Excerpts from Ryan Dobson’s book “Be Intolerant: Because Some Things Are Just Stupid.”
“I’m totally intolerant. Totally, radically intolerant. Some people call me a narrow-minded, Bible-thumping, backward-thinking, fundamentalist white male bigot. In fact, it happens every day.”
“I’m intolerant. I’m not ignorant, but I am intolerant. I’m not a racist or a bigot, but I am intolerant. I don’t hate people; I disagree with ideas. Make no mistake, I am intolerant. I am intolerant because I love. The world hates me because I love in this way, but I cannot stop. I dare not stop. I serve a Lord who loved enough to be intolerant. No more trying to please the world and please God at the same time. Get your armor on, take up your cross, and come on out to where the adventure beings. Go out and be intolerant–in love.“
This is the 2nd version of this post. Some friends reminded me that it’s easier to be ultracritical of someone, than to actually offer any constructive comments or pose any good questions. So, that is what I will try to do now. I emailed Ryan Dobson and his co-author, Jefferson Scott – so we will see if they come check out the blog and respond. I just have a real problem with the title of the book: Be Intolerant. One of the subtitles for Chapter 5 is “Being Lovingly Intolerant to Lost People in Your Circle.”
I think it’s a language issue. I can make no comments on Ryan’s heart or motivations behind him writing this book. But I can look at the language he used. And if I was not a follower of Christ, as soon as I heard Ryan say “I’m totally, radically intolerant” – I would tune him out. The language we use is so incredibly powerful; more powerful than we realize. The book is basically about moral relativism, and how that just doesn’t work. Ryan is against an “anything goes, we’re all good” approach to religious belief. I think many who read this blog would agree with that web of belief – but, what is the appropriate language to communicate that idea? Is it intolerance? I would never use the word, but what word would I use in its place?
Ryan Dobson talks about being intolerant out of love. However, that causes me to ask the question: if people are calling someone a narrow-minded, fundamentalist white male bigot, then maybe they’re not presenting the love of Christ in the best way. If anything, people got pissed at Jesus because he was including more people than he should have. His Love was not exclusive – it was a profoundly inclusive Love, reaching the outsiders, the people on the fringe, the lepers, the prostitutes, etc., etc. Granted, I myself do not buy in to an anything goes / all paths lead to God web of belief.
So where does that leave us?