What is tolerance?

Yesterday, we looked at an example of worldly "tolerance," the Orwellian notion that any special interest group can shout down the mainstream with impunity. Today, let's examine what tolerance should look like in God's Kingdom. His standard is and always will be the one we should be seeking.

Romans 14 offers an excellent discourse on tolerating difference. Here, Paul is addressing the Roman Christians, a melange of traditions and ideas if there ever was one. Here, occupying the same "faith ground" were converted Jews,Greeks, and Romans. This was truly a "multicultural" society. What is important here is Paul's emphasis on what unites them, not what divides them:

Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.
2One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.

3The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.

4Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Here, Paul is addressing the issue of religious practice based on cultural tradition. In short, he instructs the Roman Christians to "back off" their insistence on cultural purity and focus on Christ. It's not about the "how," it's about the "what." Paul summarizes this ideas in verses 5 and 6:

5One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.

6He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.

To be tolerant, Paul is saying, we must have confidence in our own faith; indeed, we must be so confident that we can tolerate those who deviate from our own practices. Note that Paul is not tolerating any deviance regarding Christ or who He is. What he does make allowance for are differences of practice based on cultural tradition. He encourages the Roman Christians not to let these issues become points of division in the Church.

Where are we today with regard to this facet of tolerance? Is the church practicing tolerance? Or are we getting caught up in petty differences that lead to division?