Rating: 
Summary: McDowell is cracked
Review: I would have to say reading this ridiculous book made me more angry and irrated then in recent memory. McDowell's concept of "new tolerance" is a joke. If tolerance has gone under some sort of transformation as he contends than I strongly believe it is definately for the better. McDowell attempts to convince that reader the tolerance of differance is the same as tolerance of evil.
For example lets take the situation at the beginning of the book: The relationship between the mother Monica and the daughter Sharry. Now conflict arose between the tow of them because Sherry wanted her boyfriend to stay in her room while they were over. Monica found this upsetting because she's a Christian. So, Sherry agreed that they would not sleep together while residing at her parents place. This did not satisfy the mother because she was now aware that the daughter and her boyfriend were having sex. The daughter did not insist that they be allowed to sleep together while staying at her parents place. She did not call her mother's beliefs archaic, or even criticese them at all. What she did do is inform the mother that she respected her views on not having sex befor marriage and therefore will not sleep with her boyfriend while they stay there but at the same she does not share those views and therefore will not stop sleeping with the boyfriend. Mcdowell does not agree with the manner in which the daughter handled the situation and utilizes this example explain his warped problem with tolerance, or "new tolerance" as he likes to call it. A reasonable individual would see that the daughter could not have handled the situation any better. Like or not just because Sherry is Monica's child she is still an individual and an adult with the ability and the right to make her own decisions on matters such as that. Last time I checked this is still a free society.
The incident involving Beverly Schnell; the woman who placed aad in the newspaper for "a mature Christian handyman." The government found that this ad was discriminatory. If you think about it carefully you will derive at the realization that it was discrimination. Schnell did not place this ad on a church bulleton booard or a church newsletter. She placed it in a newspaper. Newspapers are meant for the general public. She has no right to determine the religion of a potential tenant. it is the same as if she specified a desired race. For example if the the ad read; "a mature White handyman." Mcdowell tries to to twist this situation into some sort of example of hypocrisy and intolerance towards Christians.
Rating: 
Summary: Tolerance for tolerance's sake is the problem
Review: =-=-= This book is not only highly recommended, but highly necessary. Criticisms that the book denounces tolerance are irrelevant. Tolerance is neither good nor evil. It is a neutral act. Its entire value is determined by the nature of what is being tolerated. Germans in the 1930s and 1940s tolerated Hitler and the holocaust. Was tolerance good? The doctrine of separate but equal facilities based on race was tolerated in America. Was that tolerance good? The idea that tolerance in and of itself has become worthy of worship is precisely the perversion that McDowell addresses in this book. To tolerate evil is a sin, as any born again Christian knows. And indeed, unless one is born again he is lost, agonizingly and eternally condemned, which incidentally is the ultimate measure of being a failure as a human being. "... he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. - John 3:18 [KJV] The sweeping, uncritical acceptance of tolerance irrespective of what is being tolerated is one of the greatest threats to civilization and to Christianity. =-=-=
Rating: 
Summary: Fun to read, but Inaccurate
Review: I really enjoy Josh McDowell's work. Not because it reinforces my opinions or because it helps me defend or find my faith, but because it is so entertaining. Unfortuately, that was not really the intent. This book, like most by the esteemed Mr. McDowell is more a joke to an educated reader than anything else. In it, he presents Postmodernism as the biggest threat to Christianity ever. Bigger than Satan, bigger than Rome. It is the biggest threat ever. He further goes on to contend that tolerance is not really what most of us consider it to be. Rather, it is intolerant not to believe his faith, because it is so obviously (to him at least) correct, and not accepting it is wrong. If you can read that with an open mind, you can see why this book is so entertaining. Like most of McDowell's recent work, this is mainly a collaborative effort, and I ended up wondering if he didn't really just allow his name to be put on it for recognition's sake. It is totally plausible that it is ghostwritten. However, I think that these are actually McDowell's opinions, because the same rhetoric stands out from this as does from The Evidence that Demands a Verdict with regards to postmodernism. From his redefinition of words with common meaning to his logical fallacies that cause you sto slap your head in wonder and bewilderment, this book is a farce, but an entertaining one. At this point, I would like to quote South Park. There is an episode where a nameless teacher with a hand puppet (you all know who he is) engages in some outrageous and completely inappropriate behavior in order to get himself fired. At the very end of the episode, where he has broken every law of decency known to man, he rages at the audience telling them that liking something is acceptance and that putting up with something even though you don't like it is tolerance. You tolerate things that you don't like because it isn't your right to make decisions for other people. In that vein, I can't decide that you shouldn't buy this book. Point of fact, I wouldn't decide that if I could. That is the behavior of people who are afraid of ideas, which leads to facism and fundamentalism. I would like to point out the importance, though, of thinking for yourself. The only reason that I gave this book a two instead of a one was the inestimable entertainment value I got from watching Josh McDowell point fingers and scream like some psychotic Islamic fundamentalist/terrorist. Granted, that is some powerful imagery, but I think that the author would understand why I use it. Read the book, buy it or don't, just keep an open mind.
