An Open Mind

An Open Mind

Recently I had someone I care about tell me that it didn’t take him very long after meeting me to realize that I was a religious person. He worried that because he thought that I was religious there was a good chance that I would be close minded…

When did these two ideas become associated with each other?

And from what I understand about religion shouldn’t this be the other way around? I am religious therefore I am open-minded? Doesn’t someone believing in something greater than themselves, putting their trust and faith in something unseen, being humble enough to admit that they don’t know all the answers or have control over everything sound pretty open minded? Is this not a good description of a religious person?

For me, someone who can’t see beyond himself /herself or has to see something to believe it…that is a close-minded person.

What determines a religious person anyway? Their values? How much faith they exhibit? The ordinances they participate in? How often they go to church?

What’s funny is that before I moved away from Utah I never considered myself to be a religious person. I know that that sounds crazy to some people who know me but I really didn’t. If I imagine a friend describing me to someone it would go something like, “she’s kind of tall, likes to read, big family, doesn’t drink or swear, history major, teacher, makes a mean batch of muddy buddies…” but not “She’s religious.” Maybe it’s because the culture I come from is religious…I couldn’t see the forest for the trees or something. I’ve just always considered myself a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but not a “religious person”. Once I moved away though I realized that I was unique. Not because I had a religion but because I was a DEVOUT member of that religion. I was surprised to learn that not everybody who is religious is devout.

So maybe I’m a devout person but not a religious one?

I try to be an obedient person. Maybe that’s what makes me religious. To me obedience isn’t and never will be a bad thing. I tend to cringe at the term “blind obedience” which is something that people of my faith are often accused of. Is it so hard to believe that I live my life a certain way because I KNOW it will make me happy? I don’t think that it might, or guess and cross my fingers, or (worst of all) ignorantly follow a kind, old, charismatic leader. I KNOW it’s right. And even if I don’t have a full understanding I have faith that someday I will. And I guess that’s what gets me about debates over issues where religion is on one side and “open-minded” people are on the other…I feel like non-religious people never take into consideration the fact that there is an element of faith to our reason. There is an unseen power that you can’t begin to understand unless you’ve felt it for yourself. And most critics of religion don’t take that into account let alone try to really understand it.

Religion doesn’t stick to tradition because its all that it knows and is scared to progress. Is it so hard to believe or consider that traditional values are good because they are founded on true principles? And its my humble opinion that in the scope of human history tradition often becomes progressive.

Truth is truth no matter where you encounter it. Its not right or wrong, good or bad. You can’t have an opinion on it, or make excuses for it. Its truth.

Maybe instead of open or close minded a more correct term in this situation would be tolerant or intolerant?

Last thing I want to say is that I know some really terrible things have been done in the name of religion. And that makes me sad because some things people do in the name of God I know God would never put his name on. Hatred, fear, violence, these are things God would never approve of let alone endorse. I believe He is incapable of such ugly feelings. He is by definition, love.

I asked a lot of questions in this post which may have seemed rhetorical. If you feel however that have the answers to some of the things I asked please way in.

Oh and once I saw a t-shirt that defined a liberal as someone so open minded their brain had fallen out. Harsh but clever!