April 25, 2011
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Open Minded
Sometimes Christians get told here on xanga that we’re closed minded. Other names are used as well. It doesn’t bother me but it does get me to think. This “name calling” group helps me refine what I believe and how I believe it. That is a good thing. I’m hoping to get both sides of this issue in the comments.
What defines an “open minded” person? What defines a “close minded” person? If a person believes in absolute truth from the Bible does that make that person a “close minded” person? Is that OK?
Comments (56)
I know how it feels to be labeled by other human beings. Usually my labels are at the opposite end of the spectrum from yours because I emphasize my freedom in Christ so much. But I also know that only one opinion of me is truly important to me, that being the opinion of God Himself. So, I’ll pass over to your Bible questions. I do believe it is “close-minded” — “narrow-minded” — when one insists upon his or her own interpretations of the Bible to be THE absolute truth. I’m accused of that and I know you are too, even though we have expressed some differing interpretations. Have you noticed that your absolute truth becomes more refined as the Holy Spirit progressively sanctifies and transforms you? I have. Are you sometimes completely embarrassed by the expressions of the “absolute truth” by others who also call themselves to be your brothers and sisters in Christ? I am, Brother. But Jesus is still Lord of all!
I have heard it said that some people are so open minded, that they let almost anything fall into their head!
I see nothing wrong with being uncompromising when it comes to the truth. Does that make me “close minded” too?
“People say, ‘Don’t you think you’re rather close-minded?’ and I say, ‘Yes, I can afford to be; I’m right.’” !Mike Warnke.
I don’t think an absolute faith in the Bible makes one closed-minded. I think a refusal to see things from other people’s perspective so that one can better sympathize with them makes one closed-minded.
Nothing wrong with sticking to your guns, but in order to really understand where another person is coming from, you have to try to look at a situation through their eyes.
And a refusal to learn. I would say willful ignorance is probably the definition of closed-mindedness.
I define ‘open minded’ as being able to listen to and accept another point of view as valid for that person, even if you don’t agree with them. ‘Close minded’ is an unwillingness to even listen or acknowlege that there are other points of view and beliefs than yours.
@WakeUpLaughing - Interesting – thanks
I don’t think so. Just because someone believes in something should not make it close minded
Ha! I think sometimes when people disagree with what you believe they will call you closed minded. I think that it’s okay to have your own opinion even if it doesn’t mesh with other people’s opinions. Everyone is so busy judging other people who don’t agree with them, and in my opinion that is being closed minded! It’s okay to see some things in life as black and white. If other people are so open minded as they say they are, they would accept that go on.
I have a really hard time convincing some religious individuals that it’s not right to kill everyone in the Middle East, so Jesus can bring down the New Jeruselem. They forget about their own brethern there.
Open minded and closed minded should not be put alongside religion. Religion is faith value. A person can have an open mind and have total faith in his or her religion and does not need or want to deviate from that.
I think some people confuse religion with truth and those people that I have come across do not seem as open as to those who are more spiritual. One mans dream is another’s nightmare!
@The_Eyes_Of_A_Painter - A much better answer than mine!! I agree with everything you say!!
@prettynpink628 - @prettynpink628 - That’s how I would define it as well.
@andreasiscrazy -
Reminds me of this as well: One man’s hero, can be another man’s tyrant. It’s just different views on it all.
@Hinase - Yes well put!
Close-mindedness is the absolute refusal to accept the possibility that you are wrong. I would say that believing in what the Bible says itself does not make one close-minded, but not being able to consider the possibility that the Bible may be wrong would make one close-minded. I have a roommate who saw one opinionated video about marketing and the success of Apple, and instantly refused to accept all other explanations of the success of MacBooks relative to PCs. While his beliefs hold some degree of validity, the fact that he closed his mind off to other explanations makes him close minded in that respect.
@andreasiscrazy - Its not good to agree with everything I say I may be wrong. Does that constitute open or closed mindedness ? I’ll leave that upto you.
@prettynpink628 - What this person says. Keeping an open mind means that you are willing to learn while still holding your beliefs. Openmindedness allows you to see other perspectives rather than your own and in turn, allows you to absorb information and then conclude on whether your own beliefs are logical or if the new information is more logical.
What @prettynpink628 - and@WakeUpLaughing - said!
I’ve been called close-minded, a bigot, heartless, whatever you can think of. I don’t see myself that way. Actually, I think of myself as very open-minded, because most of the time my policy is- if you can afford it and it hurts no one else, it’s your business. I get the “heartless” label because once they’ve used their free will to do something stupid, I’m unwilling to dig people out of their holes.
Anyway, keeping an open mind… I can’t think of a good definition that isn’t a prettier way to say “permissive”. Close minded is easier to define- that’s someone who is unwilling to attempt to see another’s point of view. If open minded is the opposite, that would be trying to see things from a different perspective- I guess it doesn’t say anywhere that you have to agree with their point of view!
Interesting question. I’m not sure I made sense at all.
@onjerusalemhill - Narrow is the road – I agree with you. Refresh my memory – I don’t remember differing with you on anything – ??
@DanishDoll - That’s the question -lol
@lanney - Good quote
@prettynpink628 - Willful ignorance – I like that definition.
@WakeUpLaughing - Thanks
@Mal_P - Thanks
@bethro78 - Reverse closed minded – interesting
@hesacontradiction - That’s a difficult conversation. Would you be a conscienous objector?
