Reasons

[Eilonnwy]

Just there Eilonnwy you seem to be saying, correct me if I'm wrong, that without demonstrable proof you will not believe in God. Is that true?

Yes.

If so, then that puts you in the group that will only consider reasoning with solid proof and not reasoning without solid proof. Your mind is closed to reasoning without solid proof, hence my statement, which applies then to you..

In order to decide what we will believe in, we MUST have a criteria with which to make those decision. The whole point of the video, which you have clearly missed, was to explain that that being open minded does not mean accepting anything with little or no evidence because then you're extremely susceptible to completely wrong ideas.

Yes, I require proof before I will believe in anything. That's NOT being close minded. Close minded is to not be willing to consider new evidence. I am always willing to consider new evidence. I have changed my mind MANY times based on where the evidence leads me.

If you want to say my mind is closed to reasoning without solid proof, then fine. That is true, but that doesn't make me close minded. It makes me logical since if I did accept reasoning without solid proof I would be free to believe in God, ghosts, psychics, free energy, 9/11 conspiracy theories (I, to my embarrassment, used to believe in this), aliens, detox diets, homeopathy, anti-vaccination, Acupuncture, Ear Candling, Astral Projection, Feng Shui, Dowsing, Numerology, Scientology, this list goes on.

There is a great article in the Skeptical Inquirer called What Open-Mindedness Requires. I highly recommend it, if you have a US library account you can read it here: http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/sum...999883_ITM

I will however highlight one excellent quote:

"Open-mindedness, in brief, is not an invitation to give respectful and thoughtful consideration to pseudoscience, paranormal claims, Holocaust denial, and all manner of nonsense and flimflam; these ideas have failed the test of critical scrutiny, and rejecting them simply recognizes the outcome of open-minded inquiry."

I did point out the problems with your supposed contradictions. That's an unfounded statement.

You're right. I forgot where the conversation had gone after you dismissed my link, and I never replied to your response because I forgot. I'm a very busy person so I often just pop in and out of discussions without warning.