---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our society's obsession with tolerance…"
description: "\"Our society's obsession with tolerance leads to intolerance. Simply being a Christian today is an offense to our culture.\" — Charles Colson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/charles-colson-7127_christian_our-society-s-obsession-with-tolerance-l_2552164.jpg"
---

#  Our society's obsession with tolerance leads to…

![“Our society's obsession with tolerance leads to intolerance. Simply being a Christian today is an offense to our culture.” quote by Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/charles-colson-7127_christian_our-society-s-obsession-with-tolerance-l_2552164.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/charles-colson-7127_christian_our-society-s-obsession-with-tolerance-l_2552164.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/charles-colson-7127_christian_our-society-s-obsession-with-tolerance-l_2552164.jpg)

> “Our society's obsession with tolerance leads to intolerance. Simply being a Christian today is an offense to our culture.”

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The pursuit of tolerance can paradoxically breed intolerance, especially when dominant cultural norms label dissenting identities as offensive.

**In simple terms:** Excessive tolerance can create new forms of intolerance.

Key Takeaway

Balance openness with respect for differences.

Themes

tolerance culture identity

Mood

critical thought‑provoking

Type

analytical controversial

When to use this quote

- public discourse
- educational curricula
- media representation

Key Concepts

social dynamics religious freedom political correctness

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines healthy tolerance?
- How does labeling affect social cohesion?

A Different Perspective

Risk of overgeneralizing complex social dynamics.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Intolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerance/) [Obsession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsession/) [Our society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-society/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Tolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerance/)

## Related quotes

> [To the average professed Christian today, living so far below normal, New Testament Christianity would be a shock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-havner/to-the-average-professed-christian-today-living-so-far-below-normal/)

[Vance Havner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-havner/)

> [The attitude of the average Christian today is relax and be raptured. But He is coming... and when God gets angry you´ve no idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/the-attitude-of-the-average-christian-today-is-relax-and-be-raptured/)

[Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/)

> [I've been a Christian for a long time, and I think that Christianity gets a bad rap. I think that people's perception of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andie-macdowell/i-ve-been-a-christian-for-a-long-time-and-i-think-that-christianity/)

[Andie MacDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andie-macdowell/)

> [“You are a Christian today only because God was the first to seek peace with you. You are now called and equipped to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/you-are-a-christian-today-only-because-god-was-the-first-to-seek/)

[Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/)

> [What was formerly merely sickly now becomes indecent : it is indecent to be a Christian today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/what-was-formerly-merely-sickly-now-becomes-indecent-it-is-indecent/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [The distinctive mark of the Christian, today more than ever, must be love for the poor, the weak, the suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-distinctive-mark-of-the-christian-today-more-than-ever-must-be/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [“Our age knows better… What was formerly merely sickly now becomes indecent—it is indecent to be a Christian today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/our-age-knows-better-what-was-formerly-merely-sickly-now-becomes/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [“Unlike the uneducated Christian followers from centuries ago, the typical Christian today has a particularly high level of suspicion of organized religion, including an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-s-haraburda/unlike-the-uneducated-christian-followers-from-centuries-ago-the/)

[Scott S. Haraburda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-s-haraburda/)

> [I believe the role of the Christian today is to show the world the love of Jesus. I know that may sound overly simplistic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricardo-sanchez/i-believe-the-role-of-the-christian-today-is-to-show-the-world-the/)

[Ricardo Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricardo-sanchez/)

> [The American system demands success, and in order to succeed we must first believe that we can. Yet our society, with its intolerance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/the-american-system-demands-success-and-in-order-to-succeed-we-must/)

[Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/)

> [I believe in a wall between church and state so high that no one can climb over it. When religion controls government, political liberty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/i-believe-in-a-wall-between-church-and-state-so-high-that-no-one-can/)

[Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/)

> [I have tried to defend what is most precious to our American society, a society that is now at war against the forces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demian-bichir/i-have-tried-to-defend-what-is-most-precious-to-our-american-society/)

[Demian Bichir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demian-bichir/)

> [the Republicans love to say that the Democratic Party is ruled by 'special interests.' But when pressed to name these 'special interests,' the usual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-ferraro/the-republicans-love-to-say-that-the-democratic-party-is-ruled-by/)

[Geraldine Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-ferraro/)

> [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/)

[Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/)

> [Dialogue and education for peace can help free our hearts from the impulse toward intolerance and the rejection of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/dialogue-and-education-for-peace-can-help-free-our-hearts-from-the/)

[Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/)

## More by Charles Colson

> [People who reject transcendent authority can no longer persuade one another through rational arguments; everything is reduced to personal opinion. Debates about ideas thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/people-who-reject-transcendent-authority-can-no-longer-persuade-one/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [Life is a mess. And theology must be lived out in the midst of that mess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/life-is-a-mess-and-theology-must-be-lived-out-in-the-midst-of-that/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [If the polls are right, our Judeo-Christian heritage is no longer the foundation of our values. We have become a post-Christian society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/if-the-polls-are-right-our-judeo-christian-heritage-is-no-longer-the/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [Moral crusaders with zeal but no ethical understanding are likely to give us solutions that are worse than the problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/moral-crusaders-with-zeal-but-no-ethical-understanding-are-likely-to/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [Lenin, Stalin, and Rakosi recognized that a renewed and purified Christianity was the only force that could move the masses as powerfully as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/lenin-stalin-and-rakosi-recognized-that-a-renewed-and-purified/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [Frontline love. It is our one hope for breaking down barriers and for restoring the sense of community, of caring for one another, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/frontline-love-it-is-our-one-hope-for-breaking-down-barriers-and-for/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [The church has been brought into the same value system as the world: fame, success, materialism and celebrity. We watch the leading churches and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/the-church-has-been-brought-into-the-same-value-system-as-the-world/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [In our day, you can mock religion in public and even get funds for doing it. But you can't show respect for religion in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/in-our-day-you-can-mock-religion-in-public-and-even-get-funds-for/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [ The average college graduate's proficient literacy in English \[the ability to read lengthy, complex texts and draw complicated inferences\] has declined from 40 percent… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/the-average-college-graduate-s-proficient-literacy-in-english-the/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [The church is the only institution supernaturally endowed by God. It is the one institution of which Jesus promised that the gates of hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/the-church-is-the-only-institution-supernaturally-endowed-by-god-it/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [Why, I wondered, is there such hostility to one faith in this Hindu culture that believes all roads lead to heaven? They should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/why-i-wondered-is-there-such-hostility-to-one-faith-in-this-hindu/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [I was deepening my understanding of what we call the cultural commission, the command to take dominion and bring righteousness to our culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/i-was-deepening-my-understanding-of-what-we-call-the-cultural/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [Christians should never have a political party. It is a huge mistake to become married to an ideology, because the greatest enemy of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/christians-should-never-have-a-political-party-it-is-a-huge-mistake/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [But all at once I realized that it was not my success God had used to enable me to help those in this prison,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/but-all-at-once-i-realized-that-it-was-not-my-success-god-had-used-to/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [Christians need to take the lead in educating people that children are gifts, as my autistic grandson most surely is. By going down the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/christians-need-to-take-the-lead-in-educating-people-that-children/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

[Explore all 94 Charles Colson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

## More Christian quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/)

[David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/)

> [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/)

[Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/)

> [For many, the call to be a Christian can seem demanding, even overwhelming. But we need not be afraid or feel inadequate. The Savior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-hales/for-many-the-call-to-be-a-christian-can-seem-demanding-even/)

[Robert D. Hales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-hales/)

> [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/)

[Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/)

> [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [Poor David Hume is dying fast, but with more real cheerfulness and good humor and with more real resignation to the necessary course of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/poor-david-hume-is-dying-fast-but-with-more-real-cheerfulness-and/)

[Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/)

> [“Is there any holy beings like human beings?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/is-there-any-holy-beings-like-human-beings/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/)

[Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/)

> [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/)

[J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/)

[Browse all 14,306 Christian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Our society's obsession with tolerance leads to intolerance.  Simply being a Christian today is an offense to our culture.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charles Colson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/our-society-s-obsession-with-tolerance-leads-to-intolerance-simply/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Christian"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/our-society-s-obsession-with-tolerance-leads-to-intolerance-simply/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/charles-colson-7127_christian_our-society-s-obsession-with-tolerance-l_2552164.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/charles-colson-7127_christian_our-society-s-obsession-with-tolerance-l_2552164.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/charles-colson-7127_christian_our-society-s-obsession-with-tolerance-l_2552164.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Our society's obsession with tolerance leads to intolerance. Simply being a Christian today is an offense to…” — Charles Colson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Charles Colson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Our society's obsession with tolerance leads...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/our-society-s-obsession-with-tolerance-leads-to-intolerance-simply/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/our-society-s-obsession-with-tolerance-leads-to-intolerance-simply/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
