My Long Opinion of the Hypocrisy of Tolerance and Acceptance? (Updated from 12/15/2014)

 

"Protestantism has the method of Jesus with His secret too much left out of mind: Catholicism has His secret with His method too much left out of mind; neither has His unerring balance, His intuition, His sweet reasonableness.  But both have hold of a great truth and get from it a great power.

-- Matthew Arnold

Before I even start this post, I find myself at odds with the title.  With what I dealt with just before I wrote this, the words "acceptance or tolerance" have become near and dear.

Maybe I should explain.

Several of us ministers bolted from faith-based "discussion" sites due to rules that were restrictive, seemingly, without sound reason.  But, even that isn't completely accurate.  The reasons, though sound to the site managers, seemed to lack the expected intellectual maturity for some interfaith ministers wishing to grow beyond the boundaries of "mainstream" church doctrine.  Doctrine many ministers found suffocating and hypocritical. They had hoped to find relief in the Universal Life Church.  

These site managers, for all their good intentions in trying to create a different, friendlier environment, succumbed to complaints from a minority of "dark ages clergy" that probably should have stayed in the mainstream church. But, as we all know, the squeaking wheel gets the grease.  The sites became the same suffocating and hypocritical, closed-minded and intolerant sites, accusing us of fomenting conversation that any reasonable person would have seen as a simple mature exchange of thoughts.  These sites became what we had left.  

Once again we found ourselves intellectually persecuted and looking for other realms of religious and spiritual freedom.  New sites were formed to accommodate a freer exchange of ideas, discussion, and debate, encompassing a broader range of subjects deemed unacceptable by the previous "free thinking" sites.  But, as the old saying goes, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."  Both sites I recently became affiliated with fell victim to the same hypocrisy, if not worse.  The latest, outlawed any but Christian thought. So much for "acceptance" of all who come in peace.

Having started my Congregation for Religious Tolerance, I know full well the difference between tolerance and acceptance.  One may tolerate another's peaceful beliefs without accepting them.  What is happening in these sites is blatant non-acceptance backed up by the intolerance of their "convert or else" mentality that is all too reminiscent of Islamic heresy, which bodes the uncomfortable question, "When do the beheadings begin?"  I do not ask this question to be flippant or make light of the horrors Islamic heresy visits upon innocence.  I mention it because it seems, to me, that peaceful Christians are beginning to walk that fine line between faith and terror when it comes to two groups, in particular, which historically show little tolerance toward Islam and the gay community.  If you want to find humor in something, it would be these two groups put in the same bucket by Christians.

I have had multiple conversations and written posts, ad nauseam, on these two subjects, Islam and gays.  Two "conversations" ended with me asking the other parties when the lynching began.  A third conversation began and ended with me simply asking for judgment to be left in the hands of God.  There was agreement... just before the other party launched into another long-winded diatribe to excuse, yet more judgmental, opinion which I think he flaunted to prove what a good minister, a good Christian, he was being.  Really?  I should have asked him if he believed like the other mainstream "Christians."  When it comes to gays and Islam - the only good one is a dead one.

To be honest, I was afraid to get involved.  I can get nasty. I have no filter.

Matthew Arnold's life spanned around 70 years in the mid-1800s.  He addressed his thoughts, in this quote, toward the Protestant and Catholic churches, but I feel his point was all-encompassing of the Christian faith.  He is correct when he states, "But both have hold of a great truth and get from it a great power."  A "great" power!  The power to mount a crusade, to form the courts of the Inquisition, to determine if one is a "witch" worthy of burning simply because they dabble in healing and science, and, of course, the power to determine who deserves to be a Christian and who gets damned for all eternity.

It would seem Christianity, whether through fault or design, continues to miss the "unerring balance, intuition, and sweet reasonableness" that was Jesus.  I think Mr. Arnold was remiss in not adding love, tolerance, and understanding, to that list of Jesus's attributes.  But, then, maybe it's just because my family believes in a more loving God than many of these, so-called, "Christians" do.

The point that I've been trying to make is, that if you're going to preface a mission statement with the acceptance of all that come in peace, you should not be picking and choosing your membership.  It brings to mind the Methodist logo I came across during the "Methodist trial" of one of their own ministers who presided over the gay wedding of his son: "Open hearts. Open minds. Open Doors."  That is, unless you're gay, or preside over a gay wedding.  I mean, Christ's love only goes so far, right?  Gays, peaceful Islam, who else can we deign to judge?  I'm certain there's probably a list of the "unacceptable" that man has determined God should not allow in heaven.  What God really meant to say was...

I'd love to be a fly on the wall at "comeuppance" time when they all have to explain why they dared to interpret God as excusing their actions.

I think we have lost the truth of faith.  Oh, we spew forth the words, chapter and verse.  Like the good hypocrites we are, we quickly proclaim our faith, and just as quickly condemn others to hell and damnation in complete contradiction to the faith we proclaim.  

I say this for one reason, and I pull that reason from the very book we hold so dear. During a conversation, one participant was accused of not quoting the Bible properly.  Personally, I quote the Bible because I think it is a great guidebook for life.  When I quote it, however, I go to the source, so I don't muck it up.  Well, since everyone seems so tied up in quoting it, let me use two well-known verses to evidence why I feel we will suffer from contradicting the faith we proclaim to have:

"Judge not, and you will not be judged.  Condemn not, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Luke 6:37 

"Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you."

