Are Christians Closed-Minded?

[rookiebatman]

I was raised in a Christian family, and I was a committed Christian for all of my young life, as was my older brother (he still is). One day when I was in high school, I was reading something about Christianity that troubled me, so I walked into my brother's room and asked him if we, as Christians, were (or should be) closed-minded. He thought about it for a moment and said, "yes."

If you are a Christian, do you believe (without any positive or negative value judgment for the moment) that you are closed-minded?

Jesus said, "blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believed." As a mirror-image to my other thread about whether skepticism is a sin, do you believe that being closed to other possibilities (other than God existing and Jesus being his risen son) is virtuous?

If you are a former Christian, do you believe that you were closed-minded while you were a Christian, and if so, do you believe that your leaving the church was a direct result of you becoming open-minded?

[bluethread]

I was raised in a Christian family, and I was a committed Christian for all of my young life, as was my older brother (he still is). One day when I was in high school, I was reading something about Christianity that troubled me, so I walked into my brother's room and asked him if we, as Christians, were (or should be) closed-minded. He thought about it for a moment and said, "yes."

If you are a Christian, do you believe (without any positive or negative value judgment for the moment) that you are closed-minded?

Jesus said, "blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believed." As a mirror-image to my other thread about whether skepticism is a sin, do you believe that being closed to other possibilities (other than God existing and Jesus being his risen son) is virtuous?

If you are a former Christian, do you believe that you were closed-minded while you were a Christian, and if so, do you believe that your leaving the church was a direct result of you becoming open-minded?

This is a long and storied debate. Some take the commandment, Deut. 18:9 "When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.", to mean that one is not to learn those ways at all. Others say it just refers to learning them for the purpose of imitating them. I tend toward the latter, but I understand the concerns of those who hold to the former.

[Goose]

I was raised in a Christian family, and I was a committed Christian for all of my young life, as was my older brother (he still is). One day when I was in high school, I was reading something about Christianity that troubled me, so I walked into my brother's room and asked him if we, as Christians, were (or should be) closed-minded. He thought about it for a moment and said, "yes."

If you are a Christian, do you believe (without any positive or negative value judgment for the moment) that you are closed-minded?

Jesus said, "blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believed." As a mirror-image to my other thread about whether skepticism is a sin, do you believe that being closed to other possibilities (other than God existing and Jesus being his risen son) is virtuous?

If you are a former Christian, do you believe that you were closed-minded while you were a Christian, and if so, do you believe that your leaving the church was a direct result of you becoming open-minded?

I find a great sense of irony in this coming from one who has unfortunately placed me on "ignore."

[Divine Insight]

To place undying faith in anything is to be close-minded to any other possibilities.

So in a very real way faith, by definition, requires closed-mindedness.

[JoeyKnothead]

From the OP:

Are Christians Closed-Minded?

Should we not question the mindedness of those telling about how bunch of closed it is, the minds of others?

We should find such use, however otherwise intended, more reflective of the accuser than the accused.


But boy howdy, try to go get gay married down in Alabama, and see what a fuss Judge Roy'll kick up

[Youkilledkenny]

[Replying to post 1 by rookiebatman]

Short answer, YES. Anytime one takes/uses FAITH in something that can't be seen fully over common sense, logic and the like that lends itself to close mindedness from my point of view.
That's not to say some Christians aren't open minded just choose not to follow things outside with religious box as it were. That doesn't make them close minded, but something else altogether.

[Wootah]

[Replying to post 6 by Youkilledkenny]

What's an issue that you are closed minded about?

Should racism be defeated? Are you open minded towards racism?

[rookiebatman]

What's an issue that you are closed minded about?

I was gonna say, I'm closed-minded about the subject of whether the earth is flat or round, but I wouldn't even say that's exactly correct. You could say I'm closed-minded in the sense that I don't go and seek out the flat-earther's arguments for myself. However, if one of them came up to me or came on my podcast and explained to me their evidence (if they have any) and reasons for believing that the earth is round, I would do my best to be open-minded about it. It doesn't mean I'd just except their evidence out of hand, without credulity, but I like to think I'd be open-minded and receptive if they came to me with anything more than simple dogma.

[Wootah]

What's an issue that you are closed minded about?

I was gonna say, I'm closed-minded about the subject of whether the earth is flat or round, but I wouldn't even say that's exactly correct. You could say I'm closed-minded in the sense that I don't go and seek out the flat-earther's arguments for myself. However, if one of them came up to me or came on my podcast and explained to me their evidence (if they have any) and reasons for believing that the earth is round, I would do my best to be open-minded about it. It doesn't mean I'd just except their evidence out of hand, without credulity, but I like to think I'd be open-minded and receptive if they came to me with anything more than simple dogma.

So the right racist argument and you would be open to it?

[Zzyzx]

.

So the right racist argument and you would be open to it?

I, for one, am open to consider arguments presented in favor of racism -- bring them on and let's determine their merits. If there is a "right one", let's hear it.

Same goes for supernaturalism.