Harkius
Rating:
Summary: Are you people NUTS?!
Review: Jesus didn't say tolerate your neighbor? Tolerance is evil? We aren't talking about tolerating evil or sin or the Holocaust. Jesus ate dinner with tax collectors and prostitutes and you people have the audacity to use his life as back-up for intolerance? How dare you. Josh McDowell and his followers do nothing to aid Jesus' message, and if he were here today, this book would make him laugh, cry, and probably give him a major aneurysm.
Rating:
Summary: Judge not lest ye be judged...
Review: McDowell is the sort of shallow thinker that would get laughed out of any sophomore debating class, and this book is solid proof. Like all fundamentalists of whatever religion, he claims that his own god and his own religious and political beliefs are "The Truth" and everyone else's are false. And since all beliefs others than his are false, that makes them EVIL.
All the GOOD people agree with him, and follow his god, and hate all the people he hates.
These EVIL people are not just EVIL, they're persecuting Christians.
If they don't embrace our religion, they are attacking us.
If they ignore us, they are persecuting us.
If they don't hate everybody that we hate, they are assaulting us.
If they don't think we deserve special privileges, they are persecuting us.
And because god is on our side, our god says we should destroy them because that's the loving thing to do. Don't you see?
Hate is love. If you don't hate all the people we hate, you are being intolerant of us because it's our duty to hate people who don't agree with us. That's how we show our Christian love. If you don't buy this nonsense, you're obviously not McDowell's target market.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for teaching and living as God wants us too.
Review: Most Christians acknowledge that the world does not tolerate Christians. This book is an excellent tool that can be used for teaching your family to live as God has commanded, even when the world around us denies us the right to live as Christians. The "New Tolerance" is not true tolerance. It is acceptance and appreciation for whatever you want to believe, think and do. One cannot be a Christian and believe in the "new Tolerance" movement. One must uphold the truths written in the Bible and live as such. This book offers hope of a brighter future, assistance in how to live in a world that does everything BUT tolerate Christians and guidance on how to teach your children to survive in this world.
Rating:
Summary: A Theological Review
Review: Must read! The authors have done a superb job in making a difficult subject understandable to the average Christian reader. A subtle reign of terror has descended upon America and America's conservative Christians and few are prepared to endure, much less counter the hate and pseudo-tolerance (intolerance) sweeping our society. In addition to their thorough analysis of the problem of the "new tolerance" (brought on by postmodernist thinking), McDowell and Hostetler offer in chapters 6 & 11 sound advice on how to lovingly respond to the growing hostility. However, a fundamental, subtle weakness of the authors' theology is their failure to grasp the full consequence of the Fall (p.42, 87); for them mankind is, not was, created in the image of God. In their desire to establish a basis for genuine tolerance (self-esteem), they crack open the door to the serious error of Christian humanism. This is further seen in their total emphasis upon sins and forgiveness, with no discussion of man's history in the First Adam (sin) and the Cross. Consequently, the authors remain committed to the unbiblical tenets of neo-evangelicalism (p. 183), which can be argued made Christian churches unnecessarily vulnerable to the postmodernist tidal wave in the first place. The answer to the psychological "needs" listed on page 184 cannot exclude dealing with them via the Cross! Nevertheless, the book is powerful in its diagnoses and written at a level which will earn it wide acceptance in conservative Christian circles. While there is no guarantee that Christian "love" will stem the cultural collapse, their advice will surely equip the Christian reader to better face the growing persecution with integrity.
