Question of the week of June 15, 2021

<p style="text-align:center;">Question of the week of June 15, 2021</p> <p style="text-align:center;"></p> <p>Question: "What should a Christian do when convictions violate a tolerant society?" this is a good question for believers and non- believers. You decide.</p> <p>Answer: Many in society today want to view themselves as “tolerant.” By that they usually mean “I accept people for who they are without passing judgment on any action or lifestyle choice.” But the biblically informed Christian cannot, in good conscience, approve of all actions or lifestyle choices; the Bible clearly delineates some lifestyles as sinful and displeasing to God. When a Christian’s convictions clash with the standard of tolerance set by society, the Christian is often labeled as “intolerant,” “bigoted,” or worse. Ironically, those who claim to be the most tolerant are the least tolerant of the Christian worldview.</p> <p>Sometimes the conflict between Christian convictions and secular standards of tolerance involves a Christian business being forced to provide a product or service to someone in a way that would violate the business owner’s convictions. Other times, the conflict is not as public, involving personal acquaintances who disagree with a Christian’s conviction against getting drunk at a party, for example, or cohabitation before marriage.</p> <p>A general principle that covers many issues was expressed by Peter before the Sanhedrin: “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29). Whatever pressure society brings to bear, the follower of Christ knows who his Lord is and chooses to obey Him. In a sinful world that hated Christ, this will naturally lead to some conflict. The “tolerance” espoused by the world leaves no room for Christian convictions, but, for the redeemed who walk in the Spirit, Christian convictions are indispensable. The Bible says there is a right and a wrong, and no amount of sensitivity training or encounter group sessions can change that.</p> <p>If we define tolerate as “to put up wi