Tolerance vs. Endorsement

WASHINGTON (AP) — The first Muslim elected to Congress says he will take his oath of office using a Quran once owned by Thomas Jefferson to make the point that "religious differences are nothing to be afraid of." Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, D-Minn., decided to use the centuries-old Quran during his ceremonial swearing-in on Thursday after he learned that it is kept at the Library of Congress. Jefferson, the nation's third president and a collector of books in all topics and languages, sold the book to Congress in 1815 as part of a collection. "It demonstrates that from the very beginning of our country, we had people who were visionary, who were religiously tolerant, who believed that knowledge and wisdom could be gleaned from any number of sources, including the Quran," Ellison said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "A visionary like Thomas Jefferson was not afraid of a different belief system," Ellison said. "This just shows that religious tolerance is the bedrock of our country, and religious differences are nothing to be afraid of. USA Today" So...tolernace. Where is the line between tolerance of other people living other kinds of lives and adhering to other religions and speaking the truth of the gospel? I don't know exactly, but I do know that we can do both. We can tolerate without endorsing, we can accept without agreeing, we can love without fully identifying. In these changing times I encourage you to lead with love and hold back a bit of your words on these issues long enough to think about God being in control, long enough to realize that the world is not going to hell in a handbasket, and that God will reveal his truth as He wishes to who He wishes. I welcome your comments on practical ways that we can tolerate but not endorse.