No to Intolerance

The following text excerpt is from an interview the Russian Orthodox Priest, Fr. Daniel Sysoyev recently gave. Fr. Daniel was murdered inside a church by Muslims in November 2009.

Do you know what tolerance in medical settings mean? It means a lack of immunity, and tolerance is a sign of serious sickness. It happens when people have cancer, AIDs… Our society is getting very dangerously sick. We don’t know our faith anymore, we are beginning to lose our strong faith in God (even if most people think otherwise) The lives of many Ethiopians is still based on moral values, but the number of Ethiopians that prefers to live material oriented lives is growing. We, as Christians, have to remember what Bible tells us, and remember that faith without actions is DEAD. We have to put GOD as a purpose of our life, we have to remember that our life here is a temporary one.

Muslims want us to be tolerant to them. But what does it mean? They sued me for my book where I encourage Christian girls to avoid marriage with Muslims. Muslims said this book creates hatred between Christians and Muslims. My book was published for Christian audience, it was distributed through churches’ bookstores. What rights do Muslims have to tell me, a Christian priest, what should I tell to my godchildren for their good? I don’t ask to use violence, I just explain the difference between us, and such serious decision in Christian life as marriage should be made on safe grounds between people who have same values, otherwise there would be a tragedy, and the victim (almost always) will be the Christian person.

Another example: In disputes with Muslims, I openly say that my religion is right and theirs is wrong, I give them my reasonings. Muslims get mad, and want me to be quiet. Why should I be quiet? I have the right to believe in my God, and anybody who believes in different God would also think that their religion is true and best. I have no problem to hear the same things from Muslims about Allah. But if my arguments are stronger and they feel defeated they don’t give me arguments anymore, but just threaten to kill me if I don’t get quiet. But Jesus Christ said: DO NOT BE AFRAID. And that’s why I’m not.

Muslims want to control what Christians should believe, say and teach among Christians. I don’t believe in such tolerance. True believers are never tolerant, because the TRUTH is one. And person who believes in God (in any religion) is never tolerant to agree in his heart with other gods.

Christianity asks us to tell nonbelievers about true God, but it is up to the people to accept our teaching or not, because our God wants only those who want to chose Him freely. We don’t force our religion on others, we respect their free choice. But Muslims do force people to convert, and kill the people who chose to convert from Islam to Christianity….

We have no rights to be tolerant today, we have to follow Christ sincerely, and to protect our faith in our hearts. We have to grow good seeds in our hearts and prepare for future eternal life with warm hearts. We can not tolerate wrong values FOR OUR LIVES, we have to reject them if we want to be true Christians.

“Blessed are those, who are persecuted for righteousness sake,
For great is their reward in Heaven”. Glory To God.