Atheists, what is your opinion on "moderate" believers?

Question

I've noticed a few Christians hang out here that tend to agree with us atheists on things more often than not. While I'm glad they aren't fundies, I can't help but wonder if they aren't bending their religion to suit whatever they want to believe. Any thoughts?

I in no way meant to imply disrespect toward these types of believers. I have many friends that I would consider "moderate" who I respect and cherish.

forever young VT, my question does not assume anything of the sort. Sounds like you're the one making assumptions, actually.

Answer 1

The fundies are bending their religion to suit whatever they want to believe every bit as much as the moderate Christians are.

Answer 2

No, religion is wildly diverse and it is quite possible to be intelligent and agree with the apostolic tradition and conform to it. That may mean taking on positions which are not really that rational, in the independent empirical sense, but that is inherent in religion. There is no need to bend the rules of religion to agree with atheists. Very few understand their religion and so they come off as quacks. To look at ones own religion critically or ones own philosophy critically is a sign of maturity.

The danger of any moderate, whether atheist or theist, is that they inadvertently support the zealots. Zealots in any group are the best indicator of what a group really believes. Though they behave in a nutty way, they are truly the literalists of ideas. Moderates may not be willing to take their beliefs "all the way," but zealots realize that is wrong. The bombers of the World Trade Center are not representative of Muslims, just as Stalinists are not representative of atheists, but they do betray the unspoken implications of a set of beliefs. The job of moderates is to combat their own allies in their perspectives. To be a responsible moderate is to be a "zealot" for the center. Because people do not fight the extreme believer, who are also believers of the same group, they permit a dangerous and immoral dynamic to form.

A better question is, "are you a moderate or a zealot?" If you are a zealot, why? If not, why not? If not, what are you doing to limit the abilities of your allies?

Answer 3

Good question. I'm conflicted about this. I do get along far better with "moderate" Christians because they aren't all up in my face with the stuff. However, I have to say I respect many of the bible literalists more because, even though I think it's nonsense, they're actually walking the talk. Like you said, moderates tend to cherry pick what they like and either reinterpret or ignore the rest as necessary to suit their needs.
Also, I believe the tolerance most moderates have for fundamentalism as well as their voting habits serve to enable the actions of the extremist fringe of their religion and amount to tacit approval of those actions. I read a lot of posts around here by Christians about how inaction on the part of moderate Muslims makes them complicit in the actions of extremist Muslims. But that keen critical eye doesn't seem to ever get trained on their own religion.

Answer 4

I can see how it would be easy to assume that they're bending their religion to suit what they believe. But I know a lot of smart "moderates" who are actually very knowledgable about their relgion. I mean, things like the trinity and the concept of hell as eternal punishment are a product of theology not the Bible, it's all some one's interpretation that just stuck and the fundies cling to it. It seems that the moderates are more able to think outside of the box and make their religion relevant to their lives. I think it's a very beautiful thing.

Answer 5

Virtue is a gift from the Holy Spirit, God's Spirit. Having faith is a gift, an honor, a blessing. I know God exists and through my knowing, I have formed faith in Him. I will never know who will stay in their own lanes and I don't have faith in people. I know there is a high probability that cars will change lanes and merge on and off the highway. Getting married and making vows doesn't mean you know that he will keep those vows. Because humans error, make mistakes, sin. I didn't know if my marriage would last or not. I don't have faith in people. etc. etc I know God is real. My faith isn't an excuse. It is a gift from God, thus having faith makes me know that He is real. My son asks me questions about God, the Church, the Bible, etc. I did the same growing up and I was the devil's advocate while I was in Catholic school. Many priests and nuns couldn't answer my questions. But when I asked God, He answered me. Again, proof that He is real. Open your mind some more and see what happened. Give yourself to God and not yourself nor other people.

Answer 6

Religious belief is on a spectrum, and everyone's got to take their own journey. If people want to believe in God, the afterlife, and the ten commandments I have no problem with that at all. I have a problem when religious belief is used to form public policy. It can discount and hinder important scientific discoveries, create unnecessary difficulties in the education system (banning Harry Potter because it promotes witchcraft?), and undermine programs affiliated with sex and drugs.

When it's a path of personal discovery, religion is a good thing. When it's a doctrine of intolerance and moral superiority, religion is a bad thing.

Answer 7

I believe there are rules in the bible that apply to people of the old trends of time because they abused fair judgment enough to bring attention to themselves cause said texts to be written. Such as the city of Sodom and Gomorrah. We all have sex with a stranger to begin a relationship. But overdoing it with many strangers causes pain for many people who become neglected by a person they had sex with but felt carefree about leaving them to have sex with many others soon after. Therefore rules were put into place. By God? Perhaps, or perhaps not. We won't know now. That is the beauty of the God system. We can not prove Science or God. But without certain rules...people can get hurt or killed. By not chasing the answer of where is God...you may one day fall mercy to a God you don't believe in. Maybe not now. But when a new Sodom and Gommorah returns.

Answer 8

As people most of them are great and I have many moderate religious friends. But overall they form the culture required for fundamentalism to flourish. Without moderates, fundies would easily be revealed as the nutcases they are and they wouldn't be nearly so influential.
The fact that they redefine their religion to be what they want it to be obviously doesn't make much sense, but neither does blindly accepting the Bible as the unquestionable literal truth. I'm not going to debate which position is more absurd, because really things don't work that way.

Answer 9

I think that what you believe is up to you... and that you're right, whatever you might believe. I think that many of what you call 'moderate" Christians are simply people who believe in the basic ideas of Christianity, but also believe that the Bible was written by humans and is fallible.
I might be called a moderate Christian,as I believe that Jesus existed, and that he is God, or part of God, as I believe we all are. But I don't believe that what is practiced as Christianity today is what Jesus intended. I believe he came to show us the way to be closer to God, ot so that we could worship him as God. He commands people to follow, not to idolize. But enough on what I believe.
I think moderate christians are definitely bending their religion to suit their beliefs - better that than to bend their idea of God, or bend their beliefs, to suit their religion.

Answer 10

I like them fine. They're more into seeking their god than asserting their god.

Moderates have always been around. My parents were moderate to liberal Methodists, and the humanist structure of the church body appealed to them. Wishy-washy is the last thing I'd call my parents, and I'd love it if my father was still alive and had some wimpy fundie call him that. Though Dad would not give the deserved beating, he'd have a good chuckle before getting back to volunteer work (being a wishy-washy type, you know.)

A "true believer" suppressing free speech. How American and Christian of you.

From some of the answers, I sense most atheists would prefer fundies, period. How strange, when they are the ones who want us banished from America.