Tolerance Testimonials

The Tolerant Moses

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Daniel

Daniel was an Israelite from Judah. (607 BC?) He was of nobility and could have been from the royal family. He was carried off to Babylon when Jerusalem was besieged. He found himself, a captive in a strange country, where the language, customs, food and religion were very different. Daniel was one of several young men chosen to learn the language and literature of the Babylonians, and be trained for the King’s service. The King assigned them a daily portion of food and wine from his table. Daniel wanted to keep God’s laws and recognized that some of the food was forbidden. Respecting the authority of the chief official over him, Daniel asked permission to eat vegetables and drink water for ten days. The young men who did not eat the royal food were much healthier and appeared to be better nourished. Daniel had resolved not to defile himself when the accepted behavior would have been to eat the royal food and wine. Daniel believed in standing firm for what is right in God’s sight. He excelled in his studies and was placed in the King’s service.

Throughout the Babylonian captivity, under different kings, Daniel was tolerant of the customs and policies of the land and showed respect to the kings without compromising his own belief. Daniel became ruler over all Babylon, and through his influence kings put out decrees ordering all the people to respect his God.

[Daniel]

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Stephen The First Martyr

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Jesus and Mary

Jesus always put himself in positions where he could teach. Jesus used Mary, the sister of Lazarus, to teach some people tolerance. Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, where he knew he would die. He stopped in the town of Bethany, where Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived. In the town of Bethany, at a party given in Jesus’ honor by a man named Simon, Mary poured some expensive perfume on Jesus feet, and then wiped his feet with her hair. Because Mary had lived a sinful life, people thought Jesus should not let her touch him. Jesus saw in Mary’s life what others were not able to see: he saw Mary’s heart, which had been forgiven of sin because she had repented of her sinful life, and saw her love for him. Jesus told the people that they should accept what Mary had done, because she had done a good thing. Jesus wanted the people to see that we must love others, despite what we may see in their lives. We are all in different stages of growth. We must be careful to accept others based on the love of Jesus, not our prejudices and limited vision.

[Matthew 26:13, Mark 14:3-9, John 12:1-11]

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The Apostle Paul

The apostle Paul was like a traveling preacher, who had to travel to many churches . Some of these churches were made up of people who were brand new believers in Jesus. Many of the people Paul had to lead had been involved in worshipping idols. They engaged in eating food sacrificed to the idols, and other things that Jesus would not like. Paul was very tolerant of these people. He knew that they did not always do the right thing. He wanted to help them learn to do the right things all the time. Sometimes they did not like the things Paul taught them, but Paul knew he had to please Jesus rather than these new believers. Paul reminded the people that he had done bad things before he believed in Jesus. Jesus had helped him change and could help all the people change. Paul sometimes got discouraged by the way the people acted. Sometimes his life was even put in danger. This did not stop him from continuing to try to teach the people in all his churches how they could live for God. God blessed Paul for being tolerant by protecting him, helping him teach the people, and letting him see people grow.

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A Lesson In Christian Tolerance

A preacher announced a men’s meeting in his church, proposing to give the men a chance to air their objections to Christianity. Over one hundred were present.

The first objector said, “Church members are no better than others.” “The ministers are no good,” said another.

And so the objections were mentioned one after another, and the pastor wrote them down on paper: “Hypocrites in the church,” “The church is a rich man’s club,” “Christians don’t believe the Bible any more”—twenty-seven in all.

When they were through the pastor read off the whole list, then tossed it aside, saying, “Boys, you have objected to us pastors, to church members, to the Bible, and other things, but you have not said a word against my Master!”

And in a few simple words he preached Christ to them as the faultless One, and invited them to come to Him, and believe on Him. Forty-nine men responded.

—Record of Christian Work

[Reproduced with permission from Encylopedia of 15,000 Illustrations, by Paul Lee Tan, Communications, Inc., Dallas, TX, 1998, #493]

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God Exhibits Tolerance At Yale

Horace Bushnell (1802-1876), who afterwards became the great American theologian, was at Yale University as a tutor. He was the most popular tutor in the University. Men who idolized him said: “There’s Horace Bushnell, the most popular tutor in the University. He isn’t a Christian. So what is the use of being a Christian?”

One day he went to his room, wrestled with the subject, and finally knelt down and offered up this prayer: “Oh, God! if there be any God, show me whether Jesus Christ is Thy Son or not. If Thou wilt show me that He is, I will accept Him and confess Him.” It did not take the Heavenly Father long to show him, and Horace Bushnell came out on the side of Christ. Almost every student in Yale University was converted.

—Acts and Facts

[Reproduced with permission from Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations, by Paul Lee Tan, Communications, Inc., Dallas, TX, 1998, #1846]

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Billy Graham

Billy Graham (1918- ) has had a long and fruitful ministry as America’s chaplain and world evangelist. Because of his tolerance of people from all nations, faiths, races, social rank from president to country boy, and both genders, Graham is an effective ambassador for God. “’I intend to go anywhere, sponsored by anybody, to preach the gospel of Christ, if there are no strings attached to my message. …The one badge of Christian discipleship is not orthodoxy but love. Christians are not limited to any church.’” (77) Perhaps this is why those in Greater Cincinnati prayerfully anticipate Billy Graham’s June 21-30l, 2002 crusade here. In pointing to our Lord Jesus Christ, racial tensions may diminish and greater tolerance may be fostered as believers are united in Christ.

