close-mindedness

I would not consider myself close-minded. The definition of being close-minded is being intolerant of beliefs and opinions of others and not accepting new ideas. Also, according to Professor Ogden, close-minded is being sceptical and arrogant with an alienating attitude. I am not religious and don’t believe in God, but that does not make me close-minded. I accept the fact that others believe so strongly in religion because they can relate to it and feel safe and at home with God. That is why they pray, to feel a strong connection to a higher power. Reading Douglas Coupland’s Hey Nostradamus! to William Gibson’s All Tomorrow’s Parties right after was a big change. The elements within the two novels are so different because religion and God is what makes up Hey Nostradmus! and so far with what I’ve read, All Tomorrow’s Parties has no reference to God at all. That novel is built of technology.

I am not against religion but I can’t associate myself with it or anything else that has to do with it. I have been to church and I enter with an open mind and leave with an open mind. Feeling indifference does not give me a closed mind but just provides me with more knowledge about life. It is amazing to know that some people find religion so comforting and how some find even reading it very uncomfortable. In a way, you can believe in God and be close-minded or not believe in God and also be close-minded. Religion can leave people close-minded because they are directed to believe in such a shallow depth of field: "Everything happens because of God. He is supposed to save everyone". God did not create the world. Someone can believe in God and not accept same-sex marriages. They could believe that only a man and woman should marry and that is the way it should be, but we are not perfect. If anyone would decide to go through with a same-sex marriage I would applaud them for being so courageous, despite how wrong others think it is. I accept this because happiness and love should come before anything else. It does not matter how old you are or what gender you are.

President George Bush is a great example of someone who is close-minded. Though I do not know all the details, his mind is so set on continuing the war and leading his country through all the pain and suffering. Lost sons and husbands should be a direct wake-up call for him to stop but all he can talk about are "weapons of mass destruction". He will not accept any new ideas, he is just driven to continue fighting. Until Bush literally fights in Iraq, he should have an open-mind going through this.

On the other hand, Canada is an open-minded country because of how the government accepts that a man and another man can fall in love or how two women can love each other. It is a free country and people should be allowed to marry who they love.