How does this work: Christians who are atheists?

Question

Looking at the latest Harris Poll on religion:

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=707

16% of Catholics, 10% of Protestants, 36% of Jews, and 3% of Born-Agains do NOT BELIEVE in God.

I've usually seen national atheists make up about 10% of the US population, so this means that Catholics are MORE likely to be atheists than the general population.

How is this possibly? Why do do people still practice their religions if they don't buy into them?

Other interesting notes from the poll: the younger and more educated you are, the less you believe in God... heh.

Answer 1

They are told they are Christians and they believe it. This is what I used to do. I knew I didn't believe in god and I left the subject alone. I knew if I looked into it the entire subject would fall apart. If anyone asked me though, I would tell them I was a christian.

Just to support this poll, only 40% of Americans say they go to church/services once a week or more (it is really 20% when they actually watch the people going to church). So when we look at the other 40% (10% atheist; 10% other agnostic) they say they are religious but don't go to church or even attempt to lie about it.

Answer 2

Back when the Greeks ruled the world, the young priests of Judea, want to be recognized by the Greeks as intelligent and studded, so they appealed to their leaders in the Temple, who warned them that they could loose their faith in God. The youngsters did not thank that could happen, and saw a glorious religious revival of the Greeks. What happened was that the Greeks instilled into those youngsters paganism, so when the young priest came home they brought back an adulterated religion, which they taught to the people. And the rest, as they say is history. (The same thing continues to happen to day, with the educational systems of this world).

Answer 3

It shouldn't surprise anyone that some people might admire and seek to emulate the moral example of Jesus of Nazareth without believing in his divinity or supernatural beings of any kind. Thomas Jefferson took a stand close to this. He admired Jesus for his moral excellence but rejected the idea that he was divine. That's not to say Jefferson was an atheist: he did believe in a Creator and hoped for a life after death.

Answer 4

My sister-in-law is an Endodontist. So that's a doctorate degree + 2 years. We had a talk one night and she is absolutely a Catholic who doesn't believe in a god.

I didn't want to press her too hard about "why bother with the Catholic thing at all then?" She seemed to hang onto it because of her parents, tradition and a lack of imagination of what she would do with future children other than raise them to be catholic.

Answer 5

For one thing Christian who does not believe in God is an Oxy-moron, does not exist.
And for the Harris polls? all the information they have regardless of how much credibility the world assigns to it is fabricated. No evidence known to man , above man, through man, or about man to the contrary to what I just said will be accepted as nothing more then a pseudo secular fabrication.

Answer 6

I know several people like this. They go to church every Sunday and engage in the ritual, and call themselves Christians and/or catholics but don't believe it for a second. They do it for social reasons. I suspect this is far more common than most people realize.

Answer 7

I have seen polls like this, too.

I guess most of them must be people who just identify with the religion while at the same time not really practicing or acknowledging it. I'm just guessing here, so bear with me.

Maybe they don't really believe, but they still don't want to call themselves atheists because of the stigma. Again, just spitballing...

Answer 8

An atheist christian, huh? Weird. Sounds like there are a lot of people out there who are scared to admit they do not believe in god. To each their own, I guess.

As for me, I'm proud to say that I can think for myself and my destiny is mine alone. There is no higher power/being influencing my rights and wrongs. I do it all on my own! Yep, I guess that makes me an atheist....

Answer 9

Christians who don't believe in God are not Christians. They are atheists. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to the garage makes you a car.

Answer 10

Some people are hedging their bets, buying fire insurance so to speak. Unfortunately, God knows their true hearts and will judge them accordingly.