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An open bible is better than an open mind (1 Viewer)

SacramentoBob

SacramentoBob

Footballguy
Saw this on a sign outside of a church. Wouldn't it be good to have an open mind about reading the bible in the first place? :confused:

 
I want both personally. But here's what I think it means.

Christians who believe the bible is the word of God feel that the information in the bible is very important. They have committed to submit to the teachings of scripture and to interpret their circumstances in light of the existence of God, the gospel, and standard Christian teaching.

So in some sense, once someone has decided to believe the bible either is or isn't the word of God, their mind has been 'closed' or rather put on a track to either listen to or not listen to its teachings.

 
Bob, this actually is terrific. The person is saying that although they understand the "open mind" they are better off having tunnel vision and using the Bible to answer all their questions. While that might astonish you and also make you feel even better about being atheist or whatever, it doesn't change any of the folks who attend that church.

They are saying they are not interested in a different way of thinking or interested in having the curtain pulled up...they are just fine continuing on the path they feel the Bible lays out.

 
'mr roboto said:
I want both personally. But here's what I think it means. Christians who believe the bible is the word of God feel that the information in the bible is very important. They have committed to submit to the teachings of scripture and to interpret their circumstances in light of the existence of God, the gospel, and standard Christian teaching. So in some sense, once someone has decided to believe the bible either is or isn't the word of God, their mind has been 'closed' or rather put on a track to either listen to or not listen to its teachings.
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Nonsense.What a church fears most is someone approaching the bible with the same standards of critical thought (or open mindedness) that they would anything else.
 
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'matuski said:
'mr roboto said:
I want both personally. But here's what I think it means. Christians who believe the bible is the word of God feel that the information in the bible is very important. They have committed to submit to the teachings of scripture and to interpret their circumstances in light of the existence of God, the gospel, and standard Christian teaching. So in some sense, once someone has decided to believe the bible either is or isn't the word of God, their mind has been 'closed' or rather put on a track to either listen to or not listen to its teachings.
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Nonsense.What a church fears most is someone approaching the bible with the same standards of critical thought (or open mindedness) that they would anything else.
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Most seminary educated pastors have read across the whole spectrum, from evangelical/catholic theology to higher biblical criticism (non-Christian scholarship viewing the bible as any other text). I know this is hard for your myopic view of Christian education to believe, but when I was studying greek, Hebrew, personally translating several books from the original languages etc we routinely consulted sources from all points of the spectrum. I honestly came to the belief that I did for a combination of historical, literary, and experiential reasons.
 
'mr roboto said:
'matuski said:
'mr roboto said:
I want both personally. But here's what I think it means. Christians who believe the bible is the word of God feel that the information in the bible is very important. They have committed to submit to the teachings of scripture and to interpret their circumstances in light of the existence of God, the gospel, and standard Christian teaching. So in some sense, once someone has decided to believe the bible either is or isn't the word of God, their mind has been 'closed' or rather put on a track to either listen to or not listen to its teachings.
Click to expand...
Nonsense.What a church fears most is someone approaching the bible with the same standards of critical thought (or open mindedness) that they would anything else.
Click to expand...
Most seminary educated pastors have read across the whole spectrum, from evangelical/catholic theology to higher biblical criticism (non-Christian scholarship viewing the bible as any other text). I know this is hard for your myopic view of Christian education to believe, but when I was studying greek, Hebrew, personally translating several books from the original languages etc we routinely consulted sources from all points of the spectrum. I honestly came to the belief that I did for a combination of historical, literary, and experiential reasons.
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What historical, literary, and experiential reasons would you give for a talking burning bush?If you ran into a talking burning bush in a Dr. Seuss book would you give it the same merit? Forget Dr. Seuss - is there ANY other context you can think of where you would believe in a talking burning bush?Why would you approach one with a different set of standards than the other?
 
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The last thing organized religion and churches want... is people thinking.

That sign is thusly correct, they just didn't state who it was actually better for.

 
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'BigSteelThrill said:
They last thing organized religion and churches want... is people thinking. That sign is thusly correct, they just didn't state who it was actually better for.
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Kind of funny that they are openly admitting that they want mindless sheep. I mean, people with open minds have seen this for a long time but now they're flat out advertising that fact to their flock.
 
'matuski said:
'mr roboto said:
I want both personally. But here's what I think it means. Christians who believe the bible is the word of God feel that the information in the bible is very important. They have committed to submit to the teachings of scripture and to interpret their circumstances in light of the existence of God, the gospel, and standard Christian teaching. So in some sense, once someone has decided to believe the bible either is or isn't the word of God, their mind has been 'closed' or rather put on a track to either listen to or not listen to its teachings.
Click to expand...
Nonsense.What a church fears most is someone approaching the bible with the same standards of critical thought (or open mindedness) that they would anything else.
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:no: A good church does not fear this but encourages it.
 
Oh and I think the sign in front of this church is not a sign of a good church, or at least one that needs correction in it's thinking.

 
Note that it doesn't say an open mind is bad. It just says an open bible is better. Most churches think that the bible is the word of the God who created all of us. Given that belief, it would be pretty foolish to put anything above reading the bible.

 
Not too long ago I sold a policy to a gentleman and as we were finishing up the paperwork he hesitated and said he would need to wait for a sign from god to to tell him what to do.

