It is not unusual for me to get into discussions with people who are not Christians. Sometimes they will comment on YouTube about one of the videos I posted. Sometimes the discussion is on Facebook about something I posted, or a comment I made on someone else’s post. Then, sometimes a person will read one of my newsletter articles and just e-mail me.
But what I am getting at here has nothing to do with where these discussions take place. Rather, it relates to the subject of the discussions themselves. I find it amazing how many of these people do not put forth any kind of rational argument, but simply throw out insults. Of course, that is not exclusively the case. Some people really do try to get into a rational discussion. But even with that, most, when they come to a place where they realize that their argument doesn’t hold water, will, in the end, resort to insults.
One of the more common ways that I get insulted is by people calling me “narrowminded.” Well, exactly what does it mean to be narrowminded? Typically it is thought of as a point of view in which an individual lacks tolerance of someone else’s beliefs, or a viewpoint that excludes other possibilities. When this word is used, it is typically meant in a derisive way. Generally, people who throw out this term are implying that the one they are insulting doesn’t know what they are talking about because they have excluded important information.
While that is certainly a possibility, there is another reason people are narrowminded. In cases where individuals are standing on the beliefs of their faith, they are narrowminded because it is not possible to be any other way. Everyone’s faith literally contradicts all other faith positions – whether that faith is objectively true or not. Thus, it is impossible not to be narrowminded in that way. A person would have to disavow his own beliefs to support another one – and if he did that, he would simply become narrowminded based on the new belief. When it comes to worldview beliefs, that is exactly the situation. Every worldview, literally, contradicts every other worldview.
Definition of Worldview
To get at this more fully, let’s examine the definition of a worldview. A person’s worldview consists of the assumptions he or she makes about the nature of reality. In this definition, assumptions are beliefs, and these kinds of beliefs are not subject to scientific verification. As for reality, it is defined simply as what actually exists. So to express this definition in a different way, a worldview is a set of beliefs about what exists and how that existence is organized.
There are, of course, all kinds of people who think others are narrowminded, but those who tend to attack me the most are people who are convinced that what they believe about reality is based completely on science. For that reason, I will make my comparisons in this article between Naturalism and Christian Theism. Just keep in mind, though, that the same principle holds no matter what worldview positions are being dealt with. Typically, those who are convinced that their beliefs are based purely on science are believers in some form of Naturalism. But in spite of their conviction that Naturalism is based on science, it is not. It is a belief system and cannot be verified using science – in the same way as every other worldview system. Every worldview is a faith expression.
There is one more characteristic of a worldview that is also important to understand as we consider whether or not Christians are narrowminded. That characteristic is that every worldview is exclusive. For instance, either God exists or he does not. He cannot “exist” and “not exist” at the same time. If he does exist, he is either personal or impersonal. He cannot be both personal and impersonal at the same time. There are other examples that could be given, but these are sufficient to demonstrate the exclusiveness of a worldview position. Every worldview defines itself in very specific, exclusive terms, and any belief which does not fit within its definition is considered not to be real.
So, how is this exclusivity (narrow-mindedness) expressed? Again, let’s look at a couple of examples. Christianity is narrowminded because it asserts that salvation can only be found in Christ. Naturalism is narrowminded because it asserts that only the natural universe exists. In both cases, the beliefs reject the assertion of the other. So, to make the point clear: Yes, Christianity is narrowminded … and so is every other worldview system.
How to Reply to Someone Who Accuses Christians of Being Narrowminded
A person doesn’t have to be disagreeable to disagree, and Christians do not have to allow those who attack their faith to simply get away with it. It is important to always have the right attitude, but correcting people’s wrong beliefs about our faith can be a great witness opportunity.
The truth is, in this case, “Of course Christianity is narrowminded!” But the rest of the truth is that Naturalism is equally narrowminded. Every worldview position has a line around it that cannot be crossed and one still remain in that worldview.
Something is the truth and nothing else is. The Christian faith and naturalistic faith (and every other worldview faith system) cannot be true at the same time since they contradict one another. As we interact with those who claim a naturalistic or other worldview faith, it is a great opportunity to share Christ. In the process, it will probably be necessary to help them see that: 1) their belief is a faith (religious) system, and 2) their belief is as completely narrowminded as ours. If you can get them to truly understand these points, there is a legitimate chance that they will be open to hearing the truth of the gospel message.
When it comes to sharing the truth, being narrowminded is not a bad thing. In fact, it is the only thing.
© 2017 Freddy Davis