As previously remarked, it is very very quiet round here these days. Sorry for that, but we're all pretty busy, and I don't kid myself that there are thousands of people eagerly awaiting my next comment on any particular subject.
However, there IS a Facebook group, and you're very welcome to head over there and see if anything tickles your fancy: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christian-Atheism-in-Action/128248970561284
I'm always keen to hear from you, my fine friends, as to how you see Christian Atheism working out in practice. Are you a church goer? Have you pretty much given up on church, but still see yourself as Christian? Or maybe you are an out-and-out atheist who feels that Christianity in particular, as well as Religion in general, are Bad Things that need opposed rather than exapted for humanistic purposes? Maybe you're a Theistic Christian who feels that we're all hellbound heretics, and how dare we assume the label "Christian" for an atheistic humanistic worldview that seeks to express itself via the Christian narrative (as others will express theirs through an Islamic, Jewish, Egyptian, Buddhist etc narrative)?
As quiet as Mars here...?
Thanks for sticking with this, those of you who are still around! As you'll have noticed, things have been a little quiet around here lately. I hope to get some more material up fairly shortly - no shortage of good ideas, but you know the typical quandary of things failing between neuron and keyboard...
Anyway, here is a little song I wrote about Mars exploration - I hope you like it:
The justification for putting this on here is that when I was a theistic Christian I did sometimes wonder what the vanilla "traditional" Christianity should make of interplanetary travel and colonisation. Would the Rapture on Earth happen at the same time as on other planets? Would other planets be "unfallen" (as C.S. Lewis mused in the "Out of the Silent Planet" fantasy trilogy)? Indeed, could we see the effects of the Fall, as the wavefront of sin impacted on them? Is the Speed of Sin the same as the speed of light?
Looking back from the perspective of the Christian Atheist, this all seems rather silly. But, as I hint in the song, the trail of our footprints leads back to the Turkana clay, and some day we'll have to decide whether we are simply Children of the Earth or Children of the Stars.
Groovy, baby.
Anyway, here is a little song I wrote about Mars exploration - I hope you like it:
The justification for putting this on here is that when I was a theistic Christian I did sometimes wonder what the vanilla "traditional" Christianity should make of interplanetary travel and colonisation. Would the Rapture on Earth happen at the same time as on other planets? Would other planets be "unfallen" (as C.S. Lewis mused in the "Out of the Silent Planet" fantasy trilogy)? Indeed, could we see the effects of the Fall, as the wavefront of sin impacted on them? Is the Speed of Sin the same as the speed of light?
Looking back from the perspective of the Christian Atheist, this all seems rather silly. But, as I hint in the song, the trail of our footprints leads back to the Turkana clay, and some day we'll have to decide whether we are simply Children of the Earth or Children of the Stars.
Groovy, baby.
Name change
OK, after the consultation (thanks, all!) I have decided to change the name from "Church of Jesus Christ Atheist" to "Christian Atheism in Action" (not "inaction"). The new URL for the blog is christian-atheist.blogspot.com (yes, it has a hyphen - sorry about that).
One problem with the "Church" label was that it gave the impression that we were trying to start a denomination. That would be totally against the core concept of the Christianity Compatibility Layer. Another problem was that it juxtaposed "Jesus Christ" with "Atheist" too soon in the game, and I think potentially alienated part of the audience who really need to get a wee bit deeper into the thinking before deciding whether to switch off.
So let me know what you think - is there a better title? Are there other blogs or websites doing a similar thing to this? Are there useful links you can suggest? Is the concept fundamentally flawed, or is there a better way of getting atheists and believers alike to snuggle cosily together under the banner of "Christian" (in the same way as I hope they can do for Judaism and Islam)?
One problem with the "Church" label was that it gave the impression that we were trying to start a denomination. That would be totally against the core concept of the Christianity Compatibility Layer. Another problem was that it juxtaposed "Jesus Christ" with "Atheist" too soon in the game, and I think potentially alienated part of the audience who really need to get a wee bit deeper into the thinking before deciding whether to switch off.
So let me know what you think - is there a better title? Are there other blogs or websites doing a similar thing to this? Are there useful links you can suggest? Is the concept fundamentally flawed, or is there a better way of getting atheists and believers alike to snuggle cosily together under the banner of "Christian" (in the same way as I hope they can do for Judaism and Islam)?
Alienation or Illumination?
It has come to my attention (i.e. I've been collared by one of my nearest and dearest) that the title of this blog, "Church of Jesus Christ Atheist" might be somewhat alienating or even offensive to some Christians, or even to some Atheists. Perhaps the juxtaposition of Jesus Christ and Atheism is too much for some (despite the very deliberate device in the gospels of Matthew and Mark that suggest that Jesus cried out on the cross "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?").
Whether we like it or not (and I don't - just to make that clear), many Christians and Atheists regard the "other side" with a degree of disdain, suspicion, or even outright hostility, so that putting Jesus Christ together with Atheist might raise a few eyebrows.
