Alack, those intolerants!

Over on Facebook I’ve been engaged in another round of a continuing argument that a friend and I have been having over the years. He charges that my criticisms of those I call intolerant are hypocritical, because, in essence, this is just another form of intolerance.  To be intolerant of intolerance, he says,  is a type of circular reasoning.

He’s not the first one to say this about me, or anyone of a number of people outspoken against intolerance.  On the face of it,  this argument sounds logical but to me it seems  so obviously incorrect.  This accusation must be the one based on circular reasoning.  To be intolerant of intolerance just seems to make sense, like having nothing to fear but fear itself.  But I have never really been able to come up with a solid rebuttal.

Until now. It really boils down to a simple matter of semantics.  We are not talking about the same thing here.  According to no less an authority than Merriam Webster, “tolerance” has multiple, subtle yet significant, meanings.

Definition of INTOLERANT

1 :
unable or unwilling to endure
2
a : unwilling to grant equal freedom of expression especially in religious matters
b : unwilling to grant or share social, political, or professional rights : bigoted

This clears things up.  I am doing my best to be the first definition as it encounters both elements of the second.

The Danger of Attracting the Wrong Kinds of People

I once belonged to a small church and (possessing no musical talent whatsoever) took on a supporting role in our music ministry. Part of this ministry involved the promotion of a concert series using a very nice outdoor amphitheater that some of the members had built.

For the first season we booked some local Christian artists – musicians, poets, dramatists – and we bought advertising on the local Christian radio station as well as in some other outlets. The presentations were first rate but unfortunately the series was a flop. Though the congregation had spent a few thousand dollars the church leadership still believed that it was worth the effort and another season was approved.

This time we brought in some bigger artists and even booked Derek Webb, of Caedmon’s Call. He was excellent and also turned out to be a heck of nice guy. We promoted heavily, but apparently not heavily enough because few turned out for any of the shows, including Webb’s. Those who kept returning were mostly loyal church members along with some folks from the surrounding Christian community.

But this was supposed to be an outreach ministry; did it make sense to spend so much time and money on an effort that was only attracting other Christians? So, for the third season we suggested something a little bit different.

Why not bring in some local secular artists? They were likely to draw a larger audience and during the breaks our church’s praise band (very good and led by an accomplished professional) could spread the Word through song, to a group that otherwise might not hear it. It seemed like a no brainer.

Some of our leaders, though, felt that there was no place for secular music on church property, that all our songs should be geared towards worship and praise. We needed to be examples for the community at large and that meant putting aside the secular things of this world. We responded that ‘preaching to the choir’ would do little to bring ‘sinners’ into the church and finally got the go ahead.

Although more successful than the prior two seasons, we never got the results we were hoping for. The crowds were still small and we spent a boatload of money. But, as some said, if even one person was turned on to Jesus then it was well worth every dime spent. But… perhaps there were better places to be putting our dimes.

I distinctly remember one moment during a concert put on by a local R&B singer. I stood on top of the hillside that formed our natural amphitheater and taking in her performance. She was very good. At that moment one of the church leaders, a young guy who was opposed to the idea of secular music, came up beside me. He pointed down to where a couple of women were sitting on a blanket. They had their arms wrapped around each other and they were singing and swaying to the music. It was good to see folks having a good time as guests of our church.

But…rumor had it that this singer enjoyed a strong lesbian following from the local coffee houses where she often played. My feelings about this were…yeah, so what? Even though there was no way of knowing if these two gals were gay or just sisters of another sort, I knew what was coming next;

“See” he said sadly, shaking his head. “What did I tell you? Look at the kind of people this music attracts.”

Anita, the Christian Lesbian

I trackbacked to this lady’s website and found it to be well worth the visit. Homosexuality is such a divisive topic within the church, some think it may very well make or break many denominations. I think that any of us could benefit to listening to her story.  Her testimony is entitled “The Peace of God”.  It is thoughtful, respectful and displays a deep and authentic love for the Lord.  It is also well written. No matter what your position on this issue, please take the time to read her entire story.  For those of you who are are not familiar with anyone who is gay you may be surprised at what you find.

http://www.christianlesbians.com/about/anitastory.php