For example, the Christians that dont go to church. Couldnt they be seen as really being non-believers? If you do believe in God, wouldnt you make sure you made it to church every Sunday, and live your life exactly as the Bible says you should purely out of fear of going to Hell? Is it that most "Christians" dont believe and are too afraid to admit it to themselves?
2007-10-12 07:23:24 · 10 answers · asked by ♥ Meme ♥ 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
If you attend church it is indicative that you believe in going to church. It has no bearing on whether you believe in God. Going to church is not a prerequisite to believe in God. There are many church goers who don't have the foggiest notion what or who God is.
2007-10-12 07:27:20 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Going to church, doing good works, etc. do not make you a believer, you do them because you are a believer. If I miss a Sunday, I am no less a believer, bought by the blood of Christ, forgiven, redeemed, justified than I was the day before.
But, there are folks whom I would call "practical atheists". They say they believe in God, but live like He doesn't exist. Only God knows whether they are His or not.
2007-10-12 14:39:50 · answer #2 · answered by BrotherMichael 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wait, you're saying that Christians who don't go to church aren't Christians? I beg to differ.
I have no car, and I live in a place where not too many people go to church. While it's important to me to go to church so I can be around other people like myself, who want to worship and praise God, it's also important that I have something in common with the people who attend the church. And it's important that their teachings jibe with the Bible, and that the Holy Spirit is active in the church.
There are five English speaking churches in this community: One Catholic, and the other four are Protestant. Three of the four are Baptist. And they're very much FUNDAMENTALIST Baptist. They're great people, really, but...
I have nothing in common with them, except for being a Christian. I've had to learn to keep my interpretations to myself.
Besides, they treat me like I have NO knowledge, because I'm a new Christian...yet I know more of the Bible (thanks to the atheists on here, muah, love you guys!) than most of them.
Sigh. I'll just wait until I get back to the States. I don't attend church regularly, but I would like to. Maybe some day I'll find a good church home.
2007-10-12 14:37:24 · answer #3 · answered by The_Cricket: Thinking Pink! 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
At the last church I attended (Evangelical, Bible-believing)
Of those I was in a position ot discretely ask, I discovered that about a third did not believe, but so valued the community, the socially supportive side of the congregation, that they spoke and acted as though they did in order to preserve the element they valued.
It wasn't through fear of hell, as they didn't believe in that!
That I couldn't do, though I understood the perspective.
I no longer believed, so I left, losing most of my friends in the process.
2007-10-12 14:37:29 · answer #4 · answered by Pedestal 42 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually unless an agnostic is also a theist then by definition they are also an atheist.
I often see the flawed notion tossed about that the agnostic is somehow the middle ground between theism and atheism. The truth is that by the very definition of the word atheism is religiously neutral. Being not a theist does not put someone in opposition to theists.
But can a Christian be considered without theism? Can you be a Christian and not 'believe'? I'm not certain I believe that not going to church means someone doesn't believe any more than going means someone does.
2007-10-12 14:28:20 · answer #5 · answered by Demetri w 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While I agree with your premise, I do not completely agree with the reasoning. I believe that anytime we are in fellowship with other believers, and God is the focus, we are "in church". Going to church on Sundays is an organized way of getting together with fellow believers to praise God and to encourage one another. I don't think you can consider someone an atheist simply because they do not attend church services every Sunday.
2007-10-12 14:33:25 · answer #6 · answered by phil 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes there are some who havent admitted to themselves how they really feel and allowed it to be.
Could be because of family pressures, could be because they arent sure what would happen to them in the community/work area if they did say "I dont believe anymore", etc.
2007-10-12 15:09:11 · answer #7 · answered by ChaosNJoy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
right, many "call" themselves Christian, but being Christian is not enough.
You are Spiritually dead, until you are Born-again. A born-again Christian is a True Christian. One who is trusting in Christ alone.
Trusting in things like Church, or works, is adding to the "Free Gift" of salvation." It is also called "Legalism".
Jesus said we must be "born-again" John 3:3.
2007-10-12 14:28:36 · answer #8 · answered by Rudy P 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, A Christian believes in Christ, and follows his teachings, to the best of his ability..that is the only criteria. Remember they criticized Christ for not going to synagogue
2007-10-12 14:28:20 · answer #9 · answered by PROBLEM 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I promise you, no one is, or ever has been, an "athiest."
2007-10-12 14:29:06 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