I figured he balked at the last second and just didn't want any conflict with me. I let him be and followed up a few days later with a "Well, what did God say?" phone call.

He said sign me up.

I'm very curious to how he came up with his decision.

 
'proninja said:
Note that it doesn't say an open mind is bad. It just says an open bible is better. Most churches think that the bible is the word of the God who created all of us. Given that belief, it would be pretty foolish to put anything above reading the bible.
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I do not disagree but it is a bad PR move for a church to say. Churches need to remember that their message is going out to the 'unchurched' and thus it is easy for the message, as innocent as it may very well be, to get twisted and turned into something very negative.
 
'Chadstroma said:
'proninja said:
Note that it doesn't say an open mind is bad. It just says an open bible is better. Most churches think that the bible is the word of the God who created all of us. Given that belief, it would be pretty foolish to put anything above reading the bible.
Click to expand...
I do not disagree but it is a bad PR move for a church to say. Churches need to remember that their message is going out to the 'unchurched' and thus it is easy for the message, as innocent as it may very well be, to get twisted and turned into something very negative.
Click to expand...
Sure. I'd never put that on a church sign. I was speaking to the massive confirmation bias shown by the resident argumentative atheists.
 
Most seminary educated pastors have read across the whole spectrum, from evangelical/catholic theology to higher biblical criticism (non-Christian scholarship viewing the bible as any other text). I know this is hard for your myopic view of Christian education to believe, but when I was studying greek, Hebrew, personally translating several books from the original languages etc we routinely consulted sources from all points of the spectrum. I honestly came to the belief that I did for a combination of historical, literary, and experiential reasons.
Click to expand...
What time I spend on these boards is usually in the Shark Pool, but I lurk here sometimes too. I never thought I'd dip a toe in these waters & post something, but here it goes... & I hope I don't draw back a nub.mr roboto is spot on with this. I am currently in seminary & just finished one of the more interesting & challenging courses I've taken- Modern & PostModern Theology. We read a ton of stuff! Hundreds of pages each week from all kinds of people- everyone from Barth (Neo-Orthodoxy), to Henry (Evangelical), to Cone (Liberation), to Olson (PoMo), & everything in between. I attend a very conservative Baptist seminary but we are not blind to the academy or the need to engage the culture. Some of us get it. The world is a different place since the Enlightenment. Modernism called for evidence. PoMo says there are no foundations. Things have changed & the world is different, but it is the world we are called to minister in.The way I see it, the 21st century is the most like the 1st century than any century since. Religious pluralism & postmodern thought is remarkably like the world of the New Testament. The Aposle Paul went to Mars Hill when he had to. He didn't win many people with his Gospel tale of a Resurrected man who is the Lord over all, but he did engage the culture, win a hearing, & he got invited back. The educators & philosophers wanted to hear it again. That's why we read what we read, not in spite of what we believe but BECAUSE of what we believe.That's enough for now I guess... & just for the record, I loathe stinking church signs. :hophead:
 
'Apple Jack said:
'Leroy Hoard said:
'wikkidpissah said:
an open beer tops em both
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a bottle opener can also be used as a page marker
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And bible pages can be used to roll joints. :bag:
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I worked with a guy once who did a little time in Texas. He was a little... off (his g/f was the chick from GWAR at the time). He got a tattoo, during his free time as a ward of the state, on his thigh of Jesus doing an sex act on a nun with a quote from Jim Morrison above it. He claimed the ink he used was made from the ashes of a burned Bible. I dunno if that's possible or not, but after knowing him for a week, I had no reason to doubt it. He'd still be in jail if he'd run through DFW airport with a torch and a hatchet, high on PCP, screaming about the revolution if he'd done it after 9/11.
 
So what if we changed it a bit....

An open science book is better than an open mind.

Do we still have the same reactions?

 
'Chadstroma said:
So what if we changed it a bit....An open science book is better than an open mind. Do we still have the same reactions?
Click to expand...
Yeah. Plenty of religious folks read an open science book with a closed mind, and next thing you know, we're outlawing the teaching of evolution.
 
'Chadstroma said:
'B-Deep said:
'Chadstroma said:
So what if we changed it a bit....An open science book is better than an open mind. Do we still have the same reactions?
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meaning is that a stupid statement?yes
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Meaning... does it invoke the same reactions.
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where would one see a sign like that?if you are reading anything to learn, presumably true of a bilbe and a science book, and you do not have an open mind, the experience is hindered or uselessi would think that should be something the hardest core bible thumpers and the ghost of darwin would agree onjust because a church posted it on a sign does not have to mean it needs defended, and just because a church posted it on a sign does not mean all churches are dumbsomeone thought it was clever, most think it is dumb
 
'Chadstroma said:
'B-Deep said:
'Chadstroma said:
So what if we changed it a bit....An open science book is better than an open mind. Do we still have the same reactions?
Click to expand...
meaning is that a stupid statement?yes
Click to expand...
Meaning... does it invoke the same reactions.
Click to expand...
It is the same level of stupidity. It doesn't invoke the same reactions, because the school of science and math hasn't put it on the outside of their academy.Dogma isn't espoused in the scientific community outside of AGW. BOOM. Hijack.
 
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