My intent in the name was to indeed raise the eyebrows, but not to put people off; rather, I wanted them to read further, to see whether the distinction was as sharp as it is often made out. I would contend that already many people who see themselves as Christian, and unapologetically so, do not believe that the bible records absolutely accurate accounts of past events, do not believe the stories of miracles represent true records of real events, do not believe that Jesus was divine, born of a virgin, or rose from the dead, and don't even believe in God (at least not in the "conventional" way).
So enough preamble. It's over to you folks now: should I change the name of this blog, and if so, what should I change it to? Bear in mind the stated purpose of the blog - to develop a Christianity Compatibility Layer for Atheists. Some ideas for starters:
Opinions welcome below in the comments section. Thanks in advance!
Whether we like it or not (and I don't - just to make that clear), many Christians and Atheists regard the "other side" with a degree of disdain, suspicion, or even outright hostility, so that putting Jesus Christ together with Atheist might raise a few eyebrows.
My intent in the name was to indeed raise the eyebrows, but not to put people off; rather, I wanted them to read further, to see whether the distinction was as sharp as it is often made out. I would contend that already many people who see themselves as Christian, and unapologetically so, do not believe that the bible records absolutely accurate accounts of past events, do not believe the stories of miracles represent true records of real events, do not believe that Jesus was divine, born of a virgin, or rose from the dead, and don't even believe in God (at least not in the "conventional" way).
So enough preamble. It's over to you folks now: should I change the name of this blog, and if so, what should I change it to? Bear in mind the stated purpose of the blog - to develop a Christianity Compatibility Layer for Atheists. Some ideas for starters:
- "Christian Atheist Understanding"
- "Tolerating Difference"
- "What is Truth?"
Opinions welcome below in the comments section. Thanks in advance!
A Christian Atheist response to the #Brady scandal
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| [Image source: BBC] |
This has prompted a huge wave of outrage in Ireland, much of it (rightly) directed towards the Catholic Church itself, whose archaic procedures left it effectively legally and morally rudderless, where defence of the Church itself was seen as more important than the protection of little children. Jesus himself had something to say about that, but I don't see the Vatican or the Irish Church hierarchy queuing up to be fitted for their millstones.
But as Christian Atheists, whether Catholic, Protestant or other, what should we take from this sordid affair?
My own view is that we need to learn the lessons - no organisation or structure has the right to decide for itself to deal with criminal matters purely through its own procedures. People collusive in such procedures - which effectively amount to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice - need to examine their consciences, and offer their resignations, even if only to show some degree of contrition. Children need to be protected at all times.
Although writing from an unashamedly Atheist position, I do not feel that religion per se is the great social evil that some Atheists make it out to be. The evil is unchallengeable belief. The arrogance that will see Brady fall (inevitably) derives from an unshakeable belief in his own superiority, and a view that the church can do no wrong. The complete absence of humility is staggering in its extent, but perhaps not surprising, given the attitude of the Roman Catholic Church to those who break ranks (Father Brian D'Arcy being the most prominent and commendable example).
Should Christians leave the Catholic Church for a different church? I can't say. But Christian Atheists should at least make their voice heard on this and other issues. We do not lack a moral compass, as some detractors would imply. On the contrary, we base our dealings with our fellow humans on that Great Commandment (a short sharp Humanist manifesto if ever there was one) to love our neighbour as ourselves. The irony is that the priest and Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan were obeying their religious orders not to touch a wounded person. Yet in following orders, in putting their religious structures and procedures above the act of helping a fellow human being in dire distress, we quite rightly regard them as ghastly hypocrites. And so we should regard Brady. And indeed, so we should regard ourselves when we look back over our lives at the times when we have just followed orders, and left someone to suffer.
Sometimes the best way to show leadership is to resign. In clinging to the ever-more sweaty and sordid reins of power, Brady is putting himself above the victims of his own inexcusable inaction.
The Meaning of Easter
Here's David Rattigan on the topic of how a non-theist can find meaning in the Easter narrative - I think the same probably holds true for Christianity in general. My experience is that there are many Christians (perhaps as high as 15%) who do not believe in God, but for whom their church and the Christian life form a vehicle through which they prefer to see the world (or in which they feel trapped - a somewhat sad, but common enough situation).
I'll go further. For too long Atheists and Agnostics have been excluded from the dialogues that shape Christianity as a religion. It is an evolutionary process, and we are shutting ourselves out of the memepool. As long-time readers of CJCA will know (both of you), there are at least some of us who feel that although Christianity (or any religion) is not "true" in the literal / scientific / historical sense, we remain human animals, with a need (or weakness for) an overarching narrative upon which to pin the various events and processes in our lives. For many people Christianity fulfils this purpose, even though it isn't "real". Similarly for others Islam or Judaism or Buddhism do the trick. But why should we non-theist Christians sit back and let the agenda be set by "believers"?
Should we not have the courage of our convictions - that Jesus died, the resurrection is a legend, that Christians got so much wrong, but that there is a core of a story here that tells us a little about us as a species or a society - and use those convictions to create space for a secular Christian Atheistic viewpoint? A viewpoint that is based on equality, on doing good for others, on promoting tolerance while encouraging open and frank debate?
