Intolerance - Not Just a Conservative Problem

As a lifelong conservative, I’ve been labeled as intolerant. In some cases, rightfully so. I think conservatives and Christians have been intolerant of the gay community.

But liberal are even worse when it comes to intolerance. Believe me, I have a lot of liberal friends, who still view me as the enemy for my views.

The dictionary defines “intolerance” as “unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect contrary opinions or beliefs, persons of different races or backgrounds, etc.” Here’s the challenge to my liberal friends, whose do you respect that has a “contrary opinion” to yours.

I have a very long list of Liberals, whom I have a healthy respect for.

Let’s look at true examples:

Whole Foods is one of the leading providers of organic and healthy food. Being the meat-eating conservative that I am, I rarely step into a Whole Foods store. The CEO of Whole Foods has recently explain why he is against President Obama’s health care plan. “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”

Now Whole Foods is being faced with a boycott of 25,000 Facebook users. This online petition states “Whole Foods has build its brand with the dollars of deceived progressives. Let them know your money will no longer go to support While Foods’ anti-union, anti-health insurance reform, right-wing activities.”

I ask you, how is this not an act of Intolerance. In fact, maybe if we ate more organic food, we wouldn’t have a health crisis. (oh god, did I just say that?)

Glen Beck on Fox News has a boycott campaign launched against him because he called President Obama 'racist" for his remarks about the police acting "stupidly". Fair statement? Who cares. What happens if liberals call President George W. Bush "racist"? Oh wait, they did and did of alot.

Nancy Pelosi called demonstrators at town hall meetings as being “un-American”. Since when does vocally demonstrating at political arenas label you at “un-American”. So if we apply Pelosi’s logic to Code Pink during the Iraq war, then Code Pink and Cindy Sheehan is “un-American”. Liberals, you can’t have it both ways.

I could easily call Code Pink “un-American” since they demonstrated against our involvement in obtaining the freedom of Iraq and defending our nation against terrorists, but I can’t. They have every right to demonstrate for what they believe in. (No matter how wrong they are)

I can cite a few more personal examples of intolerance, such as the time I was hated by my friends when George W. Bush beat John Kerry. But understand, that’s just “the pot calling the kettle black.” Oops, I think that was a racial slur.

The War Ends Now: A call for a real Gay ministry discussion

I recently ran into an old friend on Facebook (not old age, but old having known her almost 20 years. My friend, Misty, blogs about similar issues regarding Homosexuality and Christianity, plush she’s a hellalot smarter than me.

Anyways, she posted a link to this interesting article. In short, a church that almost split and lost their rental property because they allowed a Homosexual family to actively participate in their church. Here’s a link: Covenant Stories: No Right Answers

What makes this sad is that as a whole Evangelicals have no ideal what to do with God's children who are homosexual. We are consumed with purging the church of sin, instead of sharing the gospel. What God do we want to portray?

I feel bad for the pastor as he puts it, “It seemed clear to me that I was a symbol for her of the church that had turned them away.”

I keep mentioning to my critics to consider how Jesus dealt with the lost and sinners. He showed nothing but love and compassion. I defy anyone to show me a time where Jesus spoke harsh words of judgment when speaking to the lost, either in a crowd or individually.

On the other hand, every instance that Jesus had harsh words to say was too the religious leaders, especially when it came to legalism. By legalism, I mean coercing their flocks and followers to behave in “Godly” ways in order to maintain good standing before God and entrance into heaven.

One of the things that I learned at my popular conservative Christian seminary, was the with the exception of 1 John; anytime the writers (Jesus or the disciples) mentioned false religion, they always referred to Legalism as the false religion.

Nowhere in the Bible have I ever been commanded to stand at a corner with a sign condemning homosexuality or to ask homosexual visitors to leave or to “unfriend” them (using a Facebook term).

I was commanded to show love, compassion, share God’s sacrifice to the lost.

So again my evangelical friends, how does God want us to reach out and minister to the gay community.