Comments on: Nonjudgmentalism and moral indignation are oil and water.

By: AOk

AOk — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:12:54 +0000

*they!

By: AOk

AOk — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:12:35 +0000

Open Minded= Let people do whatever the want to do. It’s their business, right?

Offended= How DARE you be against gay marriage!? You ignorant, intolerant jerk!

By: Josh S

Josh S — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:45:48 +0000

As an open-minded person, I take offense at your comment.

By: Nana

Nana — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:18:30 +0000

I think you’re mistaken.

By: Christa Allan

Christa Allan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:17:42 +0000

A conundrum for Tiger Woods?

By: Idhrendur (Stephen May)

Idhrendur (Stephen May) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:26:06 +0000

I actually find it quite easy. Empathize and understand while still disagreeing, that’s all. Unless you refer to the emotions involved. My ability to power through cognitive dissonance does not apply to emotions.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:23:47 +0000

The two wrestle, get shaken up and try to pin the other down. One gives in. The oil comes out on top.

By: Chris Tomlinson

Chris Tomlinson — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:21:52 +0000

Open mind vs. taking offense. Within the context of Christian community, do you make a distinction between righteously judging and taking offense?

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:53:32 +0000

I think it’s a good thing to feel morally offended over something. Indeed, if you weren’t then is the Spirit of God really at work creating the renewed you?

Taking offence should not lead to offending another person though.

By: Lee Shelton

Lee Shelton — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:37:38 +0000

It’s funny because the most open-minded people I know always seem to be the most offended.

By: Jamsco

Jamsco — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:43:47 +0000

Ugh, that artwork is so rediculous, harsh and annoying. . . But maybe the painter was struggling with some dark and sad issue when she painted it . . . But that doesn’t mean she should foist it on the innocent art museum-goer . . . Unless it will help someone else going through something dark and sad . . . Who should go to church or pray or something and not be searching for truth in an Art gallery . . . unless they don’t know better . . .

You see? It can be done!

By: Laura @ Texas in Africa

Laura @ Texas in Africa — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:40:57 +0000

I disagree. It’s possible to recognized mixed motives or a misunderstanding on the part of someone who did something. For example, yesterday, Twitter decided to turn every tweet with the word “Africa” in it red in honor of World AIDS Day. In response, I was simultaneously: 1) open-minded to the notion that spreading awareness about the disease and its effects is good, and 2) offended and disgusted that Twitter equated Africa with HIV/AIDS.

By: Kevin Ring

Kevin Ring — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:39:20 +0000

What about when you are empathizing? It seems that in that situation you are being open-minded (opening yourself up to the situation of another) while you still could be offended (on their behalf).

I think it’s a gray area, particularly when you apply focus to different objects that are part of the same corporate (love the sinner, hate the sin is an example). Our ability to do so comes from the fact that it is Christ’s moral standard that we hold up, not our own.

In practice is is difficult (nigh impossible, hence the absolute statement you made above) to not incorporate our own self-righteousness as part of a moral standard.