Sunday, September 28, 2008

Expand Your Mind, Man!

Anyone in our society who actually believes in something and has principles is accused of not being "open-minded." If you disagree with any behavior, and especially if you call it immoral, you are labeled "closed-minded." You're against homosexuality? Closed-minded. Legalizing marijuana? Closed-minded. So-called "open marriage"? Closed-minded. They mistake confusion for "open-mindedness."

If an individual truly has an open mind, then that person will be open to the idea that there might really be right and wrong--moral and immoral. And rather than running around like an animal, engaging in whatever behavior appeals to his carnal desires, he seeks out truth. That person understands that it is important to find out what kind of a life will really bring about real happiness. And an open-minded individual will accept at least the possibility that some people have found God through religion. It is those who never question the things they have been taught--who never make their own effort to discover truth for themselves and think things through--that are closed-minded.

LSD is a great example of confusion being mistaken for open-mindedness. While taking the drug, people think that their minds are expanded and they are receiving new insights. But we have yet to hear a logical insight that was inspired by LSD. Another example is "artsy" movies. Weird movies. Movies that look at the world in a new way by forsaking things that we already know to be true. Art is supposed to inspire, not confuse.

A person who is truly open-minded and has integrity will not forsake things that he already knows to be true. And a person who accepts any and all behavior for the sake of being "open-minded" is confused. In essence, that person is claiming that he has no clue what is right and what is wrong. What does such a person have to contribute? Confusion.

3 comments:

celeste said...

I think those of us that do seek truth and are religous get a bad reputation from those religous people who deny or ignore logic and reasoning and just say, "God made it that way". Suddenly all religous people are labeled as illogical and closed-minded because of those few people. I know what I wanted to say in this comment, but I'm not sure it came out in a coherent way. Sorry if it didn't.

Rebekah said...

i agree, except for the part about artsy weird movies. i don't think that's about being closed/open minded.

Jacob Romney said...

I've found liberals to be the most close-minded people. They're all about accepting odd things, which means they shun you if you don't accept those things they accept. I have the right to disagree with whatever I want just like they have the right to agree with it.