FROM ONE NEWS NOW/AFA

Who is intolerant?


Dr. Michael Youssef - Guest Columnist - 9/2/2010 8:55:00 AM

The drum beat of those who preach the religion of "tolerance" in our time has been growing louder and louder every day.

This is not a surprise, nor is it by accident. Throughout history, whenever attempts were made to silence the Christians, their persecutors often implemented the "false accusation" of intolerance method.

Remember Nero and all of Rome? First-century Rome worshipped at the altar of "tolerance." They were tolerant of many gods and numerous religions. The one thing they could not stand and sought to eliminate were those pesky Christians who insisted that there was only ONE true God, and He came from Heaven in human flesh, born of a virgin, died on a cross, and more importantly rose from the dead on the third day.

Those Christians, who claimed that Jesus was the ONLY way to salvation and Heaven, represented a threat to the tolerance of Rome, and its love for polytheism. Silencing them, by any means, became the state's mission.

The courts, the media, public opinion, religious leaders of the day, and yes, even the government were all united to expose and punish the Christians for their "intolerance" and their refusal to believe that "all roads lead to the light"...sound familiar?

To be sure, Rome did not have hundreds of years of Christian enlightenment and history as we do now, and that is why the judgment upon those who are on a mission to silence the true Christian voices today will be far more severe than those of ancient Rome.

Early Christians should teach us a number of lessons:

1. We must pray for our persecutors and those who set themselves as our enemies. (Luke 6:27-28)

2. We must never return hate for hate. (Luke 6:29)

3. We can be sure that our love will conquer their intolerance of Christians and Christian values. (Romans 8:36-39)

4. We must be prepared and willing to pay the price of our discipleship. (Matthew 5:10-12)

Following Christ Jesus does not come without paying a price, but we know that it cannot be compared to the riches of eternal life. (2 Corinthians 4:17)


Dr. Michael Youssef founded The Church of The Apostles in 1987 in Atlanta. Now the church home to more than 3,000, it became the launching pad for his international radio ministry "Leading the Way." His blog entries and thoughts on God and culture and on political Islam are now available online. This column is printed with permission. His latest book, "The Greatest Lie," can be pre-ordered at his website.

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