Guilty as charged. Christianity has its fair share of judgmental and intolerant people. I have no interest in covering up the misbehavior of Christians. But before you are tempted to dismiss the for the Christian faith because of Christian intolerance, keep something in mind:

When Christians act in an arrogant, judgmental manner towards others, they are not following Scriptural teachings. Pride is one of the seven deadly sins (Prov. 6:16, 17), an evil that comes from the heart (Mark 7:21鈥23). I apologize for judgmental Christians; remember, though, when Christians act 鈥渉olier than thou,鈥 they act inconsistently with what Christianity itself requires. True Christians aim to be at peace with others (Heb. 12:14), build relationships with people regardless of creed, race, nationality, or sex (John 4:1鈥42; Luke 9:1鈥10), and are called to be humble and gentle (Eph. 4:2).

Behavior vs. the Message

We must distinguish between Christians鈥 behavior and genuine Christianity. To condemn Christianity because of the misbehavior of some Christians is another way to commit the 鈥済enetic fallacy,鈥 which is dismissing a claim because of some perceived fault in its origin.

Yes, Christians often express judgment and intolerance, failing to follow the example and teachings of Jesus. But even if Christians were kind and gracious in their attitudes, the critic might claim, wouldn鈥檛 they still be intolerant for condemning the beliefs of others? My friend Mark Mittelberg, an author and speaker, offers an incisive response:

What鈥檚 fascinating is that the people who condemn Christians for acting as if they鈥檙e right and others are wrong are, in that very action, acting as if they themselves are right and Christians are wrong. So they are at that moment doing the very thing they say is wrong. When you think about it, it鈥檚 pretty silly to condemn people for thinking they are right鈥攂ecause aren鈥檛 you simultaneously thinking you are right in saying they are wrong? Or, broadening the point a bit, who in their right mind doesn鈥檛 consistently think that they are right? . . . I mean, really, do you ever think you鈥檙e wrong while you鈥檙e in the midst of thinking that very thought? I 诲辞苍鈥檛 think so; I think as soon as you start to realize your thinking is wrong you change your belief and start thinking differently! Therefore, for two reasons no one should condemn Christians just for thinking they鈥檙e right and others are wrong: (1) everybody else does the same thing, and (2) Christians might really be right, after all.

A Distorted View of Tolerance

Those who accuse Christians of being intolerant have a distorted view of what tolerance really entails. Rather than accepting all views as equally valid, true tolerance involves recognizing and respecting others when we 诲辞苍鈥檛 approve of their values, beliefs, and practices.

After all, we 诲辞苍鈥檛 use the word 鈥渢olerate鈥 for what we enjoy or approve of鈥攕uch as steak or good movies. Thus, there is an intimate connection between tolerance and truth. That is, we only tolerate what we find to be false or mistaken in some capacity. If we all agreed, we would not need tolerance. Only when people genuinely disagree does tolerance become necessary. Claiming that someone is wrong for holding a different viewpoint, then, isn鈥檛 itself intolerant; the attitude that accompanies the claim may, however, be intolerant. But charitably and kindly disagreeing can be an act of genuine tolerance.

Jesus Was An Apologist

This is what Jesus did. He was an who advanced arguments for his Messiahship. And yet he treated his opponents with charity and respect.

And this is how the American founders viewed tolerance as well. The founders saw tolerance as strongly disagreeing with people, and yet still treating them with dignity and respect. Strong religious convictions on religious matters, according to the founders, is not incompatible with tolerance. In fact, one of the leading proponents of early modern tolerance, John Locke, was an outspoken apologist for the Christian faith.

Not only is Christian intolerance a bad reason to reject the faith, is actually one of the highest honors we can give someone. If you have been tempted to dismiss Christianity because of the intolerance of Christians, I hope you will think again. Maybe now is the time to consider the for Christ.

Sean McDowell, Ph.D. is a professor of Christian Apologetics at 黑料历史, best-selling author, popular speaker, part-time high school teacher, and the Resident Scholar for , California. Follow him on Twitter: and his blog: , where you can find .

Mark Mittelberg, (Tyndale, 2010), 241.