As a young man, Billy Graham left Bob Jones College because he could not tolerate its strict rule. Later, he worked with Youth for Christ International, led crusades and revivals, founded Christianity Today, befriended presidents, penetrated the Iron Curtain, and sponsored international conferences by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. As his acceptance among mainline churches grew, ties with fundamentalists were strained and severed. Graham and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. eased racial tensions, reflected in boycotts and sit-ins, at the New York Crusade, 1957. Through their joint prayer and preaching, both became allies in the civil rights movement. Graham was reluctant, however, to endorse the Religious Right political movement of the 1970s. Billy Graham has faithfully carried out the work of an evangelist to a very needy world. Tolerance and love rather than condemnation have shaped his ministry as it did Christ’s (John 3:16-17).

[Adapted from 131 Christians Everyone Should Know, Mark Galli, Broadman & Holman, Nashville 2000.]

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My Handicapped Teacher

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George Beverly Shea’s Mother

George Beverly Shea, well-known singer and soloist at the Billy Graham Meetings, was once describing the respect and toleration displayed by his mother. She was a Christian who never spoke an unkind word about anyone. Never! One day, some people who knew her were trying to see just how tolerant Mrs. Shea was. They thought of someone with the worst character imaginable — the devil. Then they asked her this question: “What do you think about Satan?” Mrs. Shea thought for a moment and replied, “I admire his perseverance.”

Mrs. Shea’s respectful and tolerant behavior continue today as an encouragement and model to be imitated. She was like Michael the archangel who did not rail against the devil (Jude 9). Mrs. Shea’s admiration and respectful response illustrates the way to tolerate the lowest character without endorsing the character’s actions.

[Editor’ note: George Beverly Shea (1909 – ) began singing for Billy Graham in 1943 on the radio program “Songs in the Night”. He has been the musical mainstay in Graham crusades since their inception in 1947, and vocalist on the weekly “Hour of Decision” radio broadcast since 1950. Every hymn Bev sings is a testimony to the saving power of Jesus Christ and to Shea’s faith in Him. He is often called “America’s Beloved Gospel Singer”. He has composed numbers of songs (including “I’d Rather Have Jesus” and “The Wonder of It All”), sung hundreds of concerts around the world, recorded more than 70 albums, received ten Grammy nominations, and been inducted into both the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame and the Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame.]

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Lincoln Responds With Tolerance

One day, President Abraham Lincoln was riding in a coach with a colonel from Kentucky. The colonel took a bottle of whiskey out of his pocket. He offered Mr. Lincoln a drink. Mr. Lincoln said, “No thank you, Colonel. I never drink whiskey.” In a little while, the colonel took some cigars out of his pocket and offered one to Mr. Lincoln. Again Mr. Lincoln said, “No, thank you, Colonel.” Then Mr. Lincoln said, “I want to tell you a story.”

“One day, when I was about nine years old, my mother called me to her bed. She was very sick. She said, ‘Abe, the doctor tells me that I am not going to get well. I want you to be a good boy. I want you to promise me before I go that you will never use whiskey or tobacco as long as you live.’ I promised my mother that I never would, and up to this hour, I kept this promise! Would you advise me to break that promise?”

The colonel put his hand on Mr. Lincoln’s shoulder and said, “Mr. Lincoln, I would not have you break that promise for the world! It is one of the best promises you ever made. I would give a thousand dollars today if I had made my mother a promise like that and had kept it like you have done. I would be a much better man than I am!”

—Martin M. Hyzer

[Reproduced with permission from Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations, by Paul Lee Tan, Communications, Inc., Dallas, TX, 1998, #102]

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O’Hair Experiences Christian Tolerance

Madalyn Murray O’Hair, who was billed as the world’s greatest infidel and atheist, spoke at a college in Ohio. In her speech she proceeded to take religion apart. She lambasted the clergy and all church officers. She harassed all believing students and professors, and she harangued the foolish thinkers who believed what they read. She made a laughingstock of those who trusted in prayer and mocked the citizens of America so stupid to believe in anything religious.

As the meeting was about to break up, from the back of the auditorium there came a tiny voice of a little college girl. She spoke quietly, and her voice was filled with compassion.

“Mrs. O’Hair, I am so happy you came to speak to all of us here tonight. We have listened with attention to your tirade on our beliefs. We thank you for showing all of us what an atheist is. Now in turn we must be ever grateful for your visit, because now and forever we have been strengthened in our Christian beliefs by listening to you tonight. We really feel sorry for you. I thank you because I know you have strengthened my faith in our Church, in our religion.”

