Atheists and open mindedness

The other day I was talking to a friend who kept saying all religous people are closed minded but the opposite for atheists. Thats hardly the case, to be atheist is to be just as "supposedly" close minded as the religous folks. Because you are limiting yourself to the constraints that there cant possibly be a god.

Atheisim is a waste of time I nor any other human can prove or dis-prove any religon, so why bother limiting yourself in such a way.

You can't say athism is a waste of time without saying anyother religion is a waste of time. I'm athiest just because to me, the notion of god makes no sense. Forcing my ideas on people is a waste of time though.
I hope you're not saying all athiests are close minded. I recently attended the closing cerimony of Yom Kippur with one of my jewish friends as a cultural experience. I respect people for their beliefs but until i find proof that god exists, good ol athiesm for me.

Then so be it every religon is a waste of time. But thats not really the point, point is Atheists tend to be nearly as closed minded as a lot of religous folk. As a matter of fact I am saying that all atheists are close minded to some degree. To strongly believe or strongly not believe in something produces its own close mindedness inevitably, how tall the barriers are just depends on self conclusions.


I for one am agnostic, which is probaly the only way I could have made this thread without pre determined judgements.

Why do people even start to fuck with threads like these. Of course almost everyone's got tunnel vision when it comes to certain specific things, dogs do pee on brick walls. If people were completely open-minded on roundabout topics like religion, they most likely wouldn't do anything but dialogue and listen to dialogue about religion, they'd never make up their minds on anything, and all nirvana would break loose. Of course, my mind was closed to many things while posting this, so you can't really take this, or any post for that matter, too seriously.

Well, all that said and done, you've raised a very good point: many people, in declaring themselves against a norm, tend to take their own views to an extreme forgetting that their open-mindedness was what had influenced their decision in the first place. Some sort of self-image to maintain, a kind of generalisation...its not because we're religious or athiest: we're human. You can just as easily be an agnostic bigot as you can any other way.
It's all about Balance Helios, and most importantly Balancing the Balance. ;)

I am an atheïst, and darn proud of it. I believe only in what can be proven by logic. Does this make me narrow-minded? Of course! If someone tells me that five gallons of arsenic will make girls love me, I won't believe him. Does that make me narrow-minded? Of course!

I have questioned my beliefs a lot, and I have been constantly been on the look out for evidence to disprove my view.

This just proves how gross your generalisation is. Further, your declaration that the only way you can debate these things is if you are agnostic is complete bullocks. Just because you have a particular belief does not make your opinion any more or any less true or valid.

I have never claimed that I am better than anyone, as I believe all knowledge is equal, and that all people are equal, even religious zealots and the ignorant.

What I do want to make clear is that I know many religious people, more than a handful, who are quite wise, and quite capable of debating and thinking about their religions. Again, stop with these bullshit generalisations, as they are the foundation on which Auschwitz and the like were built.

Mr U

I agree with Mr. U on this, completely. Well, aside from the fact that I am agnostic not atheistic. I have spent a fair amount of time reading, practicing, and otherwise becoming one with many religions and theologies. None have been satisfactory. I believe (note: only a belief) that religion puts too much in faith and not enough into experience.

As a literal and scientifically minded person, I am simply unable to accept that which I do not experience for myself. I find no solace in religion, but this does not mean that others cannot. Like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mr. U said (to paraphrase here), all people are equal. Everyone is narrow minded, but only a fool would choose to be close minded. You can focus on your particular world view and reject those things that don't assimilate with your perspective, but at least you examine those things. Close minded souls simply refuse to even look at other's opinions.

I guess I really didn't add much to this thread. I believe it is important to respect everyone, no matter the belief (unless it involves senseless death [of anything!!!] or harm). Good luck in your pursuits.