College-Educated Evangelicals Deemed More "Tolerant"

According to Inside Higher Education, a college education makes evangelicals more "tolerant." But the way the study sought to support this claim is curious:

For their study, the authors used national surveys that focused on evangelicals' attitudes about gay people and atheists, by looking at the views of those surveyed on whether members of those groups should be allowed to make a speech, teach in a local college, and/or have an authored book in a public library.

So, I just want to get this straight: the authors of the study felt that "toleration" (with all it loaded conotations in public discourse) could be measured simply by whether people thought it was OK for a gay man or an atheist to make a speech, teach in college, or be an author?

Wow, what a narrow tool by which to evaluate such a broad concept. Hey, I wouldn't object to a gay man or atheist making a speech, holding a faculty position, or authoring public library book--then again, I am a college-educated evangelical. But that doesn't mean I accept all the implications that the word "toleration" is required to mean these days.

Come to think of it, though, it would be interesting to take this really narrow evaluative tool and apply it to other settings. We could ask, say, whether scientists think its okay for Francis Collins to be NIH director because of his outspoken Christian faith. Would the fact that many scientists objected to his appointment for this very reason mean they're "intolerant"?