The speaker of the evening was flabbergasted. It seems it was the first time she couldn’t say anything. The applause for the young girl’s response was deafening.

[Reproduced with permission from Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations, by Paul Lee Tan, Communications, Inc., Dallas, TX, 1998, #484]

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Answering With The Canal

While contending with the manifold problems of geography and climate in the building of the Panama Canal, Colonel George Washington Goethals had to endure the carping criticism of countless busybodies back home who freely predicted that he would never complete his great task. But the resolute builder pressed steadily forward in his work and said nothing.

“Aren’t you going to answer your critics?” a subordinate inquired.

“In time,” Goethals replied.

“How?”

The great engineer smiled. “With the canal,” he replied.

—Adrian Anderson

[Reproduced with permission from s by Paul Lee Tan, Communications, Inc., Dallas, TX, 1998, #2135]

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General Lee Focused On What Was Right

This story was told of General Robert E. Lee: Hearing General Lee speak in the highest terms to President Davis about a certain officer, another officer, greatly astonished, said to him, “General, do you know that the man of whom you speak so highly to the President is one of your bitterest enemies, and misses no opportunity to malign you?”

“Yes,” replied General Lee, “but the President asked my opinion of him; he did not ask for his opinion of me.”

—Sunshine Magazine

[Reproduced with permission from Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations, by Paul Lee Tan, Communications, Inc., Dallas, TX, 1998, #2144]

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Tolerantly Helping Army Buddies Mature

A fine lad entered the Army. He faced a real test the first night he went to bed in the barracks. He had formed the commendable habit of placing his Bible on his bed at home, and kneeling down to read a chapter while having his daily prayer time before retiring.

Surrounded by scores of rough men in the one great company room, many of them cursing and jesting loudly, he thought it might be wiser to go to bed and then read his Bible where nobody would notice it.

But he told himself, “I am a Christian, and I ought to give these fellows a testimony. I won’t strike my colors; I’ll do just as I did at home!”
So the courageous youngster undressed, got into his sleeping garments, then spread his Bible on his cot. He kneeled down and started to read, and in two minutes the barracks got as quiet as a church. He felt like a goldfish in a glass bowl.

After a while the talk began again, and nothing was said about his odd behavior. But the next night when he again opened his Bible and knelt to read, eight other boys dug out their Bibles and did the same.

Within a month every man in that outfit would have fought for that boy. They brought their troubles and their questions to him to be settled, and he influenced more men for Christ in that one barracks than half a dozen chaplains could have moved in a year of Sundays.

—Harry Rimmer

[Reproduced with permission from Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations, by Paul Lee Tan, Communications, Inc., Dallas, TX, 1998, #1906]

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Respectfully Addressing Frederick The Great

Frederick the Great was a scoffer, but his great general, Von Zealand, was a Christian. One day at a gathering, the king was making coarse jokes about Jesus Christ and the whole place was ringing with guffaws.

Von Zealand arose stiffly and said, “Sire, you know I have not feared death. I have fought and won 38 battles for you. I am an old man; I shall soon have to go into the presence of One Greater than thou, the mighty God who saved me from my sin, the Lord Jesus Christ whom you are blaspheming against. I salute thee, sire, as an old man, who loves his Savior, on the edge of eternity.”

With trembling voice, Frederick replied: “General Von Zealand. I beg your pardon. I beg your pardon! I beg your pardon!”
The company silently dispersed.

—Sunday

[Reproduced with permission from Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations, by Paul Lee Tan, Communications, Inc., Dallas, TX, 1998, #1943]

[Editors note: Frederick The Great (1712- 1786), Frederick II, governed Prussia for 46 years. During this time he developed a poorly populated, economically undeveloped, second-rate country into a solid, well-administered, major power in Europe – a country with a strong, well disciplined military and a united people with a strong will for Prussia to be powerful. He was the first to focus on militarism in Germany, a tradition continued on by Bismarck and Hitler until 1945. He was their first symbol of independence, like George Washington in America.]

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Speaking The Truth In Love

James Haldane, when a young man, commanded the man-of-war, the Melville Castle. In a fierce battle with an enemy ship, he ordered new men on deck to take the place of those who had been killed or wounded. The men, seeing the mangled bloody bodies of their comrades, fell back in horror. Captain Haldane began to swear frightfully and wished them all in hell.

At the close of the fight a Christian soldier stepped up and said respectfully to the young captain, “Sir, if God had answered your prayer just now where should we have been? “ This faithful word of rebuke went home to the conscience of Haldane. It led to his sound conversion. He abandoned his career in the Navy and became a preacher of the Gospel and labored for fifty-four years.

But this was not all: James led his brother Robert to Christ who also became a preacher and an able commentator of the Bible. Nor was this all. Robert Haldane was the means of the conversion of Felix Neff a philanthropic Swiss preacher and leader of Protestantism. What if that Christian soldier had remained silent instead of rebuking Captain Haldane?

—Triumphs of Faith

[Reproduced with permission from Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations, by Paul Lee Tan, Communications, Inc., Dallas, TX, 1998, #10090]

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