Can one be a Christian without being a theist, whilst asserting that God 'is'? [open]

[Abiel]

Reza Aslan said that science does not disprove spirituality, but rather it gives new language with which to describe the spiritual.

Would you like to share some of this language with us?

 

[Adammi]

What a Christian would describe as a mystical experience with God in prayer, a scientist would call a chemical imbalance in the brain.
In this instance "a chemical imbalance in the brain" is just a different way to say "a mystical experience with God in prayer".

 

[Abiel]

But 'imbalance' sound bad. I take drugs for my 'imbalance'.

 

[Adammi]

But 'imbalance' sound bad. I take drugs for my 'imbalance'.

True, but I'm just quoting Aslan (The Muslim author, not the lion).

 

[UberLutheran]

(which post were you referring to?)

Oh, details, details...

I was referring to the OP.


It's kind of difficult for me to imagine Christianity without theism, but I would think one could (at least theoretically) pull it off as a Deist.

 

[Im_A]

Oh, details, details...

I was referring to the OP.


It's kind of difficult for me to imagine Christianity without theism, but I would think one could (at least theoretically) pull it off as a Deist.

one way i look at it is, akin to the Protestant Reformation.

Christianity evolving with the mentality of the modern day of that time.

now i will say this tho. this is a huge change, one that seems impossible. but it seems to me, this is just a movement coming about still finding and searching for the Divine when we have advanced so much with philosophy and theology.

and just as people had problems with the Protestant Reformation because everything it was leaveing out, now people are having problems with this because of the hodge podge of creeds now (i wasn't meaning you uber )

 

[B®ent]

and just as people had problems with the Protestant Reformation because everything it was leaveing out, now people are having problems with this because of the hodge podge of creeds now (i wasn't meaning you uber )

Yeah...but nowadays people aren't burnt at the stake.

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

Reza Aslan said that science does not disprove spirituality, but rather it gives new language with which to describe the spiritual.

Awesome! I wholeheartedly concur.

Who's Reza Aslan?

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

What a Christian would describe as a mystical experience with God in prayer, a scientist would call a chemical imbalance in the brain.
In this instance "a chemical imbalance in the brain" is just a different way to say "a mystical experience with God in prayer".

No. This I do NOT agree with; it is going back to reductionism.

First of all there simply is no way to prove that a mystical experience with God equates with a chemical imbalance in the brain.

Second, chemical imbalances in the brain are the foundation of what we typically refer to as "mental" illness (something of a misnomer, but that's another discuss for another day)... thus stating that an encounter with God in prayer is equivalent to a mental illness? Ermmm, I don't think so.

Third let us say for sake of argument it can be demonstrated that an encounter with God in prayer produces a chemical CHANGE in the brain (not imbalance). So what? So do many life-impacting events. That does NOT mean said chemical change IS the sum-total of the experience which produced it.

To me the notion of science (and mathematics) being another language to describe spirituality is more like when knowledge of the former grants us insights into the nature of the latter -- NOT when we employ terms of the former as a means of reductionism upon the latter. Two VERY different animals, there. It's "on earth AS IT IS in Heaven" -- not "on earth alone; there is no heaven".

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

Yeah...but nowadays people aren't burnt at the stake.

So you say.

 

[B®ent]

So you say.

Um...I could be wrong. I simply haven't heard of it happening. Can you provide an example?

 

[Abiel]

http://www.christianpersecution.info/

http://opendoorsuk.org.uk/

I'm sure you will find something in these. I have read reports on crucifixions for sure. And houses and churches being burned with Christians inside.

One charmer was in Burma- parents having their babies taken away and told to recant their faith as they watched their babies have guns held to their heads. Guns the great equaliser.

Anyway that was off topic.

 

[B®ent]

Abiel,

I was referring to the western "Christian" world.

 

[Abiel]

one of the crucifixtions happened in Scotland- the victim survived. We must never take our God given safety for granted.

 

[Kaonashi]

Do those who disagree that one cannot be a Christian without being a theist also still view God as an elderly man up in heaven who will strike you dead with lightning if you sin?

 

[chaz345]

I came across a book in the library about atheist Christians. I didn't read it, but I guess those would be people who admire and/or follow Jesus' example and teachings without believing him to be God, or indeed without believing there to be any God.

In my online travels I have encountered such a person. In terms of acting in a Christlike manner, he is far more consistant than almost anyone else I have ever encountered online.

 

[Abiel]

However- this isn't about there being no God. I think it is about how our current ways of expressing ideas about who God is are somewhat lacking

 

[chaz345]

However- this isn't about there being no God. I think it is about how our current ways of expressing ideas about who God is are somewhat lacking

I think the real issue is that our ideas of God will always be lacking because He is so totally beyond comprehension. We simply have no frame of reference. Our ideas will always be woefully incomplete. The best we can ever hope for is that our ideas do not disagree with the reality.

 

[Abiel]

I think the real issue is that our ideas of God will always be lacking because He is so totally beyond comprehension. We simply have no frame of reference. Our ideas will always be woefully incomplete. The best we can ever hope for is that our ideas do not disagree with the reality.

I agree.

But it seems unsatisfactory to end up with 'God is big. Really really big.'

 

[Adammi]

I think the real issue is that our ideas of God will always be lacking because He is so totally beyond comprehension. We simply have no frame of reference. Our ideas will always be woefully incomplete. The best we can ever hope for is that our ideas do not disagree with the reality.