(September 14, 2012 at 6:32 am)Dumac Dwarfking Wrote:(September 14, 2012 at 6:13 am)greneknight Wrote: I agree with you. If you are not into the culture of Christianity, it would be wrong to expect you to practise the religion. That is why I always think it's wrong for people to preach their religion to others. Religion is so personal and it depends on so many factors such as family and culture. I can also understand how some people drop out of a religion. They feel that it's closely tied to the belief part. Most fundies in America work this way. The moment you grow out of the belief, they axe you. Or they'll tell you you're not a Christian so you're compelled to leave the church.
For my church, the religion is more in the practice than in the belief. It's more a cultural thing. Prince Charles obviously doesn't believe in God at all (I've read an article about this) but he will be crowned in Westminster Abbey by the Archbishop of Canterbury in a religious ritual and he will vow to defend the Church of England as the Defender of the Faith, etc. Nobody in my country will say, "Wait a minute! Charles doesn't believe!!!!"
Or as someone in a Christian forum once asked me - if I had said the Prayer of Sinners or something like that. It sounds ridiculous and I'm sure Prince Charles has not said such a prayer. As an altar boy, I know MANY prayers and collects but there is not one called by that funny name.
Atheism - The theory or belief that God does not exist.
If I want to practise Muslim rituals, I would still be an atheist. If I wanted to sacrifice animals to a God I know isn't there, I would still be an atheist. If I wanted to pray every night to him, worship him and learn about him, I would still be an atheist
Yes, there is a culture as well as a belief in Christianity, but you cannot adopt one without the other, ergo you are an atheist.
I know you're going to say that He's a metaphor, but you can't worship and pray to a metaphor, a metaphor has no sentience and will not hear you. Just because the culture floats your boat, doesn't make you a Christian.
I agree. By that definition, I am an atheist. But you see, that's not the definition my church accepts and I agree with them. You can ask my vicar. We have bishops and archbishops who have said a lot of things to show their absence of belief. I think the Archbishop of Canterbury ruled once that no priest should declare over the pulpit that God didn't exist because this would offend some parishioners and would cause unnecessary division. Why would he have to rule that unless there are priests who don't believe in God's existence. Our former Archbishop of York continued until his retirement to write papers against many church beliefs - virgin birth, historicity of Jesus. He gave a sermon once that Jesus never existed.
It's really a matter of definition. I agree I'd be an atheist by your definition. But I'm a devout and faithful Christian by the definition of my church.