Matthew 7:1-2

I'm not sure my fellow minister's critique, of quoting the Bible correctly, is as important as knowing the Bible at all.  I have found it an interesting book of scripture, written and compiled by men who had the best of intentions while living in cultures fraught with politics and social castes and classes.  To think their lives weren't reflected in what they wrote would be giving them credit, without support of evidence.  This becomes more evident, however, as we discover and study lost gospels, and gospels deemed "not worthy" of inclusion in the Bible.  When we find verses that seem to be gleaned from a monk's "margin" notes, it makes the entire document suspect.  But does this all detract from the basic message of it?  Absolutely not!  The Bible remains a text revered by the faithful as a basis for faith and life.  Just as with the Qur'an, how we interpret scripture is how we cause ourselves harm.

Christianity is not a "members-only club," and the fact that many presume to dictate who can worship seems offensive.  I am not a member of the Christian church, I am a Christian.  I am not a practicing Catholic, a Protestant, a Methodist, or an Evangelical.  I am a Christian who does not agree with organized religion's tithing and control.  Over twenty years of my military career my dog tags reflected my religious preference as Christian, agnostic, Buddhist, Taoist, and Not Applicable.  When I finally found myself, I realized my mother was right... as always.  I am Christian.

I try to remember this quote when I get into braying contests with jackasses.  I hope you will see the point:

"As for one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.  One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.  Let not one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.  Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?  It is before his own master that he stands or falls.  And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.  One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike.  Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind."

Romans 14:1-5

As far as the gay community is concerned. they are gay.  They live, work, love, marry, raise children, and want to worship God as Christians.  Maybe it's time we started acting like good Christians.  Heck, maybe it's time we start acting like Christian gays. You know, better.

"One should not be too quick to judge how websites are operated and how they choose what content they want posted on their websites. If anyone wants to complain that one website or another does not allow them to post whatever they want, then, they should start up their own website and they will see that running your own website is not an easy task to control content according to the website motto. 

If anyone wants to join a website, they must agree to some TOA (terms of agreement). you can not ask the website owner to change the content just because they do not like it.

As a website owner, I am willing to tolerate some activities but not when the activities do not follow the basis for which the website was created. No website owner should be told they have to allow any content. It is like the gay community wanting to convert a heterosexual into a gay person.

I am a Christian who will tolerate many things but there are limits. I do forgive those who cause me distress and will continue to be friends with those who cause me distress."

The above statement is a comment left as a response to this post. I can readily tell that this is obviously one of the offended website owners, but they are either conflicted or hypocritical.  The fact that I can easily surmise this, is part of the larger problem - denial.  I understand some more of this site's membership has bailed due to the new transparency of the site's intent which, by the way, was not made obvious or he would not have gone out of his way to woo a woman of Wicca to be one of the officers of the site and then disrespect her for being Wicca after all the work was done.  He knew what she was when he invited her in to assist in setting it up, just as he knew I wrote on controversial subjects and never said a word to me concerning my posts about the LGBT Christian community.

I feel the Terms of Agreement for a site must not run contrary to the mission statement or welcome statement on the homepage of a site.  Personally, I don't remember there being any terms of agreement, and if there were I would have scanned over them assuming they were simply "boilerplate," reflecting the intent of the "welcome statement" and asking for the usual courtesies.  Again, no one ever complained about my post's content. By the way, I have no membership. All are welcome in the spirit of peaceful conversation and debate.

No one asked the owner of this particular site to change the content.  I most certainly did not.  The owner took it upon himself to change directions in mid-stream, deleting and changing content, posts, and philosophy.  It was our understanding this site would offer "freedom to discuss" in a mature manner, those topics forbidden by the other "conservative" minister sites.  This is what I was led to believe.  

The comparison made of content requests, being similar to gays converting heterosexuals, is pertinent only in that it mirrors the site's Christian attempt to convert the Wiccan.  This was a clear case of misunderstanding, nurtured by a lack of clear communication and feedback as to the purpose of the site.  Personally, after all of this hoopla, it would seem these sites tout the "all accepted" philosophy as bait, if you will, and, once many members are inside, the doors are closed and reality sets in as the smoke and mirrors are removed.  I find this tactic very reminiscent, for me, of Scientology.

To state one is a "tolerant" Christian, after perpetrating this on the membership?  No, sorry, I'm not buying into this.  The final paragraph, for anyone with a background in psychology, is telling.  This is a narcissistic shifting of blame when the deceptive mechanisms used to achieve goals become all too apparent to the target audience.  I'm not sure if the "site owners" understand they are doing this, or if they do, do they even care?  It does seem they fail to predict the outcome of their actions to tank their sites, however.

I apologize if my revelations caused this particular site owner "distress."  Honesty comes with the territory of running a website, and he seems well aware of it.  But, printed distress can also be indicative of guilt.  I'm not sure that continuing to be friends with those who cause you guilt or distress is in any way healthy, however.

My prediction for these sites is that they will, sooner than later, become populated by the same narrow-minded, mainstream Christians, we were all trying to escape.  These sites seem to, whether by accident or design, prey on those who are hurting and have been hurt.  They seek out those who have a need to belong, and hold out the carrot of "acceptance."  As with religious and spiritual cults, they only seem to exist on the off chance no one will see through their thin veil of hypocrisy, and God help the ones that do.

The path to hell is, indeed, paved with good intentions.  Watch your step.

“It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.”

-- Noël Coward

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained in 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance, he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com