ChristiansUnite Forums

I was having a discussion with my mother the other day about the view of bible believers.  They seem to be currently portrayed as closed minded morons to make it short.  This thought can be found in movies, books, the media, you name it.  It is rather bothersome because I hate to see people ignore the truth.

My mother tried to point out that we come off as closed minded because we won't "keep an open mind" to things around us.  That people don't hold the bible as I (we/christians) do.

I then replied that what I think we really have is a generation of not open minded people but what everyone says they hate.

Lawyers!!  The current trend I find is that what is called an open mind is simply teaching people to find the loop hole in everything.  Everyone is a little deffense lawyer finding a way to justify what they do.  There is not right or wrong just opinions.  Defense lawyers and sometimes prosecuting ones don't care about what's ethical but what is legal.  They spend all their time trying to find a way to justify that their client has not broken the law through some loop hole in the law.

Do we really want to have a bunch of defense lawyers running around?  This is what we are producing under the banner of "free thinking" or "open minded".

There is no open mindedness to the believer who knows that God's word is Truth and the final fact and authority.  This is what I see is the current problem with society.  It is an ever pervassive trend in the industrialized world.  Europe was once a Christian filled land.  Now in places such as Spain 90-97% of the population have no care for the LORD or belief at all.

I think we need to curb this trend or at least recognize it when dealing with the lost.   We need to make this fact known and acknowledged.  It's quite frightening to think this has become acceptable today.  I often wonder if there is any black or white left in the secular world it all seems to be grey anymore.

Unfortunately, that's human nature. Everyone's out to perpetuate their own agenda. A criminal defense lawyer is not obligated to the truth. He is only obligated to his client whether his client is guilty or not. If Wal-Mart said that everything is on sale for  a penny, you better believe that everbody and his brother would be down there, ripping and tearing at items because it's LEGAL. We all do the same thing. Whenever our legal system tries to enact new laws to protect us from ourselves, it only creates new problems because someone feels his rights are violated. The only one who can stop the selfish nature of man is God.

That is great, Jason, but what can we do?

At the very least be aware of it when speaking to the unsaved like athiest and the gang.  It is something they can not deny.  So the next time they claim you as closed minded and such fill them in on the truth of the matter.  It is at least a reasonable rebuttle to their fool hearty attacks.

Teach the young and your children (whenever that may be) this as well so they to know.  We need to always be girded in our armour.

Coming to know Jesus IS coming to an "open mind".

Our minds are closed until we do.


   

Yes of course but the unsaved can't see that.  Sometimes you need to get on their level to get them to listen at all.

Sometimes you need to get on their level to get them to listen at all.  

Yes, that is true, Saved4.  Certainly Jesus came down here on our level.

A recent New Yorker cartoon had God sitting on his cloud, looking down at a distant Earth, shaking his finger, saying,  "Don't make me come down there!"  

   
     (  :-[ )


Yes, you have to go to where the person is--physically and spiritually.

Maybe it's a balancing act between knowing what you would like to say to them, and waiting, or praying, for the Holy Spirit to move them.

Effectively, it's all of what the HS is doing through us, after Jesus left.

(So I'm taking that too to mean that the HS wasn't here before Jesus came...)

I mean, effectively, it's not our ball of wax.  It's His.

So if longdog and the others, or whoever, are calling us closeminded, does that necessarily even deserve a response?

And, sometimes, we ARE closeminded.  

Maybe that's what scripture means, "...rightfully dividing the word of truth..."

When to hold'm; when to fold'm?


     ???


      ;D


      8)

Actually, I've tried arguing with the unsaved on their level but they do not see their own contradictions so it's pointless. It only re-enforces what Jesus said, "No one can come to the Father unless the Father draws him." If they aren't being drawn by God then they can't see the truth and there's nothing anyone can do about it except God.  

Even if I were unsaved I would have to bring up this lawyewr point though.  I would call it sowing the seed.

Agreed. You can lead a horse to water, you can't make it drink.

Call it little defense lawyers or loopholes or whatever. But when I post a contradiction and it is not answered, or worse yet is deleted and called blasphemy, who is closed minded then? Who is avoiding the topic then? I will entertain any thought any of you send my way. Just remember, though, I've already been there, and have not heard anything new at this site I've not already considered. And besides, you consider anyone who will not see it your way, close minded. I consider someone open-minded if they will at least seriously consider ideas which differs from their own. I think the fear of God keeps many Christians from even thinking sometimes.

Heidi, you have a lot of mumbo jumbo type of il-logic that I wouldn't even call religious. To me it seems more new age or pagan the way you explain it. Just substitute the word goddess for god and you'll see what I mean.
Eyeball