What Does Toleration and Being Tolerant Mean to the Christian?

Me ~ Opponents of Christianity make the claim that toleration and being tolerant are not part of the Christian world view. Why is that?

John ~ First, we have to define what tolerance is. It is putting up with things such as  ideas or views that people have which are relativistic and arbitrarily arrived at. The tolerance we as Christians should have is that we can only put up with so much ungodly behavior based on what God expects, using His standard of measure. In saying that, we as Christians are not out to condemn people and throw them into the lions den; rather we call out the sin and try to guide the sinner back onto a path toward salvation.

Opponents of Christianity want us to judge using their standard which is always in flux, whatever the culture feels like at the time, this is their basis. For example, we cannot criticize homosexuals today but we can criticize Christians for being Christians.  If opponents of Christianity claim that Christians are intolerant of what God says is evil, then they are correct. What opponents are actually saying is that Christians are intolerant of what they say is evil, not God. 

They are saying that Christians are hypocrites because they claim to be tolerant yet call out sin. Christians are not hypocrites in this respect. Because, they are tolerant to a certain point. That means when they can no longer put up with the sin that they recognize based on God's standards not their own they have a right to call out the sin in order to save the individual from further damnation.

Christ himself told his people to judge with a righteous judgement and to discern good from evil. If we as Christians fail to do that, then we as Christians are not being the salt in light in the world that they are called to be. It means that we as Christians are looking the other way instead of being salt and light. Salt burns the darkness and sin away... light exposes the truth!