Who is more closed-minded: atheists or Christians?

Question

I think the responses to this pair of questions will demonstrate the truth of the matter quite clearly....

To the Christians: What would it take to convince you that the Bible is false -- the superstitious beliefs of a scientifically primitive Bronze Age culture?

To the atheists: what would it take to convince you that the Bible is true -- the divinely inspired Word of the Almighty Creator of the Universe?

I notice that the atheists are the only ones who bother to even ANSWER the question posed in the body of my entry. Is that one of the hidden talents of Christians? To know what something REALLY says without even bothering to read it? Or is it that they make up their mind in advance about something, so they bother finding out what the words actually say? ;-)

Answer 1

The atheist says: I would need definitive proof that the authors of this book we call the Holy Bible were indeed writing what truly was the word of God, and not just writing under the influence of some version of Holy Land Ganja. I would also need written proof from King James that his translation was necessary, thorough, and did not change the interpretation of those writings in the slightest. I would also want to know who decided NOT to include ALL of the gospels in this Holy Bible, but only the ones that this person decided should go into it.

Answer 2

I would be convinced that the bible is true if there were a preponderance of information in the bible which could not possiby be explained by the simple imagination of the writers at the time, for example if Genesis correctly predicted the age of the Earth, the universe, or the stars, and that the earth revolves around the sun, or the concept of microorganisms.

Right now the bible contains too many scientific, moral and logical inconsistencies and not one passage in the bible cannot be explained by the imaginative writings of men with their own earthly agendas. There are also many different versions of the bible. If there were only one that would help to prove it's divinity.

My belief is that christians tend to be more closed-minded, because their religion premits them to accept things as true without adequate proof. This gives them permission to resist investigations, and to surpress knowledge that goes aginst their dogma. Athiests tend to have no dogma, other than things must be proven to be accepted as true, which I think is healthy and open-minded.

Answer 3

Your question was patently unfair. You should have ended with the words "false" and "true", and not your opinions of what they mean, so I will ignore the added verbiage.

As an ex-atheist, I'd have to say when I was a young atheist, I was hell on wheels on poking holes in Christian dogma and lack of character. It took a lot of work (10 years) and study to accept my faith. My understanding of the Bible is not what the evangelics preach, as it should be.

As a Christian, I still think that you asked a loaded question. Both atheism and belief in any religion are an issue of faith. However, belief in a creator, that we are created beings, is independent of religion and faith, and is demonstrateable (sp).

You can not show the Bible is true. A lot of it is historical, much of it is alegorical. However, the message of the Bible has much truth, whether or not you believe in religion. Read proverbs to grow and psalms for comfort.

Anyways, my question would be, which group is on the solidest ground in terms of facts and knowledge. In my studies and research, the momentum of objective knowledge is swinging in favor of a creator in intellectual and scientific circles.

Answer 4

i would have to say both because some atheists have no real knowledge of religion at all but don't believe in it for me you to have a reason why you dislike or don't believe in some thing like a personal experience or something. try reading the bible to get a better understanding and interpret the bible right. christians think that if it's not in their way their is no other way not speaking about all of them. some christians are so wraped up in the scripture that they don't have a life almost like they are not truly free. God wants you to have a sense of humor and a life. that is what i think atheists have i think some christians need. spirituallity is apart of all of us not just the physical or mental.

Answer 5

Christianity, amongst the other Abrahamic faiths, requires a denunciation of other religious beliefs to separate themselves as unique. The Jews needed to be unique amongst the Pagans, and the Christians needed to establish themselves different from the Jews. Muslims did the same thing later as well. This mentality, I feel, prevents Christians from serious study at times of other religions and any other topic that may threaten their dogma. (Paganism does not require dogma; therefore, multiple overlapping beliefs can co-exist.)

Atheists, on the other hand, may be closed off to religious persuasion, but this does not prevent them from adding in humanitarian causes. They will not be biased in who they help if their goal is eradicating poverty or making sure that all people are treated fairly. Atheists will also not stand in the way of science or other fields of study, as they are not threatened by the outcome.

Answer 6

Though technically not an atheist but an ignostic (with an "I"), I'm closer to them than to Christians. So, I'll answer your second question.

What will convince me is simple: scientifically verifiable evidence. I mean something that can only be put down to divine action. And don't give me the old argument about who else could have made nature? Even if there weren't another possible answer yet, that doesn't mean God IS the answer. It may as well mean that we HAVEN'T found the answer yet. So, give me something that shows unequivocally that God exists, as opposed to leading to God through sophistic reasoning.

Answer 7

I've been through and experienced too much for anyone to tell me that God doesn't exist. Some things in the Bible seem contradictory, but, despite the advances of science, its message and its truth value remains the same.

Truth is truth. Christians aren't closed-minded as much as they are aware of a higher truth. To get them to deny this truth would be like asking someone to deny that the sky is blue: just because they don't deny that the sky is blue doesn't mean that they're closed-minded. Sure, the sky can turn different colors, just as the bible has different translations, but the basic truth remains the same.

Atheists are more closed-minded because they don't believe in anything that they can't see or touch or experience physically. All Christians, on the other hand, must open themselves up to take the leap of faith, without which they wouldn't be disciples of Christ.

Answer 8

Well, you have people that wavier in both beliefs and those will be the open-minded people. Those that are firm in their beliefs are not going to try to listen to what the other side has to say. Firm believers are the closed-minded one regardless if they are Atheist or Christians. You can't be a firm believer and something and be open to the possibly of something else otherwise you don't truly believe. Therefore, its hard to say. I know there ain't nothing nobody can say or do to make me believe the bible is false or God ain't real. They tried with The DaVinci Code but I'm not falling for that crap, if people don't believe the bible proves anything then how can a painting? I'm firm in my belief and I ain't changing.

Answer 9

Atheists are more close-minded; most of them demand that you believe as they do, just because they say so. Those with religious beliefs at least offer support.

What would it take to convince me the Bible is false? Evidence. There are things in the Bible that science today has confirmed as being correct, that people of that time couldn't have known. The Bible, though written long ago over a period of centuries, is without contradiction. The greatest works of literature have small contradictions within them; in Robinson Crusoe, the hero strips off his clothes, swims to the shipwreck, and then fills his pockets with biscuits! No such contradictions appear in the Bible.

Answer 10

Christians. Most atheists have at least studied the bible, and know something about religion. Xtians know virtually nothing about atheism.

Nothing will ever convince me that the bible is true or divinely inspired. I've read it enough to know otherwise.