if a person doesn't believe in God as an actual person looking down and controlling stuff, but believes in the morals, and values taught through the stories and teachings of religion..is that person an athiest? like if a person is christian, and doesn't believe that adam and eve were real and that God created the earth in 7 days, but reads the Bible and goes to church for the sole purpose of tradition and the upholding of values and morals?
2006-11-20 14:28:04 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
umm...i'm not saying that the person is christian necessarily, i just used that as an example..
2006-11-21 10:21:18 · update #1
I think it would be more appropriate to call that person an agnostic, one who is not certain that God exists but is open to the moral code of the faith. Tradition, theology, ideas and behavior are different things. One may find value in one but not another.
2006-11-20 18:51:25 · answer #1 · answered by skepsis 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
An atheist is someone who does not believe in God, period. A Christian, in order to truly be a Christian, believes that Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, died for our sins--that is the definition of Christian......Christ....ian...
It's great to be moral and have good values, but going to church alone does not qualify as being Christian. The Bible clearly states: I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one goes to the Father but by Me. (Jesus speaking)
Jesus does NOT say--I am one of many good ways to get to heaven. It might seem unfair, but it is what God told us.
It's like anything in life - almost is not good enough
2006-11-20 22:39:47 · answer #2 · answered by chris 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well if they go to church but only believe in "tradition and values" but not god, I'd say they are confused! They should realize that you dont have to believe in religious stuff to act with compassion and have morals, so why waste time with church?
By the way, what does tradition have to do with values? the America of yesterday included slavery, genocide, child labor, oppresion of women, racial segregation, and destruction of wildlife. I dont see any morality in any of that.
2006-11-20 22:32:15 · answer #3 · answered by Phil S 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The definition of a “Christian” is not static one. The people here quoting the born-again 4 PowerPoint Plan of salvation have a right to their opinion, but they are almost claiming there were no Christians from the death of Jesus to the 1800’s! Early Christianity was not defined by an intricate narrowly defined set of doctrines, because those doctrines simply did not exist yet. It was defined by a *community* built around a *story*, for the purpose of helping each other to live in the way Jesus had taught – one of its names was “the Way” not “the Beliefs.”
Do not buy that you have to work at twisting your mind around anything in order to be a Christian! Christianity is about opening your heart, not closing your mind. It does take work, but that work is prying open your heart to care for someone you consider “unworthy” because everyone is worthy to God, not screwing closed your mind to accept an Earth younger than geology says it is. In comparing the two, doesn’t making Christianity about the second one seem…well…shallow? Really, pathetically shallow?
Jesus taught that the *entire* law was summed up in “love God and love your neighbor.” But that does require more than wanting traditional morals and values. Jesus spent a lot of his time preaching against the “traditional” beliefs of his day. Much of what he said was “The Bible says this, but I say something completely contradictory”! But neither was he a “do whatever you want” person either. He portrayed someone who chose a path of searching for truth and living by compassion. That is not an easier path than the PowerPoint Plan of Salvation – that is a far harder one. It requires that as you search for truth you evaluate yourself and ask, “Do I believe this because it is easy? Convenient? Comfortable? Familiar? Less scary? Simpler? Benefits me in some way? Is what I was taught? Or do I believe it because, having committed myself to being a person who seeks truth and lives compassionately, and practiced that commitment in my life with the help of my community, it has something of a taste of truth in it?”
So I would say that going to church for tradition and upholding traditional values alone is not a reason to consider oneself a Christian. But if they go because they really want to live a life following the example of Jesus, and they want to incorporate it into every aspect of their life, and they know that being in a community of people with the same goal and the same respect for Jesus will help them, and worship will help them to slow down and experience that greater “Something Other” that shone through so enticingly in Jesus, they certainly seem like Christians to me.
2006-11-21 00:20:10 · answer #4 · answered by LibChristian 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Jesus said in the bible , that you are ether for him or against him. There is no 1/2 way for any of us. You sound like a good person, but miss led. You need to read the bible for your self. You need not to hear what all these people are saying and know what they are taking about. You see Jesus is love. Jesus loves you and has even before you was born. Jesus will forgive you for all your sins. You can know in your heart if you die you will go to heaven. Ask The Lord in Jesus name to come into your heart and in time you will see. The Lord will start touching you and talking to you as he does me. May the Lord bless you and go with you..
2006-11-20 22:52:47 · answer #5 · answered by ldp999000 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A "Christian" is someone who has a relationship with Jesus Christ. They believe He lived, died on a cross to save us from sin, and rose again three days later. A Christian desires to be like Jesus.
Not believing things in the Bible that have absolutely nothing to do with following Jesus may not effect salvation at all. I don't know - I'm not God. But I do know that in order to be "saved" we have to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
2006-11-20 22:35:36 · answer #6 · answered by Bridget 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I would say that that person is confused, the Bible especially the old testament (adam & eve) are the reason why we are here today living in sin, so if you do not acknowlegde your 1st mother then how could you understand CHRIST's purpose of coming and dying for our sins.
2006-11-20 22:35:21 · answer #7 · answered by Breann 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I guess it depends on your definition of the term "Christian"....
A "Christian" is a disciple of Christ...if you believe that Jesus Christ is Who He says He is and can do what He promised, if you have accepted Him as your Lord, then you can claim the name "Christian".
If you do not believe this, you are still welcome to come to church, and listen and learn with Christians...but I would hesitate to call what you are doing "worship".
Do what makes you feel right, but do talk to your pastor, or to some older Christian that you respect and trust about your beliefs and feelings.
God bless!!
2006-11-20 22:41:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Simply put, if a person doesn't believe in any diety they are Atheist. Whether they read the Bible or not.
2006-11-20 22:32:51 · answer #9 · answered by BabyBear 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Can't speak for all religions but Islam requires a Muslim to believe in one God and his messenger Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
2006-11-20 22:31:54 · answer #10 · answered by A fan 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