Why do people continue to insist that Christians are "close-minded"?

Question

Which sounds more open-minded to you?

A. I believe in something outside of what I can observe record and repeat.
B. The only things that are real are what you can observe record and repeat.

Which one is more limiting? People hammer "logic" and "common sense" but if I believe in a being outside of my human conception than what I believe is quite logical and makes sense. Can atheists/agnostics really say that Christians are "close-minded" because they refuse to entertain the idea that their can't be anything more than what we can observe scientifically?

As far as moral issues go their are not "closed minded" people and "open minded" people. We are all just people who draw the line in different places. This comes into play a lot with the homosexuality issue. Christians because of the Bible draw the line at same sex relationships. Others might draw the line at pedophilia or bestiality. Can I call you a "closed minded" person if you draw the line at old men having sex with small boys or people having sex with animals?

So all that to say we can argue and debate about where we draw lines with certain issues but to say that one party is "Open" and one is "closed" based on where they draw the line is foolish.

Answer 1

They have a two dimensional stereotype of what it means to be a person of faith. They would be outraged if any other group was categorized the same way. They don't want to meet real Christians. They are happy with their stereotypes and don't care that their way of thinking is close minded and rigid bigotry in and of itself. They do what they accuse Christians of doing and they don't want to believe anything else. Maybe they should be more open minded about what they don't understand but don't hold your breath. They don't want to like you.

Sage just proved my point. Anyone that doesn't think exactly like him is a brain washed idiot. There is only one correct way to believe and it is his way. Isn't this the definition of a closed mind?

Answer 2

So you have an open mind because you believe in a fantasy and ignore the truth and evidence completely - yeah you must be right!!



Those that have a working intellect know better!!



Academia states that in the absence of proof of the existence of something it must be deemed not to exist until verifiable proof is found - thus god is held not to exist pending some sort of verifiable evidence.



There is not one single mention of Jesus in the entire Roman record - that is right - not one!!! At the same time as he was supposed to have been around there were a number of Jews claiming to be the messiah - all of whom are well recorded!!



There is not a single contemporary record from any source and even the bible mentions of him like all other references were not written until many years after his supposed death!!



He was supposed to have been a huge problem to the Romans and produced wonderful miracles but still not one contemporary record?



Even the bible mentions of him like all other references were not written until many years after his supposed death!!



Pilate is recorded in the Roman record as a somewhat lack luster man but no mention of a Jesus, a trial or crucifixion that would surely have been used to make him look brighter!!



At best he was an amalgam of those others!!



The Roman Emperor Constantine produced the bible and he was a pagan not god!!! He also organized Christianity into the Holly Roman Catholic Church!! Not in Israel or any of the countries of supposed origin but entirely ITALIAN!!



Not one word of it is contemporary with the period and was not written until several hundred years after the period the story is set in!! How did the apostles write their books more than a hundred years after they would have been dead?



What a wonder full disinformation and deception campaign he waged against his Christian enemies - so good in fact that Christians are still following the deception to this day!!!



The first person to provide a shred of verifiable evidence for God will become world famous and mega rich!! Ain't happened yet and it never will!!



So how does this primitive belief survive? The answer is simple and very down to Earth!!



Acceptance of a supernatural claim tends to promote cooperative social relationships. This communication demonstrates a willingness to accept, without skepticism, the influence of the speaker in a way similar to a child's acceptance of the influence of a parent. By encouraging this kind of behavior where the most intense social relationships occur it facilitates the lack of skepticism and deters more open minded thinking.



They are christian, Muslim or the other religions depending where they were born simply because they were indoctrinated by their parents as very young children. They will go on to indoctrinate their own children and those will go on to indoctrinate their grandchildren!!



Atheists have the intellect to see through the conditioning and escape into the real world!!



Agnostics have the intellect to see through the conditioning but lack the courage to throw of the conditioning entirely.



Sadly Christians are still held firmly prisoner by the self perpetuating brainwashing!!

Answer 3

People say Christians are "close-minded" because they take their morals out of a book and don't try and think for themselves about whether or not something is "right."



To use your example, same-sex couples don't harm each other because both participants are consenting adults. With pedophiles and bestiality, only one participant can consent. A child is unable to consent. An animal is unable to consent. Thus, same-sex marriage shouldn't be deemed as wrong simply because the Bible says homosexuals are sinners. If that's the case, then we should make divorce illegal. Christians refuse to think about it themselves; instead, they quote the Bible.



Also, there's more to homosexuality than sex. But we won't go there.



You're right. There's more to being open-minded or close-minded. But that's why I think that many Christians are close-minded when it comes to same-sex marriage.

Answer 4

Yeah, but Christians try to draw the lines for all of us. The rest of us have a real problem with that.

Answer 5

neither sounds open minded

but not all peopel are b, all beleivers are a, and thts the issue

if you are unwillign to accept the possiblity your wrong your close midned

if you think and beleive your thoughts and beleifs are truth, absolute, then your close minded

and as far as im aware, thats what christianty teaches, so...



we dotn make the rules of the rligion up

Answer 6

The problem is many Christians only accept things that fit into their existing worldview and refuse to reconsider their position if new evidence shows up contrary to what they currently believe. This is the definition of close-minded. Atheists aren't afraid to reevaluate their beliefs.



Many of them were Christians that reevaluated their beliefs to become atheists in the first place.

Answer 7

The first one sounds foolish, not open-minded.

Answer 8

Yes. But you believe in invisible things TO THE EXCLUSION of things that you can see, record and repeat. I contend that if the tangible and intangible conflict, you should choose to believe what you see.

Answer 9

Lots of religious people are close-minded.

Answer 10

because only close minded people ask a question that states why are so many people closeminded

Answer 11

because to them open minded means you throw off what you have been taught when it comes to god and religion



yet you never hear them saying they over threw what their parents taught them about life and saying i am open minded because i threw off all the things my parents taught me.