Tolerance and Truth

Most Americans believe there is a Heaven. Most Americans do not believe there is a Hell.

I can understand why. In this country, we have redefined tolerance to mean that no one is wrong. If anyone thinks that someone is wrong about something, then that person is “intolerant”. (Tolerance actually means that although we don’t agree, we agree to disagree.) If we have a belief system that no one is wrong, then it is easy to see how the next step is that everyone is right and hence everyone goes to Heaven.

Of course, as with most things spiritual, most people haven’t actually thought out their beliefs logically and carried them out to their final meanings. For instance, if you ask these same people whether Hitler is in Heaven, they will say no. So now they become God, determining who gets to heaven – that would be anyone who thinks like they do.

When pushed regarding where their concept of heaven comes from, they admit that the Bible is their reference point. So why are they so accepting of what the Bible says about some things, like heaven, and not others, like Hell? We are a pick-and-choose nation. If it fits into our concept of our ideal, then we agree; if it makes us uncomfortable, then we disagree: Hell, Jesus is the only way to Heaven, God will judge us. These don’t fit, so we disagree.

Here’s the truth. The Bible is from God and He loves us and wants us to know who He is. There are no lies or stories in the Bible that aren’t historical and true – otherwise, God would have to tell some special people which is which. It takes less faith to believe that God gave us the truth in the Bible than it takes to believe that He wants us to figure it all out ourselves. So what are you putting your faith in – the Bible or what you think is right?

Send mail to david@TheArkNY.org with questions about the church or comments about this site.
Last modified: January 22, 2006