Tolerance is in vogue politically and socially for every idea, every religion, every agenda, and every social construct other than Christianity. In recent days, Richard Dawkins has come under fire for his comments about the actions taken at the London Pride parade. His statements have resulted in the cancellation of a speaking engagement—resulting in a massive firestorm. The man who’s certainly not a friend of Christianity, tweeted the following on July 23rd:
London gay Pride march. Police happy with “Jesus is Gay” banners. But banned @theCEMB’s “Allah is Gay” banner. @KPFA-grade hypocrisy!
— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) July 23, 2017
What this whole dust storm of ideologies revealed is that the tolerance agenda cannot tolerate Christianity. Why is the world willing to be tolerant of everything under the sun except Christianity? Even Dawkins notices the prejudices leveraged against the Christian community which we can only expect to grow more intense as the days go by.
The World Murdered the Founder of Christianity
Jesus is the founder of Christianity and the world despised him during his earthly ministry. Every religious community that was divided on almost all other issues came together in unison on their hatred of Jesus. The Sadducees and Pharisees were divided on matters of Judaism—but they were united in their angst toward Jesus. Jesus gave the following warning to his followers:
If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (John 15:18-20)
This is why all of the apostles (except John) were martyred for their faith. They all suffered horrible deaths from clubs, to spears, to an upside down cross, to the beheading of Paul in Rome. This is likewise why William Tyndale was burned at the stake. This is why Jim Elliot suffered death at the end of a spear on the river bank in Ecuador. This is also why Christians who promote the normal gender usage of bathrooms on the campus of Harvard University are reported as “hateful” and “intolerant” to campus social groups and police. The world hated Jesus and the world will always hate those who genuinely follow Christ (Matt. 16:24).
Christianity Really is Dangerous to the World
When you think about it, Islam, Mormonism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and all other world religions have no power over the world. Jesus, on the other hand, has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18-20). According to the teachings of Christianity, one day—every knee will bow to Jesus and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil. 2:5-11). If Jesus is not merely a religious lunatic as the world tries to suggest and he really is the devil defeating, death conquering, sinner saving, sovereign Lord—everyone who rejects him will be gathered up like chaff and suffer the judgment of God (Matt. 13:40; 25:41).
Furthermore, Christianity is dangerous to the world in a different manner as well. Christ saves sinners and rescues them out of the power of the devil and the domain of darkness (1 Pet. 2:9; Eph. 2:1-10; Acts 26:18). The world, the flesh, and the devil have an agenda, but Christ conquers and crushes their plans and overcomes their power by the blood of the lamb and the preaching of the cross (1 Cor. 1:18-21; Rev. 12:11). Seven years before his death, at the age of 22, Jim Elliot penned down these words in his journal in the early hours of the morning:
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.
When genuine Christianity is lived out before a Christless culture, their desire to reach people with the good news of the gospel cannot be stopped even by threats, persecution, and martyrdom. That’s why true Christians are a threat to this present evil world. Jim Elliot also wrote the following:
The world cannot hate us; we are too much like its own. Oh that God would make us dangerous!
God answered Jim’s prayer, but what about you? Does the devil know your name? Do the demonic powers of this present darkness know the name and ministry of your church? The world hates Christianity because the world hates Jesus and feels threatened by the sin crushing, devil defeating, soul saving message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
