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Every Thursday evening, a group of JBU students cram into the second-floor lounge of the Walker Residence Hall for Chai Time — a session consisting of drinking chai and hearing about missions and other global topics. It's an excellent opportunity to hear news about missions in the world and to pray for them as well. Plus, as an added bonus, the chai is free.

Recently, we had the opportunity to hear from some missionaries to francophone Europe. By all means, I do value the great work that missionaries do around the world: my aunt and uncle are missionaries to Cambodia, and my father used to build churches and orphanages in Mexico. However, there was a certain attitude that was brought up that bothered me.

France is a country currently dealing with some ethnic issues. Between five to ten percent of France's population is Muslim, and this is mostly the result of recent migration from Muslim countries in Africa. At Chai Time, our guests brought up an issue stating, from what I interpreted, that it was ridiculous that Muslims in France could just expect to be able to carry prayer mats to a university and wear headscarves to schools.

Why is it that Christians can whine and complain about the great number of Christians worldwide who deal with that type of persecution (which, by all means, they should whine and complain about it), yet, when another group or religion has to deal with the same issue, Christians can show attitudes of intolerance, hostility or apathy? How can we being a religion that has dealt with persecution both now and historically “deny for others what we demand for ourselves”?

I believe that Christ is the only way to God, but not everyone will believe that. By all means, they should be told of the message of the cross, but are we to persecute those who refuse to accept it? By tolerance, I'm not saying that we should embrace elements of other religions, but rather live peacefully with people with differing opinions. Christians (especially in America) value being free to practice their religion in whatever manner they wish. Should that feeling be any different when there are those of another religion that wish to take advantage of that?

The answer is no.