CHRISTIAN LOVE AND TOLERANCE

 

I heard a story of a Christian mother and her son who wanted to live his “own truth.” The mother expressed that she loved her son deeply, but could not support his lifestyle. Unsurprisingly, the public’s sympathy leaned toward the son, while the mother faced anger and criticism for being “unsupportive” and “hateful.” This is indeed a painful situation—and one that calls us to sincerely pray for both of them.

This brings us to the topic of tolerance. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, tolerance is the “willingness to accept behavior and beliefs that are different from your own, although you might not agree with or approve of them.” Based on this definition, it is clear that one can be tolerant of others without necessarily agreeing with or approving of their behavior and beliefs. As Christians commanded to love others (Jn 13:34; 15:12; Rom 12:10; etc.), we are also called to be tolerant in this sense—acknowledging and respecting the fact that people have the right to hold different opinions. A believer can be tolerant without compromising their faith.

But here lies the problem: Many people today define tolerance differently, which is why Christians are often accused of being intolerant. For them, being tolerant means more than just recognizing another’s opinion—it requires agreement and approval. In other words, to be considered “tolerant,” you must not only acknowledge differences but also affirm them as valid. Christians cannot do this. In today’s culture, love is equated with total acceptance. If you truly love someone, they say, you must embrace them completely—even to the extent of affirming behaviors and beliefs that contradict God’s Word. But as followers of Christ, we cannot compromise truth in the name of “love.”

And so, we are often hated. We are seen as “hateful” simply because we stand for what is right. But this is nothing new. Jesus already warned us that we would be hated for His sake (Matt 10:22). At the end of the day, our goal is not to gain the approval of people, but the approval of God (Acts 5:29). Scripture also tells us how we should respond when we face hatred: we are to love our enemies (Matt 5:43–48; Rom 12:20).

In a world where almost everyone claims to have their “own truth,” believers must remain committed to the Truth. Just as love and tolerance cannot be separated, love and truth cannot be separated either—for “love rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor 13:6). The Bible speaks of genuine love: it is hating what is evil and clinging to what is good (Rom 12:9). We must not embrace tolerance in the worldly sense. We are called to love people—even when we disagree with them—but never to the point of approving what is wrong. Stay Curious.