why Atheists called themselves open-minded people and call belivers narrow minded?

Question

if you are open minded why don't you learn about others believes just to understand. or is it too HARD you?

Answer 1

Because generally believers haven't considered anything other than what they've been indoctrinated to believe.

Oh, and I have learned about the beliefs of others. Have you? I mean, just to understand?

Answer 2

Correction - only SOME atheists call themselves open minded, if you hadn't noticed. Others just try to force Science down anyone's throat - and yes, some atheists are in fact narrow minded.

The state of your mind has absolutely nothing to do with your religion or non-religion. So not all atheists are open minded and not all christians or people of other beliefs are narrow minded.

So for the record; open minded is not a synonym for atheist, so they are not obliged to be open minded.

**edit**

Just like you're not obliged to be narrow minded, so stop being it.

Answer 3

I think the two groups are polar opposites and neither group has the truth. And neither group will admit to the possibility that they are wrong. One says, our god is the only god and the only way to heaven...the other group says, there is no god at all because we cannot prove his existence. I would say to Christians that their concept of god is narrow, limited and seen only from a narrow perspective. I would say to atheists, that there are many things that can be believed without physical proof. For instance.....do you love your wife, your child, do you believe in the existence of love? OK, by your own standards.....provide physical proof of that love.
Those things we know to be true thru experience and thru choice are, for each of us, true. It doesn't matter a whit if no one else has the same belief or knowledge, for that one individual it IS true. The life we experience on this planet, IS NOT ALL THERE IS. This I know for myself is a fact. And for me that is good enough. I really don't give a hoot if it isn't true for you, because I know that you will learn the truth soon enough, my time here is too short to worry about the lack of understanding of others, I have my own work to do. I do not go around proselytizing, or railing against the beliefs of any of the others around me. But you asked the question, and I appreciate the opportunity to put in my two cents.

Answer 4

But most Atheists were already religious and as indoctrinated as anyone else in that religion. That surely gives them a solid basis to judge it and condemn it once they change their minds, and the Atheists make their reasons clear why this or that religion is faulty.

Atheists have heard it all just the same as religious persons, they have just come to a different conclusion that is not sheep-like:

http://atheism.about.com/od/atheismmyths/p/ExperienceGod.htm

Atheists in these cases are not prejudiced (judging before they examine) but POSTjudiced (judging after having ample opportunity to learn and observe).


So like someone else below says, it's not a matter of Atheists not understanding religion, it's a matter of the religious sheep not understanding US. So how about it? Take a sabbatical from your religion for a year or two. Become Atheist, study Atheist texts if you're so open-minded. According to the Parable of the Prodigal Son, God has to take you back no matter what you've done in that Atheist sabbatical that goes against God's word: murder, rape, or having a slice of cheese on your hamburger...

Answer 5

We do often learn about other's beliefs. I do, at least. I've studied Christianity, Wicca, Judaism, Paganism, and so on.

Atheists are often called more open-minded than Christians because, while most Christians regard homosexuals, Wiccans, Satanists, "sinners", and so on, as immoral (and going against the Bible)--we often regard them as people. Everyone has their differences, and most atheists accept that. I've run into quite a few Christians who don't like anyone that isn't a God-abiding citizen.

Answer 6

Having been intimately involved with the christian culture for many years, I believe I have been and still am very opened minded. I listen to any and all arguments, discussions etc and base my reactions to them on established facts and evaluation of the logic presented. I take every opportunity to learn about various religions and why they believe what they believe. I continually expand my knowledge about past cultures and their believes...

Now, if you do the same or more, perhaps then you can judge me as closed minded, but not until then.

Answer 7

You have to be narrow minded to believe. A believer is privvy to the internet and dozens of reports on how there is no proof of who wrote the gospels and information regarding that there was practiaclly nothing written about Jesus during his lifetime. These two things alone are good reason to doubt-there are many others. They simply choose to ignore these and must know they exist.

Answer 8

I think Atheists also learned enough as the believers did; then they came to an end like that.
Any mind, open or narrow, relates to neither athiest nor thiest.

Answer 9

"if you are open minded why don't you learn about others believes just to understand. or is it too HARD you?"

In this context, I think the important difference between believers and atheists is that atheists know how to use words to make sense.
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"D" writes "Agnostic is the only open minded one seeing as they will accept a god as long as there is proof. Atheists point black refuse".

That's simply a lie. How would you even know that?

In fact were there proof of a god, I'd accept god's existence. I'm quite sure that the vast majority of atheists would. In light of the fact that there's no evidence for a god's existence, you're simply not in a position to say how we would respond were there proof - you simply made up that lie in order to insult others.

Answer 10

I'm an atheist and I don't call all religious people narrowminded. True, some religious people are. But so are some non religious people. I enjoy learning about different religions, it's interesting to learn the practical reasons for some customs etc.

Answer 11

I have a friend who's atheist and very open minded. This question can be flipped right back around, because you're passing HUGE judgement based on your limited experience.

Many of us have come across religious people who are very closed minded.

It's an individual trait, not that of an entire group.