What to do with tolerance-Part 1

These days the word tolerance seems to be the buzz word for anytime that two people disagree in opinion or thought. If one is slightly bent towards one extreme, they tend to end the conversation (or choose to start an all out war) by accusing the other person of being intolerant.  Society as a whole is changing.  Things that were once never socially acceptable are now mainstream culture and beyond.  As a Christian it can be hard to know when to speak up for the Truth and when to wisely keep quiet. 


This post stems from the recent media frenzy over Chick-fil-A's President and COO, Dan Cathy's recent interview for the Baptist Press in which he stated the following:

            Some have opposed the company's support of the traditional family. "Well, guilty as charged," said Cathy when asked about the company's position.
We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.
We operate as a family business ... our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that," Cathy emphasized.  We intend to stay the course," he said. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."

You can read the full article here Baptist Press Article

If you have watched or read the recent news, you probably have seen a story or two on what a firestorm this has created for the company.  No where in the article is it stated that Mr. Cathy or anyone in the company hates gays, refuse to hire gays, or refuse to serve them as guests in their restaurants.  He simply stated that he and the company he leads is supportive of the family and clarified that he meant the biblical definition of a family.


While I certainly understand that there are people all around the world who do not feel the same way or hold the same opinions, I am amazed at the fact that this has blown up the way it has. Celebrities deciding to boycott, the mayor of Boston declaring he won't allow any business, more specifically Chick-fil-A, that "discriminates against a group of people" in his city (Boston Article), and all the names Mr. Cathy has been called during everyone's heated debates.


So as Christians, what do we do? Is it really intolerant of us to believe what the Bible says is true and try to live it everyday?  Is it wrong of us to express our beliefs and try to influence society? Is the Bible outdated in its principles and commands?  How should Christians and Christian churches treat those who are living the homosexual lifestyle?  I will attempt to answer these questions and more later this week in Part II.