Why are so many christians closed-minded? (my rant)

[Green Gaia]

So it could be said that if you don't accept something then you are close minded. You don't accept Christianity, wouldn't that make you close minded?

One can accept Christianity as a vaild path to God, but they don't have to accept it as only path, nor do they have to believe or follow that religion.

 

[Master Vigil]

Exactly maize, I feel that every religion can help you towards enlightenment. But I don't believe one is the only way, or even better than the other.

 

[LCMS Sprecher]

What I am getting so far out of this thread is that Christians have to throw away their faith in order to be open minded. I don't buy that.

 

[Pah]

What I am getting so far out of this thread is that Christians have to throw away their faith in order to be open minded. I don't buy that.

If you want to stregthen your faith and have a deeper understanding of God and Christ, the you must be able to listen to Christian truths that may not be in complete accordance with what you believe. You must listen - that is the first requirement. Then you must, with the Holy Spirit, weigh and balance what you hear with what you believe. It is not mandatory that you change your faith nor utterly reject something new. The result is what your honest effort and the guidance of the Holy Spirit leads you to.

My minister used to say "Read and inwardly digest".

 

[LCMS Sprecher]

Of course, and I believe that. However, if you study and meditate on the Holy Scripture and other religious interpretations of it and still maintain the same set beliefs that you held before hand, I don't think that is being close minded. This is in an instance where I would be looking at Christian teachings. When you get into what would be considered pagan teachings, and Christian acceptance of them, is where you get into trouble.

 

[Lightkeeper]

One Christmas, about ten years ago, I gave a book called "Joshua" to a devout Christian relative of mine. The book is about a woodcarver who comes to a town and the town changes for the better because of him. He is a Jesus like figure. It's a beautiful story. My relative totally rejected the book and practically threw it at me. He then started reading the King James bible to me. Ten years later we were all together for Christmas and his wife had selected a movie for us to watch and, guess what? The movie was "Joshua." It was the same story. He was raving about how good it was and how we can all be Christ like. I reminded him of the previous incident and he apologized. He tells me I am a prophet, but he rejects most of what I have to say. It will be interesting to see where he is in ten years. What I see in him is fear.

 

[Pah]

Of course, and I believe that. However, if you study and meditate on the Holy Scripture and other religious interpretations of it and still maintain the same set beliefs that you held before hand, I don't think that is being close minded.

Nor do I

This is in an instance where I would be looking at Christian teachings. When you get into what would be considered pagan teachings, and Christian acceptance of them, is where you get into trouble.

If the Christian acceptance is based upon scripture, would it then be pagan?

 

[LCMS Sprecher]

No, it would not be. What I said was that we get into trouble when we start talking about Christian acceptance of other religions' teachings (non-Christian religions), and condemning them for not accepting other non-Christian beliefs on account of their faith.

 

[harold e. rice]

I went to a christian chat room on MSN. We were discussing the validity of the scripures and was it faithfully preserved by the early Orthodox Church. I politely listened to this person's opinion but when I gave my views on the subject, the moderator kicked my out.

Christians shove their views down your throat but they don't want to hear what the other person have to say.

It's wrong!

One of the main rules of Christianity is to PRAY, PAY AND OBEY.

It is easier for Christians to believe than to think. Most of them are led by blind faith, and are taught by blind ministers who teach them that faith is more powerful that facts and Knowledge. The message of fear and an eternal life in HELL is the weapon that keeps most Christians in bondage.

Unless an individual excepts Jesus Christ as their personal savior and become born again, they cannot enter into Gods heavenly kingdom. This message is also very powerful alone with the statement that there is no other name where by man can be saved but the name Jesus. After being programmed with these messages over a long period of time the Christian comes away seeing all non-Christians as Pagans bound for an imaginary HELL.

Their lack of knowledge is concerning the origin of Christianity and Western Religion has caused them to error and revert back to the dark ages.

Knowledge is power and Fact destroys faith every time.

The bible is only a book of faith.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

I think it is only fair to point out, harold, that the same elements which make Christians, as a group, blind followers and closed minded, also make individual Christians disciplined moralists, generous givers, and kind-hearted to others.

There is a good side to Christianity/religion in general, though it is arguable that this same good can be acheived without religious dogmas.

 

[Master Vigil]

The only thing I must ask you LCMS Sprecher, is do you believe that the only way to heaven is through jesus christ? If so, that is being closed minded. Personally I believe that every religion has the ability to bring you to whatever enlightenment you choose. It is when people think "there way is the only way" is when they become close minded.

