Do you believe in talking birds?
Yes, African greys can actually learn to talk to a limited extent, rather than just mimic. Also bird songs carry a LOT of information.
Do you think porpoises speak to each other? How about whales?
Yes and yes, in whale-speak. Obviously they're not going to speak a language that they don't have the equipment for nor one they haven't been exposed to.
Do dogs communicate to each other?
Yes, in body language and vocalization.
Do you think they understand English words?
Yes, to a very limited extent. You can use just about any word you like for a command or event, but they will learn to associate that word with what they're supposed to do or what's about to happen.
Have you ever spoken to a dog?
Hasn't anyone who's lived with or taken care of a dog? They don't speak back a lot, however, except in body language.
Has a dog or cat ever "told" you that it was hungry?
Sure. But not in English, in dog or cat language or body language.
Have you ever heard of dogs warning their owners of a fire in their home?
Sure, it's a pack behavior to make sure your companions know about imminent danger.
Why then is your mind so closed to the possibility that an animal could communicate with humans?
Because animals do not communicate with humans in their own language, except for African grey parrots (after many years of exposure to humans), and African grey parrots are not going to try to 'deceive' you into doing something that will endanger your immortal soul (assuming it exists, that is), it can only deceive you into doing something it has been exposed to through you (like hiding some sort of food and asking for more as if someone stole it).
It seems that the atheist mind is open to anything as long as it’s not in the Bible.
If there's evidence for it, even if it's in the Bible, I'm open. If there's not evidence for it, even if it's NOT in the Bible, I'm NOT going to be open to it. There's a huge qualitative difference between the "talking snake" in Genesis and all the examples you cited (especially since "snakes", which is an interpretation of the word serpent, which may (or may not) be a misunderstanding of the word in the original language, are not at all equipped for vocal communication except hissing which is forced exhalation).
