The idea of how modern society has chosen to redefine words came up in conversation recently. Perhaps it is the natural way of things, or perhaps it is the influence of the postmodern movement of the late 20th century. But regardless, its amazing what such redefinitions have done for our society. Take for example, the term tolerance.
The 1828 edition of Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language defines tolerance as:
TOL’ERANCE, n. [L. tolerantia, from tolero, to bear.] The power or capacity of enduring; or the act of enduring.
Whereas Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Dictionary defines tolerance as:
1. a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one’s own; freedom from bigotry.
2. a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one’s own.
3. interest in and concern for ideas, opinions, practices, etc., foreign to one’s own; a liberal, undogmatic viewpoint.
4. the act or capacity of enduring; endurance: My tolerance of noise is limited.
5. Medicine/Medical, Immunology.
a. the power of enduring or resisting the action of a drug, poison, etc.: a tolerance to antibiotics.
b. the lack of or low levels of immune response to transplanted tissue or other foreign substance that is normally immunogenic.
6. Machinery.
a. the permissible range of variation in a dimension of an object. Compare allowance (def. 8).
b. the permissible variation of an object or objects in some characteristic such as hardness, weight, or quantity.
7. Also called allowance. Coining. a permissible deviation in the fineness and weight of coin, owing to the difficulty of securing exact conformity to the standard prescribed by law.
Notice that enduring something is now “a fair, objective, and permissive attitude….” What used to be putting up with something or someone has become having a fair, objective and permissive attitude.
This redefinition is continuing around us. In all avenues. Femininity used to be desirable in women, and masculinity in men. Now, these things are bad.
You are probably asking yourself why I am writing this blog entry. What’s the deal with worrying about redefinition of terms? Who cares? It is not just terms that are redefined. So are the very foundations of our nation, our society, and our religion.
The fact is, the postmodern world has attempted to redefine many things, including what is right and wrong, good and bad, evil and not. We must recognize that when God’s word says something is good, then it is. When God’s word says something is bad, then it is. Our feelings do not change what God has says or whether it applies to us.
The world would say that it is important for a woman to look a certain way, sexy, “attractive”, etc. But what does God’s word say?
Scripture tells us in 1 Peter 3:3-4,
“3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
What is important – what the world says, what your desires are, or what God says? God says that what is on the inside of a person is much more important than what is on the outside.
The world would have you think that you need to stand up for yourself – to your boss, your government, etc. God’s word says in 1 Peter 2:13-17,
“13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.”
What is more important – what the world says, what your desires are, or what God says?
The world says that if you are not happy with your spouse, then get a divorce. God says in Matthew 19:4-6,
‘4“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”‘
What is more important – what the world says, what your desires are, or what God says?
Do not let yourself get caught up with what the world says is good or bad – these are men’s philosophies that we are warned about in the Bible. Colossians 2:8 tells us,
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ
I submit that what God says is more important. It does not matter how we feel. We must live as God has said to live, and not as the world would say we should.
Filed under: Bible, Divorce, Ethics, God, Marriage, Truth | 17 Comments »
