Why do people who do not believe in God say that believers, especially Christians are closed-minded?

Question

Aren't Christians more open-minded to think outside of what they can see?

Faith. If you understand faith, how can you blame a Christian for believing so intensely that they are not being easily swayed?

Side Note:

I am Christian, as you may know. I am very open to research and have done much of it...

I am grateful to have found what I feel to be truth in Christ.

While I am not easily swayed, I do not judge.... absolutely not. Funny enough, a law of Jesus is to not judge others...

Thanks for all of your mature responses! I appreciate your answers.

Answer 1

2 way street. Many people of all beliefs think that anyone that believes differently from themselves is close minded simply for disagreeing. The truth is we all have different life experiences which give us different lenses through which we view our world. Peace be with you

Answer 2

It's simple. Faith is the adherence to an idea or belief in the face of a lack of evidence or even evidence to the contrary. When a viewpoint is based on direct evidence and logical conjecture from that evidence, and if it can change immediately when new evidence shows it to be false, it's called science. Christians are closed minded because even though there is absolutely nothing to suggest the existence of God or the divinity of Jesus Christ they go on believing it. Not only that, but whenever evidence for something that contradicts their irrational beliefs comes up (the big one is evolution) they will ignore it. That's how I can blame them and call them closed minded.

EDIT: I must add on a personal note that I am not the kind of Atheist that goes around telling religious people that they are wrong or stupid or closed minded. I live and let live. I only answered because you asked, so don't think me hostile.

Answer 3

It is not a matter of being swayed, it is a matter of trying to understand other viewpoints by doing a little research. I am certain that most Wiccans know a lot more about Christianity than Christians know about Wicca. They only know what they have been told by other Christians whereas most Wiccans have read the bible and probably spent a lot of time in church before they chose their path. The same goes for Atheists, do you have any idea why they chose Atheism? Would you even bother to find out? Probably not. We have no desire to convert you nor do we wish to be converted. We do not condemn you for what you believe, so why do you insist on condemning us?

Answer 4

most people who don't believe in god think that christians are closed-minded because a lot of them are. for some athiests, they used to be christians, but they actually thought hard about everything they were told and came to a conclusion that it was not true and could not happen. If you believe in something, then it's real to you, but if you don't believe in it, how can you determine whether it's real or not?
people who don't believe in god usually have good reasons, and have thought about it a lot. they also have to have strong will power, since the majority people are christian, it makes them different, which some like and some don't like.
it doesn't make christians open minded to think outside of what they can see. what would make a christian open minded would be them accepting other religions easier and not saying that athiests are going to burn in hell. also, they may be considered open minded if they didn't look down on athiests.

Answer 5

I agree. that's a really harsh generalization. the those that damage the international over their faith are extremists. And for the list, i'm a Christian and that i'm no longer closed minded in any respect in the route of alternative religions. Many are very such as mine so that's no longer that good sized of a deal if somebody else is a distinct faith than me. I actually were going to Catholic college all my existence yet that would not quit me from being acquaintances with those who're Jewish and Muslim and different religions.

Answer 6

My guess is that all of us believe in something--even if that belief is that God doesn't exist. We likely grew up being fed information, eventually we became open-minded in a search for the truth, then as we found it we began shutting our mind to the opposite of the truth. In other words, close-mindedness is a universal phenomenon that includes both believers and non-believers. I believe it has its place. If everyone were open-minded about everything, then we could never be certain of anything.

Answer 7

Christians should not be swayed. What is a belief system if people can just talk you out of it?. Not much, I would say. Most non-believers hate religion, and their point is not to educate but to destroy. And they claim us to be intolerant
and yet we have tolerated much beyond what we should have to this point. Christians do believe in abortion but we have allowed this to be pushed into being without a single citizen casting a vote on it. Pro-choice people will do anything and everything to keep that subject off the ballets because they know they will lose. Same with the gay marriage issue.

Einstein knew better. "Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind." Albert Einstein

Answer 8

I believe in a god, and I think Christians are generally closed-minded, because they close their minds to anything outside their system of beliefs that may contradict it. They are not open to the possibility that their belief system may be flawed. Not all Christians are like that however. I know several Christians who are very open-minded people.

Answer 9

I do believe that Christians are often close-minded when it comes to certain topics, such as gay/transgender issues et cetera.
I'm in high school, and the other day in class we were discussing someone who was having a sex change operation. This girl Jen, who is the most Christian girl I've ever met, she wears her damn religion on her forehead, was giving faces as if she was in pain and said "Can we talk about something else?"
How rude and close-minded of her.

Answer 10

I'm Christian and sadly enough it is true and many are closed minded..

Perhaps when them that claim to be Christian but choose to follow mans wisdom rather than God's it make True Christians look bad.

Therefore a few spoil it for the rest.

Thats why it is good to always walk in Jesus's footsteps. Not just for an example to the non-beleiver, but to other believers who are young in spirit.

Answer 11

I think that only close minded people say this. I respect that many Christians believe in something strongly and stand by that. I don't believe in God and I appreciate it when people respect that. If a Christian can respect the fact that I believe something different than they do then I consider them open-minded.