4. Be Truly Open-Minded

Yes, that’s right, you need to be truly open-minded.  People with theistic beliefs are always accused of not being open-minded. I can, and will, demonstrate that to be incorrect in a later post, but that is not my concern here.  For now I want you to just understand the importance of considering all possible explanations and choosing based on reason (logic), not based on your predetermined ideas.

O.J. Simpson Trial – The Bloody Evidence

To help illustrate this point, we are going to one of the most publicized trials in American history: O.J. Simpson for the murder of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman.  Below is some of the forensic evidence from the scene.

• OJ Simpson’s blood was found at the scene of the crime
  1. The odds that is was not Simpson’s blood: 1 in 170,000,000
• The blood of Ron Goldman, Nicole Brown, and O.J. Simpson were all found in O.J. Simpson’s Ford Bronco.
• The left glove found at the crime scene had the blood of Ron Goldman, Nicole Brown, and O.J. Simpson and matched the right glove found at O.J. Simpson’s house.
  1. There are photographs of O.J. wearing that brand and style of glove.
• The shoe prints found at the crime scene and in Simpson’s Bronco were a rare type of Bruno Magli shoe, size 12, which is exactly what O.J. owned.
  1. Only 299 of this brand and “model” of shoe were sold in the U.S.
• Nicole Brown’s blood was found on Simpson’s socks, which had about 20 stains of blood.  
  1. The blood was of a rare type that only one in 9.7 Billion caucasians would have.  Considering there aren’t that many caucasians in the world, Brown was likely the only caucasian alive with that blood.

NBC Survey 10 Years Later

• 77% thought Simpson was guilty…but!
• 87% of whites thought he was guilty but only 29% of blacks.
• Consider the worldview of black Americans.
  1. We have a long history of racial discrimination.
  2. Many have personally been subjected to discrimination.
  3. Many are taught to expect racial discrimination.
  4. Many blacks strongly hold the opinion the police officers and judges are racist.
• Black Americans looked at the evidence from their worldview and concluded the police had both the ability and motivation to create the evidence and frame the black O.J. Simpson.

I only want you to answer these two questions for yourself, no one else:

1. Based on the O.J. Simpson trial, which is obviously a stronger influence on our decisions: Our preconceive ideas, biases and desired outcomes, or any amount of evidence?
2. Do you have the courage to lay aside your preconceived ideas, biases, and desired outcomes etc. etc. and truly consider the possibility or God, or no god?

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