Why does it seem that Atheists, Agonistics, Pagans &Buddhists are more accepting and open minded than others?

Question

I mean, it's hardly ever to find someone from these beliefs (or non-beliefs) to be narrow-minded. They are usually accepting of others, and they never (Pagans & Buddhists) tell you that you'll be a toast if you don't believe in what they believe in. They always have this positive attitude towards different people with different beliefs, colors, sexualities..etc Why is that?

---> Hateful responses will be reported.

Answer 1

I've noticed that people who seem to be more overtly Christian have a tendancy to need boundaries in their lives. Some people are like that...they work better with a set of rules and consenquences. Without these boundaries and guidelines, they lose sight of what is the ultimate goal of any given religion--becoming a better person. ( with the whole multitude of attributes which are valued reguardless of what your actual belief system is) Unfortunately, this can lead to a very narrow, black and white way of thinking.

People who are pagan tend to be self directed. They function better without all the dogma of conventional established beliefs and view life as much more fluid. Even though these people are more open-minded, they sometimes can take on the attitude that they are free of all social norms and do what ever they please... which in the long run can lead to less desirable traits such as greed, selfishness, and inability to put others first.

This is generalization and doesn't cover everyone...just an observation, like how some people are more "right brained" while others are more "left brained".

I am pagan, incase you are wondering by my response. ^_^

Answer 2

Well, agnostics, pagans and Buddhists don't have a 'unique' view of god. Or for those that do, most accept that their god(s) aren't necessarily right for everyone.

Maybe that comes across as open minded.

Monotheists, on the other hand generally follow a book that says that their God is the only one that should be worshipped. It also says a lot about how one should live life in order to meet God's approval. And so of course, they tell people what they believe is true. Why would they be accepting of something that they think is 'wrong'?

Some atheists appear to think like this too. Though not all.

Maybe that comes across as closed minded.

But I think Yahoo R&S isn't perhaps the best place to judge what someone is really like. After all, you can pretty much say what you want and people do. You don't even know if those spouting Christian or atheist 'views' are what they appear to be. It's a place where people can 'seem' to be whatever they wish. Why they wish to be seen like that, well, that's another question!

.

Answer 3

Im of color, I dont hate anyone, but Im not open minded. To me open minded means you accept evil as ok for tolerance sake. That is why sex is on public tv, why cartoons have cussing, why teenagers have sex earlier, why adultrey is normal, why crime is up and the offenders have no remorse, why people kill themselves because they dont believe in hell, why they abort their babies when they havent seen the way a 3-4 month old fetus looks like...etc...etc...etc

Answer 4

A theist has everything at stake for being wrong. Blind certainty is their only defence against that possibility.

Pagans, atheists, agnostics and Buddhists have nothing at stake. It makes it a great deal easier to accept what someone else believes if it works for them

Of course, when what they believe is that they have a right to impinge on YOUR rights, it's gloves off...

Answer 5

A Christian viewpoint would be this: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."---Matt. 7:13-14 :)

Answer 6

for one thing, especially living in a christian dominated culture, we have had to deal with not being accepted ourselves, so we know how hurtful and wrong it is, for another, many of those religions/non-religions consider acceptance and even sycretism to be fundamental to our belief systems. I believe that accepting others is the most important thing we can do in our relations with them.

Answer 7

You are absolutely right! I find them not only more sensible but also more human than Fundamentalist and Born Again Christians. Now I know why it is so difficult to convert non-Christians to Christianity. Who will after seeing that we cannot even respect each other?
Peace and every blessing!

Answer 8

Not trying to be hateful here, but if you don't know the truth, you can't recognize the lies. When I tell someone that a certain path leads to Hell, I don't say it because I'M judging them or in a condescending manner ... I'm just trying to spread the truth.

Jesus Christ told us to love everyone and treat them respectfully as he did, but he never patronized sinners and told them that what they were doing was acceptable. He offered them forgiveness, and told them, "Go, and sin no more."

Everyone has the opportunity to experience this same kind of forgiveness. I can only share with others the teachings of my savior. As a common saying goes, "Don't shoot the messenger."

Answer 9

Maybe they see the belief and not the book!
And Hey, it is everyones right to believe in what they want to!
Live and let live.
Not Hell fire and Brimstone.

Answer 10

Because we are. We don't have some psychologically induced 'god' breathing down our proverbial necks telling us to hate people, distrust people, or condemn people, and not listen to such and such or we'll go to a mythical place called Hell.