Christian Atheism

[Iosias]

"Non-realism"? I don't understand what you mean. Please explain.

Try The Non-Realism of Don Cupitt

 

[Ripheus27]

After some reflection on my own religious experiences, I came to the conclusion that when I "felt the Spirit," what was really happening was that a module in my subconscious, programmed by evolution as it were, was activating, and this module "presented" to my conscious mind in the form of a person arguing and feeling with and through me. Due to the presumed universality of this module (or at least an even higher-level/deeper "program" that instantiated in me as the Holy Spirit due to my cultural background), I thought of this "person" as transcending me, as partly objective (like there's a line somewhere in the code that says "when you meet someone else for whom the same module is active, you must reconcile your module's outputs with his or hers" instead of stubbornly insisting that "ONLY MY WAY SAVES, THE REST OF YOU ARE HERETICS AND HEATHENS!!!), but not enough to exactly count as the literal Creator.

 

[keith99]

So what's "Christian" about it? The basic philosophical platitudes of Christ are not unique to Him.

Oh some are. But all that I can think of are excluded from this kind of thinking. (e.g. "None come to the Father save through me").

So I think we basically agree. If we strip away the parts that are (at least somewhat uniquely) Christian and are left with pretty much only platitudes taught at our mothers' knees (Bonus points if you guess what Christian writer I'm paraphrasing) then what is left to give the label?

 

[drjean]

The consistent hijacking of the term of "Christian" is just one of Satan's final straws of desperation. While Christianity is not a religion, an analogy of saying one is, for example, a Presbyterian, yet not subscribing to all what a Presbyterian believes constitutes spiritual fraud imo.

 

[Eudaimonist]

After some reflection on my own religious experiences, I came to the conclusion that when I "felt the Spirit," what was really happening was that a module in my subconscious, programmed by evolution as it were, was activating, and this module "presented" to my conscious mind in the form of a person arguing and feeling with and through me.

That's my speculation on the matter. This module is probably somewhat "programmable" by reading holy texts. Writers of such texts had figured out (perhaps accidentally through trial and error) how to write in such a way as to appeal to that module, and strengthen it.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[TheBeardedDude]

That's my speculation on the matter. This module is probably somewhat "programmable" by reading holy texts. Writers of such texts had figured out (perhaps accidentally through trial and error) how to write in such a way as to appeal to that module, and strengthen it.


eudaimonia,

Mark

That is an awesome comic. Ah, the stuff of urban legends made into fact.

 

[Paradoxum]

The consistent hijacking of the term of "Christian" is just one of Satan's final straws of desperation. While Christianity is not a religion, an analogy of saying one is, for example, a Presbyterian, yet not subscribing to all what a Presbyterian believes constitutes spiritual fraud imo.

Why is it always Satan? Sometimes people do or saying things because that's just how people are. There isn't always some evil force behind it. It make normal psychological sense that people might use the word 'Christian' in this way, without any evil motive behind it.

 

[Ripheus27]

Why is it always Satan? Sometimes people just do or saying things because that's just how people are. There isn't always some evil force behind it. It make normal psychological sense that people might use the word 'Christian' in this way, without any evil motive behind it.

Satan made you say this.

 

[bhsmte]

Why is it always Satan? Sometimes people just do or saying things because that's just how people are. There isn't always some evil force behind it. It make normal psychological sense that people might use the word 'Christian' in this way, without any evil motive behind it.

When in doubt, blame it on satan.

 

[keith99]

When in doubt, blame it on satan.

But of course. We always blame their side, not our side. And what is satan if not the other side?

 

[bhsmte]

But of course. We always blame their side, not our side. And what is satan if not the other side?

Hey, I didn't come up with satan.

 

[variant]

I can not help but wonder why these particular atheists are so desperate to create a religious belief system.

Why does anyone?

 

[variant]

I don't understand why atheists would use the word 'God' if they don't believe in a 'being' called God.

It seems unnecessarily vague and magical. Why not simply talk about highest values?

Seems lazy and nostalgic to me.

What I saw as the best parts of my former Christianity came with me when I became an Atheist, but to call myself a Christian would just be silly.

I guess it's just hard for some people to really be responcable for their own morality, metaphysics, and epistemology.

 

[Paradoxum]

Seems lazy and nostalgic to me.

What I saw as the best parts of my former Christianity came with me when I became an Atheist, but to call myself a Christian would just be silly.

I guess it's just hard for some people to really be responcable for their own morality, metaphysics, and epistemology.

I can understand the nostalgic element of it. I really loved my time as a Christian, and I can still find meaning and value in some bits of the Bible, the cross, and the idea of God. The tradition can feel more meaningful because it is one's own tradition. It would just feel fake to me, to try to continue on in that though.

Personally, I think it's better to create new 'non-religious' ways to meaning and community.

 

[variant]

I can understand the nostalgic element of it. I really loved my time as a Christian, and I can still find meaning and value in some bits of the Bible, the cross, and the idea of God. The tradition can feel more meaningful because it is one's own tradition. It would just feel fake to me, to try to continue on in that though.

Personally, I think it's better to create new 'non-religious' ways to meaning and community.

Well lots of people require ritual, and they just feel silly when you make them up themselves.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

Well I suppose from another angle that atheism in a 'Christian country' may have more freedoms and potentialities than in a non-Christian country, depending on which church is in charge. In Buddhism there is talk of a precious human life where the dharma is allowed, taught, and also flourishes. The idea is to rejoice at our empowerments and liberties given a certain cultural climate. Insofar as non-theistic science and philosophy is allowed we are probably quite lucky.

 

[Pragmatix]

I can understand the nostalgic element of it. I really loved my time as a Christian, and I can still find meaning and value in some bits of the Bible, the cross, and the idea of God. The tradition can feel more meaningful because it is one's own tradition. It would just feel fake to me, to try to continue on in that though.

Personally, I think it's better to create new 'non-religious' ways to meaning and community.

I'm a Christian atheist (cultural Christian/non-realistic Christian). Having the church there, just down the road, with services ready to attend is convenient. The identity of being a Christian is convenient. These "new 'non-religious' ways to community and meaning" simply don't exist. We have to make the best of what's available. The culture is the main thing with religion imo - the orthopraxy - the behavioural instruction and tradition and ritual. The "existential beliefs" - ie, the invisible bit which doesn't actually do anything, is the secondary or even unnecessary part of religion IMO. To abandon cultural Christianity simply because one does not believe in a supernatural intelligence or miracles would be akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

 

[Tinker Grey]

@Pragmatix, Why not just have a cultural atheism so that there is no need for some cultural religion?

 

[SkyWriting]

Helpful stuff from the BBC:


BBC - Religion - Atheism: Types - Christian Atheism

Did somebody find life elsewhere besides our planet?
Really? Or is it just talk.

 

[lesliedellow]

Whether they want to call themselves atheists or not, that is what they are, and they could at least be honest about it.