What is Christian tolerance? Should Christians be tolerant of other religious beliefs?

from the old testament

• The Old Testament does not promote religious tolerance in the modern, pluralistic sense of accepting all beliefs as equally true. Instead, it strongly emphasizes exclusive worship of Yahweh and condemns idolatry (Exodus 20:3–5; Deuteronomy 6:14–15).
• Israel was commanded to remove false religions from its midst to protect covenant faithfulness (Deuteronomy 13:6–11; 17:2–7).
• However, the Old Testament does show tolerance in the sense of fair and respectful treatment of foreigners living among the Israelites, as long as they did not lead others into false worship (Exodus 22:21; Leviticus 19:33–34). While religious syncretism was forbidden, justice, compassion, and kindness toward outsiders were upheld as part of God’s character reflected through His people.

from the new testament

• The Bible is specific that we should expect others to have different beliefs about God. Galatians 4:8 says that those who don't know the true God are slaves to what are not gods.
• Romans 1:18-25 explains that although God has given evidence of His nature in creation, many will refuse to believe what their eyes tell them.
• Luke 10:21-22 says that on occasion, it is to God's purpose that people do not see Him; God often closes the eyes of those who, in pride, rely on their wits to find Him instead of seeking Him with humble hearts.
• Christians are called to tolerate others when they have different beliefs about God, but we are to expect people to reject us and not to tolerate us. Luke 6:22 says we are blessed when others reject us because we follow Christ.
• In John 15:18, Jesus warned, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” Believers shouldn’t expect tolerance from others toward our Christian beliefs, even if they demand tolerance for their own.
• God has also told Christians what our response should be when we are faced with intolerance. Matthew 5:43-48 says we are to love our enemies and pray for them. Romans 12:20 says we are to provide for them. Believers do not play by the world's rules. We do not respond to intolerance with fear and hate. Instead, we express the love of Christ in us.
• Today’s “tolerance” rejects the possibility that objective truth exists. But the Bible teaches that truth does exist, that God is truth, and that we are to follow in His truth. John 1:14 and 17 says that Jesus, who came from the Father, gives us truth. John 8:32 and Romans 6:16-23 says that the truth sets us free from the control of sin.
• Romans 1:18 says whoever suppresses the truth will receive the wrath of God.
• In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says that our mission is to teach others of the truth about Him.
• First Corinthians 13:6 (NIV) says, "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth."
• John 14:6 says that Jesus is the truth. While Christians can acknowledge the right of others to have different beliefs, we cannot allow those beliefs to go unchallenged for one simple reason: it is not loving, and Jesus calls us to love (Luke 10:25-37).
• The world will inevitably call believers intolerant, but we can mitigate the damage by being intolerant in the way God tells us to. First, we must know what we believe (1 Peter 3:15). Second, we need to know how to teach what we believe. We play a role in helping people “come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:23-26).
• In the heat of the moment, when we face personal attack or rejection, it's easy to forget why we speak the truth. Our goal is not to be proved right or to seek vindication, but to share truth in the hope that it will set others free: “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
• We are called to speak “the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), remembering that our words should aim to bring restoration, not retaliation: “a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone… correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:24–25).

implications for today

The original definition of tolerance and the way in which the word is used today are quite different. Originally, tolerance meant to acknowledge that others have a right to differing beliefs. In this way, Christians are absolutely to be tolerant. But today, tolerance has come to mean accepting those other beliefs as true. Of course this definition is illogical because embracing that type of tolerance precludes any personal opinion or belief. Christians cannot abide by that re-defining of tolerance. Believers must never endorse religious beliefs that run counter to what the Bible teaches.

Should a Christian be tolerant of others' religious beliefs? Yes—but only in the classical sense. The Bible teaches that many will reject God. We should be prepared to accept that and that those who reject God will reject His followers. But Christians should not be tolerant in the modern sense. We should not endorse the belief that all religions lead to God, that truth is a personal construct, or that everyone's beliefs are valid. Jesus is the truth. Christians are called to tolerate – and even to love – people without accepting their false beliefs.