OK, I'm rambling now, and the evening wine is kicking in, but as we emerge into Easter Sunday, perhaps it's time that Christian Atheism had its own little resurrection, and became seen as a player - albeit a small one - in the grand scheme of things. I'd appreciate any comments (as always!)...
I'll go further. For too long Atheists and Agnostics have been excluded from the dialogues that shape Christianity as a religion. It is an evolutionary process, and we are shutting ourselves out of the memepool. As long-time readers of CJCA will know (both of you), there are at least some of us who feel that although Christianity (or any religion) is not "true" in the literal / scientific / historical sense, we remain human animals, with a need (or weakness for) an overarching narrative upon which to pin the various events and processes in our lives. For many people Christianity fulfils this purpose, even though it isn't "real". Similarly for others Islam or Judaism or Buddhism do the trick. But why should we non-theist Christians sit back and let the agenda be set by "believers"?
Should we not have the courage of our convictions - that Jesus died, the resurrection is a legend, that Christians got so much wrong, but that there is a core of a story here that tells us a little about us as a species or a society - and use those convictions to create space for a secular Christian Atheistic viewpoint? A viewpoint that is based on equality, on doing good for others, on promoting tolerance while encouraging open and frank debate?
OK, I'm rambling now, and the evening wine is kicking in, but as we emerge into Easter Sunday, perhaps it's time that Christian Atheism had its own little resurrection, and became seen as a player - albeit a small one - in the grand scheme of things. I'd appreciate any comments (as always!)...
The Bible is full of nasty bits!
Some Christian apologists take the view that God is perfectly moral, and would never resort to the sort of evil that incorporates practices like slavery or genocide. The Old Testament fairly resounds with pretty horrible stuff, including the genocide of the Amalekites, including infants and small children. On other occasions we hear how everyone is to be killed except virgins of shaggable age (over 11 in the Ancient Near East), who can be taken as concubines. Such atrocities are committed with the express sanction and command of The Lord.
Now leaving aside the questionable historicity of many of these episodes, we're still left with a bit of a problem if we want to rescue God and Christianity from accusations of rather poor ethics. Theistic Apologist Paul Copan has written a book "Is God A Moral Monster?", and of course comes down on the point that no, God is very much not a moral monster, but is profoundly moral. The Amalekites deserved it, and anyway it wasn't as bad as all that. His points are refuted entirely (and laboriously) by the indefatigable Thomas Stark - quite a task!
But be that all as it may - how should Atheistic Christians respond to the horrible genocides, human trafficking, slavery and rape ordered by God? We can hardly make excuses for the behaviour, nor can we suggest with our modern ethical humanist heads on that this was anything other than appalling abuse. We are wiser now. We do have better ethical standards. But what can we do? How can we remain within the Christian tradition and condemn the god of our ancestors?
Well, there are a couple of points. First, it does have to be condemned. The God of the Old Testament (and indeed the New Testament) is indeed a "moral monster". The abstraction we created seems to be all too capable of getting out of control, and leading us into evil that we can somehow resolve into "good". The priest and the Levite walking past the injured man on the road to Jericho similarly can justify their actions based on their idea of divine command. But those options are not available to the Christian Atheist. We can't change the past, and we can't wash our hands of it either.
These episodes in our past and in our bibles serve to show what can happen if dogma is taken to be proscriptive. If we invest our energies in following divine or earthly authority, we are setting ourselves up to becoming moral monsters. We need to recognise the mistakes and evils of the past as mistakes and evils, and ensure that we really do practice the most important thing Jesus ever said: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Now leaving aside the questionable historicity of many of these episodes, we're still left with a bit of a problem if we want to rescue God and Christianity from accusations of rather poor ethics. Theistic Apologist Paul Copan has written a book "Is God A Moral Monster?", and of course comes down on the point that no, God is very much not a moral monster, but is profoundly moral. The Amalekites deserved it, and anyway it wasn't as bad as all that. His points are refuted entirely (and laboriously) by the indefatigable Thomas Stark - quite a task!
But be that all as it may - how should Atheistic Christians respond to the horrible genocides, human trafficking, slavery and rape ordered by God? We can hardly make excuses for the behaviour, nor can we suggest with our modern ethical humanist heads on that this was anything other than appalling abuse. We are wiser now. We do have better ethical standards. But what can we do? How can we remain within the Christian tradition and condemn the god of our ancestors?
Well, there are a couple of points. First, it does have to be condemned. The God of the Old Testament (and indeed the New Testament) is indeed a "moral monster". The abstraction we created seems to be all too capable of getting out of control, and leading us into evil that we can somehow resolve into "good". The priest and the Levite walking past the injured man on the road to Jericho similarly can justify their actions based on their idea of divine command. But those options are not available to the Christian Atheist. We can't change the past, and we can't wash our hands of it either.
These episodes in our past and in our bibles serve to show what can happen if dogma is taken to be proscriptive. If we invest our energies in following divine or earthly authority, we are setting ourselves up to becoming moral monsters. We need to recognise the mistakes and evils of the past as mistakes and evils, and ensure that we really do practice the most important thing Jesus ever said: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
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