Don't we all? — Rich

Yeah, good point. If things are going well, we can manage more tolerant. But we all have our boiling point.

She is better off, clearly, wrapped up in the Baptist Bullshit Calvinist Cocoon. It gives her mental certainty and security. She needs those things (like we all do) and while she is more than intelligent enough to pursue other views, lacks the educational background to do so on her own. — Bitter Crank

A nice description of a situation that can be generalized. There seems to be a limit to the malleability of basic beliefs. People have their revolutions every once in a while, but even that is probably not simply in response to a well argued point. More likely there's a crisis that boils over.

I had my own religious wrapping to peel off; it was more Wesleyan than Calvinist, but still a problem, since I no longer assented. It has taken a very long time to resolve the issue, if it is even. Decades.

Wow, this is a great discussion!

And so helpful!

Honestly, I was a little desperate when I started this thread and now I have a very different perspective.

Is part of the question here the "closed" mind versus the "open" mind.

I feel like I'm "open-minded" because I have no choice. I constantly ask questions in my head whether I want to or not - every waking minute of every day.

But I'm taking medication for that :-|

When I run into a mind that I feel is "closed," I go nuts.