Can you be a materialist (one who subscribes to philosophical materialism) and still be a Christian?

Question

In philosophy, materialism is a form of physicalism which holds that the only thing that can be truly proven to exist is matter. Fundamentally, all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions; therefore, matter is the only substance. (wikipedia.com)

Pull my, you forgot to consider metaphor

The bible could have value to the human experience when it is taken metaphorically as opposed to a literal interpretation. Example: God = the universe or nature.

Pull my, Yes you'd be a pantheist. I could have asked if a pantheist can be a Christian, but I wanted the metaphors to extend to all of the bible, not just the god as nature metaphor. Are you saying there are no Christians who are also pantheists? There must be some.

Answer 1

you can be whatever you want to be

Answer 2

If you believe God has mass and takes up space, yes. My question at that point would be, where does God live?

*Edit* Brad: If you see "God" as a metaphor for the universe, are you still a Christian or are you a pantheist? Ask an average Christian and I think you'll find the pantheist definition of God is unacceptable to them. Furthermore, if you think of God in this way, how do you justify the claims made in the Bible (and by the Christian church) that God's will for human beings is somehow accessible? For example, how could we verify that the ten commandments are truly in accordance with God's will?

Answer 3

I don't believe you'd be a very smart Christian, serious about God and your relationship with Him.

Romans 12:2 "...do not be conformed to this world,..."

If your a slave to the material things in life, then you can't focus on God. You can't tell what God's will is and what is deceiving you. And you definitely can't go any further in your walk with Him.

Don't let the world be your master. Don't let it consume you.
Live for an audience of one.

Answer 4

Have you ever really "loved" someone? Love has no physical matter - love can't be proved it exists, but it does and is so. Matter isn't the only substance. If you heart is blind, so too will you be. I don't need to consult wikipedia about that.

Answer 5

Being materialistic is not being a christian, they are told to help others and use material asssets to help the poor.
Matthew 25:31

31 “When the Son of man arrives in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.
34 “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, YOU who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for YOU from the founding of the world. 35 For I became hungry and YOU gave me something to eat; I got thirsty and YOU gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and YOU received me hospitably; 36 naked, and YOU clothed me. I fell sick and YOU looked after me. I was in prison and YOU came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous ones will answer him with the words, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and receive you hospitably, or naked, and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to you?’ 40 And in reply the king will say to them, ‘Truly I say to YOU, To the extent that YOU did it to one of the least of these my brothers, YOU did it to me.’
41 “Then he will say, in turn, to those on his left, ‘Be on YOUR way from me, YOU who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. 42 For I became hungry, but YOU gave me nothing to eat, and I got thirsty, but YOU gave me nothing to drink. 43 I was a stranger, but YOU did not receive me hospitably; naked, but YOU did not clothe me; sick and in prison, but YOU did not look after me.’ 44 Then they also will answer with the words, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them with the words, ‘Truly I say to YOU, To the extent that YOU did not do it to one of these least ones, YOU did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.”