“There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to investigation” Herbert Spencer. When we close ourselves off from new information or simply refuse to consider contrary points of view out of hand, we close ourselves off from the inspiration of the spirit, embracing the bondage of self. To be clear, no sin is unforgivable in God’s eye. Being close-minded is our unforgivable sin, we close and lock the door, God has no doors to lock. The good news is as soon as we become even the slightest bit willing, the door unlocks opening us to new insights and understanding of others and ourselves.
Having an open mind does not necessarily lead to agreement or the changing of a point of view or belief, just the willingness to listen and examine honestly.
Additionally being close-minded leads inexorably to condemnation, which is a cancer on our spirituality. We naturally form opinions and beliefs employing knowledge, experience and accrued wisdom; however when our beliefs and opinions become inviolate, unassailable sacred cows, we suffer. Being unmovable on the sports teams we root for, movie types we will or will not see or the decision not try certain foods may limit our life experiences but in closing our mind to spiritual concepts we risk shutting ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit, to slowly wither away mesmerized by the cadence of hoofs, surrounded by like closed minds, warmed by the fires of seething resentment and condemnation. “We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all-inclusive, never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men.”
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