Bigotry is wrong in most peoples eyes, it's an intolerance of different opinions that mostly has more to do with ignorance or one upmanship. Bigotry is used in politics it's used in society and heaven forbid it's used most widely in the church. In the last few weeks in Exeter we had a march by the EDL which i went along to it was an interesting exercise in reality against the media and i came away understanding a bit more about the EDL and why they are like they are. At the same time a group called Exeter together was marching to protest against the EDL, this march was a show of diversity and unity and by and large was good except for some of the speakers had petty and purile digs against the EDL. But back to the point of those who call themselves Christian being bigoted and being bigots, and this hurts to write but i'm going to anyway.

Christians talk a great deal about being tolerant and not bigoted, but we tend to be more bigoted than those we accuse of it. None of us would want to be branded a bigot and i expect most of you will disagree, but from what i have witnessed today within a certain Christian forum and what i have witnessed over the months in a few others intolerance is rife within Christian circles and ironically it's Christians slating Christians because of differing opinions. If you are not of the same ilk as me you are wrong, if you are evangelical and I'm a Liberal you are wrong, if you are traditional and i'm more progressive you are wrong. It's a shame on Christians, we are in the season of Advent, awaiting the coming of the prince of peace and yet we show bigotry to our brothers and sisters in the guise of robust debate, and that term winds me up "robust debate" is a cover all for i will hold a bigoted opinion and call it robust debate, because that way i can cover up my bigotry.

Intolerance is wrong whether its a right wing organisation or a left wing organisation, whether it's my intolerance to differing views or people groups. If i say i'm a member of UKIP it would cause uproar within certain quarters, i would be branded a bigot, but that lack of intolerance to my views is bigotry just the same.

IF WE ARE SHOWING BIGOTRY TO EACH OTHER IN THE KINGDOM, JUST HOW THE HECK ARE WE MEANT TO SHOW THE WORLD WE ARE NOT BIGOTS?. It makes a mockery of those words of Jesus " that by the love you have one for another they will know you are children of God" How are we going to show a lost and hurting world that we are capable of living in unity with our differing opinions and bring about a change to righteousness and God, because when we get involved in bigotry no matter what disguise we give it we are doing a massive disservice to each other and to the kingdom of God.