Can a person be both an atheist and a Christian?

stacymay · Mar 26, 2012

I don't think so. He may be on the path to becoming a Christian if he opens his heart to the spiritual side of things, but simply attending church for the sense of community is something anyone, even a non-Christian, can do. He may be a seeking atheist, but an atheist nonetheless. Interesting question, though, and far be it from me to say what's really in his heart.

God bless!

Albion · Mar 27, 2012

nt

.

ChristianRealist · Mar 28, 2012

Theofane · Mar 28, 2012

Can a person be both an atheist and a Christian?

No, but a person can maintain the pretense of one while secretly living as the other. This is of course a sham and requires a profoundly dishonest and self-deluded individual. It would be like a gay man passing himself off to the world as a straight man.

DennisTate · Apr 8, 2012

Interesting question!

Do a search online for Dogmatic Atheists Lack Mathematical Aptitude on blogspot and you will run into my idea that perhaps God is simply a being composed of fundamental energy who has in a sense evolved over infinite time by conducting a nearly infinite number of experiments.

The Cyclic Model of the Universe indicates that there may have been a nearly infinite number of Big Bang events in the past!

PraiseToAslan · Apr 8, 2012

I hear terms such as cultural Christian and secular Jew .... they are non-believers associating with people of faith - these terms are an oxymoron.

Aibrean · Apr 8, 2012

No. You can't have two masters.

Izdaari Eristikon · Apr 8, 2012

stacymay said:
I don't think so. He may be on the path to becoming a Christian if he opens his heart to the spiritual side of things, but simply attending church for the sense of community is something anyone, even a non-Christian, can do. He may be a seeking atheist, but an atheist nonetheless. Interesting question, though, and far be it from me to say what's really in his heart.

God bless!

This. I think a lot of atheists in church are seeking atheists. They may not believe, but there's something going on that draws them to want to believe. It may take years to work, but I give them credit for allowing it to.

As one Orthodox priest put it, when asked "What can one do when one finds it impossible to affirm certain tenets of the Creed?": "You just say it. Particularly when you have difficulty believing it. You just keep saying it. It will come to you eventually." (quoted from Amazing Grace, by Kathleen Norris (a book, not the hymn)).

And no, they aren't Christians yet. But something in them wants to be, so they keep coming. Don't push them away. Love them and pray for them.

Albion · Apr 8, 2012

Worldslaziestbusker said:
Hello everyone
I have a question about definitions. An acquaintance of mine does not believe in God, does not accept the divinity of Jesus Christ, and does not think of the crucifixion as his path to salvation. In short, he is an atheist, like me. We are different, however, in that he attends church and refers to himself as Christian, his argument for this being that he has respect for the cultural traditions, and enjoys the sense of community derived from being part of a congregation.
Is it possible to be an atheist Christian? Can you be Christian without Christ?

"No" to all of the above. It might be possible to describe oneself as an admirer of Christ, but not "Christian," which means, by definition, one who adheres to the perspective and beliefs of Christianity.

IsmailaGodHasHeard · Apr 27, 2012

No. Yeshua is the only way to be saved. John 14:6: Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me".

Worldslaziestbusker · Jun 22, 2012

Hello folks
The person mentioned in the OP has told me they regret leaving their ministry and that they would like, one day, to return to preaching. Would you feel comfortable receiving sermons from an overt atheist?
Matt

Albion · Jun 22, 2012

Worldslaziestbusker said:
Hello folks
The person mentioned in the OP has told me they regret leaving their ministry and that they would like, one day, to return to preaching. Would you feel comfortable receiving sermons from an overt atheist?
Matt

I do not respect anyone who stays in the ministry after he's ceased to believe the basic tenets of that church, but I'd respect them even less if they return to the ministry (assuming it's not a church that is explicitly non-theistic), merely because they are nostalgic for a "job" they had found enjoyable.

Izdaari Eristikon · Jun 22, 2012

Worldslaziestbusker said:
Hello folks
The person mentioned in the OP has told me they regret leaving their ministry and that they would like, one day, to return to preaching. Would you feel comfortable receiving sermons from an overt atheist?
Matt

It depends. I read Bishop Spong's books, and he's nearly that. But I don't read them as coming from a Christian, but as coming from a smart guy who knows a lot about Christianity.

I'd say that person would be ok preaching in a Unitarian Universalist church, where you can believe anything or nothing, but not in any theistic church.

Theofane · Jun 22, 2012

Worldslaziestbusker said:
Hello everyone
I have a question about definitions. An acquaintance of mine does not believe in God, does not accept the divinity of Jesus Christ, and does not think of the crucifixion as his path to salvation. In short, he is an atheist, like me. We are different, however, in that he attends church and refers to himself as Christian, his argument for this being that he has respect for the cultural traditions, and enjoys the sense of community derived from being part of a congregation.
Is it possible to be an atheist Christian? Can you be Christian without Christ?
Regards
WLB

Absolutely not.

But you can clothe youself in the goodness Christ when convenient.

Worldslaziestbusker · Jun 23, 2012

Izdaari said:
It depends. I read Bishop Spong's books, and he's nearly that. But I don't read them as coming from a Christian, but as coming from a smart guy who knows a lot about Christianity.

I'd say that person would be ok preaching in a Unitarian Universalist church, where you can believe anything or nothing, but not in any theistic church.

I've also read Spong and find him as much a fraud as I do my acquaintance.
I recently became aware of Death of God Theology, whose proponents claim they are the only true atheists because they believe God died on the cross and was not resurrected, hence the absence of miracles since that time. I don't think their claims are up to much.
I think atheist and Christian are mutually exclusive labels. While people like Dan Barker, the two clergy I know who no longer believe, and the people involved in the Clergy Project, are atheists at the point their no longer have faith that the supernatural aspects of Christianity are true, I also think they are frauds until they acknowledge their atheism and stop receiving payment for the religious leadership they were employed for.
Thanks for the responses.
Please, keep them coming.

Norah63 · Jun 23, 2012

They could call themselves what ever they want. Jesus knows his own.
No I would not want to hear that person preach.

Elias512 · Jul 6, 2012

Worldslaziestbusker said:
Is it possible to be an atheist Christian? Can you be Christian without Christ?

There are atheists that claim to follow the teaching of Christ better then a lot of Christians do.

Norah63 · Jul 26, 2012

Always looking for loopholes...... it's what the unregenerated soul does.

Albion · Jul 26, 2012

Elias512 said:
There are atheists that claim to follow the teaching of Christ better then a lot of Christians do.

Then in order to be a Christian, all that would be required is that one appreciate a part of what he taught, not all of it.

No matter what the religion, that's probably not adequate for being classified as a follower or adherent.

Worldslaziestbusker · Aug 2, 2012

there is nothing fraudulent about someone who holds no belief in the literal existence of any supernatural beings serving as a Christian Pastor.

Click to expand...

Really?

Yes, really! In fact, atheists make the best pastors, since they understand the nature, origin, and purpose of Christian mythology better than those who literalize that mythology.

Click to expand...

My correspondent seems to not know when to stop digging. Does anyone who identifies as a moderate Christian agree with either of their latest statements on this matter. I am particularly interested in hearing from members of the ELCA, which is the denomination in which he held a position.

Can a person be both an atheist and a Christian?

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