Rating:
Summary: The Problem with Tolerance
Review: There is tolerance and then there is tolerance. Jesus taught you and I, him being the only and true Son of God, to love the sinner and hate the sin...within us and within our brothers and sisters. Yes, there are many extreme forces of evil in this world from homosexuality to adultery from racism to abortion. It is not good to be a part of these sins, but the person itself cannot and should not be tossed away. To be tolerant is to give your brother or sister a loving hand. No matter what, always love one another, that is the message of Jesus. Yet there are many "tolerant" fanatics out there saying that Jesus is just like Buddhism and whatever other religious idols...which Jesus is not. Jesus is the only way to go to God because of what he did on the cross and him rising on the third day. Also, the tolerant fantatics say it is ok to be homosexual, but the Bible clearly says it is not good at all to be homosexual. Still, as a Christian, one should still love the person while standing true in saying that that lifestyle is not in any way shape or form a good choice. I myself have homosexual friends but I do not hate them or turn their back on them, on the other hand I dont tell them that I feel its ok to do what they are doing. Loving one another doesn't mean you have a blinds eye for what they are doing especially if what they are doing is totally wrong and against what the Bible states is wrong (homosexuality, abortion, etc. etc.). Loving one another is still the prime importance. Give love to others, show love for others, while still maintaining a Christian worldview is what this book and books like it are about.
Rating:
Summary: The Problem with Tolerance
Review: There is tolerance and then there is tolerance. Jesus taught you and I, him being the only and true Son of God, to love the sinner and hate the sin...within us and within our brothers and sisters. Yes, there are many extreme forces of evil in this world from homosexuality to adultery from racism to abortion. It is not good to be a part of these sins, but the person itself cannot and should not be tossed away. To be tolerant is to give your brother or sister a loving hand. No matter what, always love one another, that is the message of Jesus. Yet there are many "tolerant" fanatics out there saying that Jesus is just like Buddhism and whatever other religious idols...which Jesus is not. Jesus is the only way to go to God because of what he did on the cross and him rising on the third day. Also, the tolerant fantatics say it is ok to be homosexual, but the Bible clearly says it is not good at all to be homosexual. Still, as a Christian, one should still love the person while standing true in saying that that lifestyle is not in any way shape or form a good choice. I myself have homosexual friends but I do not hate them or turn their back on them, on the other hand I dont tell them that I feel its ok to do what they are doing. Loving one another doesn't mean you have a blinds eye for what they are doing especially if what they are doing is totally wrong and against what the Bible states is wrong (homosexuality, abortion, etc. etc.). Loving one another is still the prime importance. Give love to others, show love for others, while still maintaining a Christian worldview is what this book and books like it are about.
Rating:
Summary: Right On Target!
Review: This book describes very well the shift that has occurred in American society over the past twenty or so years. The authors correctly portray the new tolerance as a new state religion, a belief system that demands allegiance by everyone who desires to be seen as civilized and cultured. The result is that absolute, propositional truth becomes a relic of an unenlightened past. For Christians who are seeking to defend their biblical faith and values from the onslaught of relativism, this book is a must-read. It helps make sense of the mindset present in so much of American society today. Most importantly, it also offers solid, sensible ways to respond.
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