Don't call me close-minded because I don't believe in the supernatural.

[yesthattom]

Asking for evidence is the BASIS of being open minded.

If you don't know how to counter someone who says you're closed-minded if you don't believe in the supernatural.... watch this vid:

(thanks to quietchris who found this on atheist)

Comments

[emboline.livejournal.com]

THIS is brilliant. Thank You.

[barking-iguana.livejournal.com]

I won't call you close-minded, because I find the rules of Standard English to be generally useful. I won't call you closed-minded, either, unless I'm presented with evidence that you are. :)

[la-directora.livejournal.com]

That line about "open minded seems to mean agreeing with them" - BOY is that one of my pet peeves. I see it most often with liberal folks who talk about how close minded conservative folks are, and how open minded they are, by which they mean they like everyone who agrees with them. Grrr.

Now, I will admit that I come at this video from a slightly different angle because I do hold some unprovable, supernatural spiritual beliefs. I simply don't expect others to agree with me, because I know I can't provide evidence. The only times I have told someone they are close minded because they don't share my beliefs are, as the video says, when that person told me that because I couldn't offer proof, it was impossible for what I believed to be true. I have no problem with, "What you believe can't be proven, so I don't believe in it." Fine. But don't tell me I am not allowed to believe in it. That is also close minded. I prefer a live and let live approach to this stuff. :)

The video, by the way, is brilliant.

[marmota.livejournal.com]

THANK you!

[lillilah]

Very interesting and useful! Thanks!

[an0penletterto.livejournal.com]

Excellent discourse on the topic. As a pagan, I do get some of the same statements thrown my way as the clip's author does. My personal philosophy is, if you don't believe what I believe, well, rock on with your bad self.

The way I see it, If someone hasn't had the personal experiences which would lead them to believe in the things I do, there's nothing I can say to make them believe what I believe. It's very possible that someone may have never experienced a metaphysical event, and so may feel no connection to anything metaphysical. And there's nothing wrong with that.

The only thing in the clip I wondered at was how the author was throwing homeopathy into the the same category as all things metaphysical. Homeopathy is taught in medical schools as a valid practice, so in my view it's more science than wackadoo superstition.