"Being open minded is merely the willingness to consider evidence, not the willingness to accept claims without any."

[cetusnews.com]

I would start with defining the term. [dictionary.com] This may redirect the group to a better focus and elimanate the wildcards.

Great point. My way of thinking is to try my best to challenge and confront all of my ideas beliefs and opinions in the most honest way possible, by following the process we call science. ie. ask the question without bias or prejudice, make sure the evidence you are looking at stands up to scrutiny. Look to get the claims verified by more than one person. Also, see who is arguing against this evidence, what arguments do they have? Is there evidence better? For me this is what science is (or atleast a significant part of it)

Without the scientific method all you have left is your own imagination (religion, superstition, astrology, conspiracy theories, and supernatural beliefs). Like you say Its a case of just pick whatever you want to believe. This is not a free thinker in my mind either

...brings to mind my friend telling me that the government is putting vapor trails in the sky near her house, for some devious reason! I reminded her that she lives near an airforce base and it is probably the vapor trails...yes, 'freethinking' can be taken out of context!

If they are portraying as fact that which is not, then we don't need to tolerate their ideas at all. My two favourite lines on the topic are:

"In the presence of evidence, the opposite of an open mind is not a closed mind, but an informed one"

and

"The danger of a fully opened mind is that anything can fall in"

Open mindedness needs to ride shotgun with a no nonesense mindset. Stoopid is stoopid and shouldn't be entertained or coddled

I'd say challenge them to come up with a factual basis for what they espouse, and don't allow any circular logic. And if they can make a case, take it from there.

It's very pointless engaging people like this, because even when they present evidence, they do not seem to understand the scientific method well enough to understand how the vetting process works. At the root of it, their theories are held together by some form of wild ass conspiracy which does not hold water.

It is a freethinker website lol.

Let us hope that free -thinking does not devolve into superstition, ignorance, and irrationality.