick Dubya out of the White House.  And no matter how sincerely I believe that there is no such thing as the Law of Gravity, if I step out of my office window, I’m going to fall to the pavement.  Some things are just true, and sincerity of belief isn’t going to change anything.  Sometimes you have to be intolerant.

Listen - you have every right to believe that 3+3=5, and I will not stop you from believing that there is no such thing as the Law of Gravity.  But I’m also not going to pretend you are right when I believe you are wrong.  In fact, because I want you to get an A in math and not break your leg, I may even try to convince you that my belief is actually right, even if that seems intolerant.  In the same way, I am tolerant in that I believe a Muslim or Hindu has every right to their belief, and I have no right to stop them from practicing their faith.  But I’m not going to pretend their belief is correct when I believe it is wrong (nor would I expect them to pretend my belief is correct when they believe it is wrong), nor will I pretend that all religions say essentially the same thing when they don’t.  In fact, I may even try to convince them that my belief is actually right, even if that seems intolerant (and I would not be offended if they tried to convince me that their belief is right).

So what is really behind the Idol of Tolerance?  On the surface, it seems to be a desire to be educated and respectful, to not offend anyone or come across as narrow-minded and arrogant.  But I think there is something deeper going on.  I believe the Idol of Tolerance is in reality a very close relative to the first Idol, the Idol of Consumerism.  Could it be that the American aversion to absolutes (this is right, that is wrong) when it comes to religion is little more than a resistance to anything that might limit our consumer choice in the marketplace of ideas, beliefs, and worldviews?  We are a nation that celebrates freedom of choice, from the democratic process to our capitalist economy.  Might it be that the Idol of Tolerance is just the Idol of Consumerism in disguise, that we want everyone to be able to shop at the Mall of Religious Worldviews and choose the god of his or her own liking, without anyone saying that what someone else believes or practices is wrong?  Can’t you just see it now:

“Hmm… I like all that Christian stuff about love your neighbors, doing good, but I can’t stand all that talk about sin and hell and judgment, so let’s leave that part out and replace it with a God who does not punish anyone.  And while we’re at it, there are a few things I really like in Buddhism and some Muslim practices I think are cool, so let’s mix those in.  Ooh – and I really like that karma thing from My Name is Earl, so let’s add that too.”

Congratulations:  here is your god!

“Oh, I’m sorry – I was looking for the Build-a-God workshop”

Here’s the result of the consumer approach to religion – the god you construct becomes just another product, a god made in your image, bowing to the Idol of Consumerism.  In your desire to have a god who you’re comfortable with, you end up creating a god who will never confront you in a voice that is radically other than your own voice, will never really challenge you in a way that makes you made, will never call you to account.  The consumer approach means you don’t have to fear a God who might tell you to sell all you have and give to the poor, or stop sleeping with your girlfriend, or forgive your enemies, and might hold you accountable if you disobey.  You end up not with a living God, but an Idol of your own creation. 

 To smash the Idol of Tolerance is to dare to pursue Truth, wherever it may lead.  It is to talk with people of different faiths not just for the sake of understanding but for the goal of pursuing the truth.  It is to recognize that every religion can not be equally valid – either they are all manmade attempts to answer the big questions of life, or one of them accurately reflects the truth.  And it means taking seriously the words of Jesus when he said “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6), and deciding whether he is as true as 3+3=6 and the Law of Gravity or just severely misguided. 

For the Christian, smashing the Idol of Tolerance means allowing the God revealed in the Bible to be Himself, whether or not you like it or understand it.  It means resisting the urge to be a religious consumer, to build a comfortable god in your own image.  Ultimately, it means allowing the Truth to confront you, no matter where it may lead.

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