@The_Eyes_Of_A_Painter - So true. That’s what makes it faith.
@Hinase - It is how you view it.
@andreasiscrazy - Interesting – dream and nightmare
@a_drunken_cellist - If I doubt the Bible as absolute truth, my faith fails. So, I guess by your definition of closed minded I am such.
@laytexduckie - That sounds so post modern – the absence of absolute truth. Believe something until something else sounds better.
@WaitingToShrug - Makes sense – can see someone elses perspective but don’t have to be in agreement.
Open minded means being able to look at all aspects even though you have a preconceived notion of the truth.
@Randy7777 - If you want to put that way. But what I meant was to weigh out and analyze. Because what seems absolute to one may not to another.
To me, being open minded is accepting that other people aren’t going to agree with you. Live and let live has always been my motto. That doesn’t mean that we can’t argue and disagree, just that there’s a respectful way to do it. Believe me, there are issues I’m close-minded about, but I try not to discuss those too often because getting nasty isn’t the right way to get a point across. I tend to think that super pushy opinions are close-minded if they refuse to let me believe and live as I choose.
I tend to think the whole open/closed minded thing comes down to respect. It’s letting people state their thoughts and beliefs without interrupting them or trying to prove them wrong. I don’t necessarily have to come to agree with them.
The structure of my beliefs is the Bible, but as I mature as a person and a Christian, I realize more and more that within that foundation there are a lot of gray areas. I’m not equal to God so how can I claim authority on the meanings of all scripture? It does no good to argue these things with people who don’t believe the Bible as truth anyway.
I think being open minded is the ability to explore knowledge or information that normally you wouldn’t give a thought to.
Yep.
“If you do not stand for something you will fall for anything”. There are many many absolutes in this world, beyond dispute. You can understand that others have differing opinions and can respect that but still stand firm in your beliefs. Maybe seen by those who disagree as closed minded but that is not necessarily a bad thing. You do not want to be so open minded that your brains fall out.
Interesting and thoughtful question, Randy. When I try to define open- and closed-mindedness, I think about the principles behind scientific thought. Open mindedness is a willingness to consider new information and to put it to the test. Closed mindedness is the opposite, an unwillingness to consider new information or other perspectives.
The challenge when it comes to religion is that they are beliefs, not facts. There’s nothing wrong with people having beliefs – after all, that’s the definition of “faith”, right? But when people confuse their beliefs with facts and are unwilling to countenance that other beliefs may be correct, then they are being closed-minded. For example, I see a difference between someone telling me “In my faith, what you do is a sin” versus telling me “you are a sinner and are going to hell!”
@a_drunken_cellist - That’s a really good example of closed-mindedness. Once your roommate seized on that one particular bit of information that conformed to his/her worldview, there was no budging from it.
@incarnate_emotion - I’ll buy that.
@laytexduckie - OK – I get you. Thanks for clarifying.
@manic_lizard - I’m with you on that. I don’t like strongly opinionated people.
@Pepin909 - Yes – the more we study the Bible the more we realise how much one doesn’t know. – I agree
@Margo73 - That’s good.
@christao408 - - I see your point. If we’re to express our personal faith it should be stated as such. I’ve never thought of it that way. -thanks
The_Eyes_of_a_Painter and prettynpink628 expressed very well what I think about “open/closed” mindedness. I can’t improve on their comments. ~~Blessings ‘n Cheers
Following God requires you to be open minded about a lot of things. You can’t be a Christian without being open minded. Following God means you have to strive to be more like Christ. You can’t be the same person you were three days ago without being more like Christ. You’re constantly improving, changing, bettering, humbling, and correcting yourself. Think about it. If Jesus was close-minded coming onto the Earth (if you don’t believe that, then just take this analogy in) then he wouldn’t have touched the lame, healed the sick, washed people’s feet, be crucified, etc. None of it would happen. He’d be rich, famous, stuck-up, in a castle some where. But he wasn’t. He conversed, loved, the least of these, the lame, the sick, the outcasts, the social lepers, etc.
Then again, you have to be close-minded the point where you don’t let the outside world influence your decision TO follow Christ.
@Randy7777 - I don’t know what I am. I’m just going with the flow. =)
Fantastic question. I don’t know what the answer is.
Maybe open-mindedness has everything to do with empathy. Perhaps an open minded Christian would not stage a city-wide boycott against the atheist ad campaign “millions are good without God”, realizing that it could reach out to and help a lonely atheist in the South.
Or maybe an open minded Christian would be able to put themselves in the shoes of a gay person for a minute – thinking to themselves, wow, what if I couldn’t marry the love of my life, for whatever reason?
Maybe an open minded Christian is able to put themselves in the head of a transgendered individual and realize what it would actually be like to have everyone, everyday, stare at them thinking “What the heck is that!?”
Maybe, once these feelings are explored, minds are opened. Who knows.
A “closed-minded” person is one who is unwilling to listen to another’s views. They dismiss those views, the sole reason being that they disagree with them. A lot of times, they don’t even give a reason as to why they’re right and you’re wrong. They also are unwilling to see another’s point of view through their eyes, not wanting to explore why a person feels what they feel.
Being “closed-minded” and “open-minded” should not be thought of as a binary. It should be thought of as a sliding scale. After all, there are some that are more open-minded than others, even if both of those people could be considered open-minded.
Grest post.
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