From: awmurray@eos.ncsu.edu (ALAN WAYNE MURRAY)
Subject: Re: who has the open mind
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 17:57:46 GMT

In article <1ems59INNqv9@uwm.edu> randyd@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Randall Elton Ding) writes:
>It's somewhat annoying when the christians are passing out their bibles
>and other junk, but what really pisses me off is when they get bent out
>of shape when you ignore them or refuse to take the stupid thing.
>The other day one guy pushed it in my face and said "It's not going to bite". 
>Normally I don't get involved in verbal altercations with these people,
>especially when I am with my christian friends, but this guy was asking for
>it.  I am a little ashamed I couldn't come up with anything more origional
>but in the heat of the moment I said "I don't read fiction", The guy
>threw up his arms and shouted to the crowd "Hey - come on and have an
>Open Mind!" 
 ^^^^^^^^^

You're not the only one!  I just had a humorous altercation with my mother
Friday.  I happened to mention the word "evolution".  That was where the ride
began.  I noticed her eyes roll, so I asked her if she "believed in
evolution." (bad phrasing 'believe', I know, but it got the point accross).
Of course she said no, so I asked her one question:  If you don't believe
that animals evolve, then you must believe that Noah took a *huge* amount
of animals on board his ark.  I threw out the figure 10 million even though
that's a far cry from the amount Noah *truly* had to have on his ark.  She
came back with "Noah took one male and one female of each animal that was
on the earth at the time."  Of course, this statement implies evolution
so I pointed that out.  She continued to vehemently *insist* that the Bible
was 100% correct on this.  I pointed out, however, that by the Bible's own
figures, the ark could not have even nearly been large enough to carry
that many animals.  Later, she got my grandparents in on the argument (which
I had truly hoped to avoid!).  My grandmother immediately asked if I was an
"athenist" (direct quote).  I told here I was.  The truly funny part, though
was what my grandfather came up with.  He started ranting and raving about
what Satan was doing to the world and said the "world is bad enough off
without letting thoughts of evolution in your mind".  He tried one argument
after another with the Noah's ark problem including the funnies statement
of all:  "Ok, the ark wasn't long enough to fit that many animals but how
*tall* was it?" (I told him that it probably wasn't as tall as it was long-
between smiles that is).  He also pointed out that I shouldn't count the
numerous insects because "God is continually making those to plague us"
(BTW, thanks God!).  So I asked him where did these insects come from.
At this point, they *admitted* that the insects simply *popped* onto the 
earth out of nowhere!!  And the even more horrifying:  my grandfather was
a Christian preacher (hahahahahaahhaa).  After hearing all of their
arguments, seeing that I was unconvinced, they actually called my
"closed minded"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
 
>
>Now I was raised in a christian family (sigh) and attended all the
>religious schools (arrg) and think I understand the issues pretty well.
>What RIGHT do they have telling me I don't have an open mind.  My dear
>brother also gives me that crap.  Just to get out of a stupid argument
>I tell him "No, I don't have an open mind, now just leave me alone".
>
>I have never really known any other atheists that well.  Maybe I met
>one or two in passing, but just never learned what to do in these
>situations.  Living here in the bible belt, seems like I'm all alone.
>Do you just ignore it and take the abuse, or do you have a fiew snappy
>one liners that'll put them back in their place.
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------
>Frisbeetologist:  You soul is like a frisbee...    when you die,
>		  it goes on the roof and noone can get it down.
>                                                          Randy.
>----------------------------------------------------------------


Newsgroups: alt.atheism