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I wouldn’t be a Christian
October 31, 2018 at 8:02 am
(This post was last modified: October 31, 2018 at 8:03 am by robvalue.)
I recently heard an atheist asked whether they’d be a Christian if they woke up one day and believed in Jesus, The Bible, and so on. They said yes they would, because a Christian is someone who believes those things to be true.
I’ve always stated I wouldn’t be a Christian, even if I became convinced that it contained truth. But perhaps this is a contradiction. By the above definition I’d be a Christian, but I would call the whole thing morally corrupt, and I’d want no part of it; just as I wouldn’t vote for the Tories, but I still accept they are real.
I expect this comes up so rarely that there’s not even a particular term for it. I’ve heard of maltheism in general, and that’s rare enough, without a belief that a specific religion is true to rebel against.
What would I be called?
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RE: I wouldn’t be a Christian
October 31, 2018 at 8:04 am
Mental?
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RE: I wouldn’t be a Christian
October 31, 2018 at 8:05 am
Lol well yes, if I did suddenly proclaim such beliefs, I would certainly advocate that I be taken in for psychological evaluation. My staunch scepticism would imply something was seriously wrong.
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RE: I wouldn’t be a Christian
October 31, 2018 at 8:08 am
'Christian-ish'?
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax
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RE: I wouldn’t be a Christian
October 31, 2018 at 8:12 am
(October 31, 2018 at 8:05 am)robvalue Wrote: Lol well yes, if I did suddenly proclaim such beliefs, I would certainly advocate that I be taken in for psychological evaluation. My staunch scepticism would imply something was seriously wrong.
Yup. Safe bet - those mushrooms on the pizza were NOT morell mushrooms, but something a bit more magical.....
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RE: I wouldn’t be a Christian
October 31, 2018 at 8:21 am
(October 31, 2018 at 8:12 am)onlinebiker Wrote: (October 31, 2018 at 8:05 am)robvalue Wrote: Lol well yes, if I did suddenly proclaim such beliefs, I would certainly advocate that I be taken in for psychological evaluation. My staunch scepticism would imply something was seriously wrong.
Yup. Safe bet - those mushrooms on the pizza were NOT morell mushrooms, but something a bit more magical.....
Fair point. I've always felt that St John the Divine was a victim of ergot poisoning.
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax
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RE: I wouldn’t be a Christian
October 31, 2018 at 8:25 am
There is still quite a distance between "I believe this god exists", and "I'm going to worship this god". I'd probably be a maltheist if the abrahamic god was proven to be real, and the bible was an accurate representation of his character. I don't really care if he's real or not. My main problem is the deity of the bible is evil. If you put a character like that in any other book, it would be incredibly hard to sell the guy as a good natured deity to a modern audience. Maybe it worked for more primitive cultures, but obviously humanity is trying its best to grow out of that kind of stuff, leaving such things behind.
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RE: I wouldn’t be a Christian
October 31, 2018 at 10:15 am
Wouldn't you be a heretic?
Side note: When I read the title immediately I hear the scarecrow from the wizard of oz. (If I only had a brain)
Being told you're delusional does not necessarily mean you're mental.
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RE: I wouldn’t be a Christian
October 31, 2018 at 10:52 am
(October 31, 2018 at 10:15 am)wyzas Wrote: Wouldn't you be a heretic?
Side note: When I read the title immediately I hear the scarecrow from the wizard of oz. (If I only had a brain)
I suppose yeah, I’d be a heretic. But don’t Christians and the like accuse other actual worshipping Christians of being heretics because they’re not doing it right?
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RE: I wouldn’t be a Christian
October 31, 2018 at 10:54 am
(This post was last modified: October 31, 2018 at 10:58 am by The Grand Nudger.)
(October 31, 2018 at 8:02 am)robvalue Wrote: I recently heard an atheist asked whether they’d be a Christian if they woke up one day and believed in Jesus, The Bible, and so on. They said yes they would, because a Christian is someone who believes those things to be true.
I’ve always stated I wouldn’t be a Christian, even if I became convinced that it contained truth. But perhaps this is a contradiction. By the above definition I’d be a Christian, but I would call the whole thing morally corrupt, and I’d want no part of it; just as I wouldn’t vote for the Tories, but I still accept they are real.
I expect this comes up so rarely that there’s not even a particular term for it. I’ve heard of maltheism in general, and that’s rare enough, without a belief that a specific religion is true to rebel against.
What would I be called?
............an anti-theist. Today, at least, but on that day that you woke up believing you would be a maltheist, yeah. Believing in gods and demi gods doesn't actually make you part of someone else's religion - it doesn't make you christian. You reject their beliefs and acceptence regarding -christ- ( title, not the guys last name), and would continue to do so even if you believed that he was a real demi god.
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