 

[LCMS Sprecher]

Yes, amen. The only way to heaven is through Christ. Now that is what I believe; you telling that is wrong is being close-minded.

 

[Master Vigil]

I'm telling you that it is A way, and a wonderful way for some people. But it is NOT the only way. You telling me it is the only way is being close minded.

 

[Fra.Morelia]

Everyone is closed minded. At some point everyone's mind stops taking input. At some point your mind screams 'enough!' Where that point lies makes you a little more or less open, but I am, by most standards, HIGHLY open minded, and no one will convert me to their way of thinking. My way allows for multiple paradigms, but it is still my way. If I change it will be because I believe it necessary. So, of course they are closed minded, so am I, and so is anyone that believes in anything. Excepting maybe quantum physicists.. those guys are nuts. :goodjob:

 

[Alaric]

Being open-minded is as simple as acknowledging that what you believe may not be the absolute truth. You must simply say to yourself that whatever it is you believe, you believe until compelling reasons for an alternative point of view come along.

However, I wonder whether there are arguments for simply deciding on something and committing yourself to it, come what may? It might pay off...

 

[harold e. rice]

I think it is only fair to point out, harold, that the same elements which make Christians, as a group, blind followers and closed minded, also make individual Christians disciplined moralists, generous givers, and kind-hearted to others.

There is a good side to Christianity/religion in general, though it is arguable that this same good can be acheived without religious dogmas.

I totally agree that the Christian church have created a host of do-gooders but I also found that It's because they are looking for a great reward from God for their good deeds. If you take away the fear of Heaven and Hell some church folks become monsters and very selfish.

I also agree that you can be good, charitable, loving, kind and moral without religious dogmas. I find that it is the literal fundamental Christian that doesn't understand the reality of life. The Protestant fundamentalists are very closed-minded and the Catholics are very open-minded.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

The Protestant fundamentalists are very closed-minded and the Catholics are very open-minded.

Again, I think it depends on the individual, and it depends on who you compare them to. Some Catholics are very open minded in comparison to extreme fundamentalist Protestants, and some Catholics are very closed minded if you compare them to more liberal Protestant sects. We should always be careful when we generalize about a group.

 

[Ceridwen018]

:lol:

Indeed, Catholics seem particularly open minded, don't they? Perhaps that is because you'd be extremely hard pressed to find a Catholic who actually buys *all* of the crazy Catholic doctrine. A Catholic seems open minded (and I'm not saying they aren't, per se) because they hold protestant views (oh, the rebels! What would the pope say?!)

 

[ooen]

Everyone is closed minded. At some point everyone's mind stops taking input. At some point your mind screams 'enough!' Where that point lies makes you a little more or less open, but I am, by most standards, HIGHLY open minded, and no one will convert me to their way of thinking. My way allows for multiple paradigms, but it is still my way. If I change it will be because I believe it necessary. So, of course they are closed minded, so am I, and so is anyone that believes in anything. Excepting maybe quantum physicists.. those guys are nuts.

Everyone has comfort zone; as long as they are inside their comfort zone, they are the nicest people you meet, but once you get them out of there, they can be the nastiest people you ever meet.

I'm not so sure if anyone is open minded, sometimes I feel like it's better to find out each other's comfort zone and try to stay in that zone. If and when you try to establish a deep relationship, then you often need to get out of your comfort zone; you may also need to get the other person out of his/her comfort zone. These are very difficult things to do ...

 

[dan]

I'm telling you that it is A way, and a wonderful way for some people. But it is NOT the only way. You telling me it is the only way is being close minded.

And when did being close minded become such a crime? If I know something to be true I don't feel bad about being "close minded." Close mindedness is something that gay people denounce when they're in college, it's not some universally accepted sin. If someone knows their religion is true, hooray for them, but don't criticize them for not accepting everything else as truth; that would deny the faith.

There is a book that says all the religions of man are jsut different paths up the same mountain. It also says God has created the different religions to suite different times, aspirants and countries. That's all very P.C., but it's not true. If truth exists it has one essence, not a billion different ways to be known. If Christianity is true then Buddhism can't be true. If Lao Tzu is right then Judaism can't be right.

It's nice to try to get along with everyone, but not everyone can be right. If anyone is right then everyone else has to be wrong, and if everyone is wrong, then no one can be right.