Christian Atheists and Atheist Christians

Labels. We all use them to describe ourselves. Why? I guess because they convey information about who we are with a minimum of language expenditure (although economy with words has never been anything I personally aspire to!) When I say I am a Christian, people immediately form a thought in their minds about what that means. Their perception of what it means, and my use of what it means as a way of describing myself may be vastly different. And typically are. To me it means one who belongs to Christ. Who follows Him. Who recognizes him as Savior. Who believes that we are set apart by Grace. To others who hear this term it means one who is rigid theologically. Who excludes "the other" who is not in Christ. It may evoke images of people protesting outside of Planned Parenthoods or picketing soldier's funerals. Sadly, those who bear His name deserve much of the blame for the negative way the world sees us. Gandhi once said "I like this Christ very much. It is you Christians who I am less certain about". That may be a paraphrase but it's darn close!


Here is something to ponder. I read a book over the summer called The Christian Atheist which I encourage ALL of my friends to read. It is about how many of us who believe that we are Christians live just like people who do not believe in God at all. The author himself is a minister and a recovering Christian Atheist. It is a very convicting book indeed. The distinction the author makes is one of believing in God, versus really knowing Him, thus being transformed and made into something completely different by His presence and Spirit. Unfortunately, I know far too few people who fit this description.

And strangely enough, I have a very close friend who calls herself an atheist, who lives in a much more Christlike way than many of the people I know in the Christian community. Go figure! She wasn't always an atheist. She was raised in a fundamentalist home and can quote more scripture than I can. She simply decided as an adult after much researching, reading, studying, and reflecting, that she really didn't believe in God, as it turns out. So instead of going to church, reading the Bible, etc she now devotes her time to living a quiet, simple, unadorned life. She is not materialistic. She cares about animals and the environment. She gardens and exercises. She supports organic farmers with her purchasing power and practices non violence and tolerance. When our friend was dying, she sacrificed her time and quiet life to travel great distances to take care of her frequently. She shared this responsibility with me out of love. In short- she is a better Christian as an atheist than most Christians I know. Which is why, when you get right down to it, labels are meaningless.....

The book I am currently reading (I am always reading something- usually 5 or 6 books at a time!) has helped me make sense of much of why things are they way they are in churches and among the "religious". It is called "The Deeper Journey" by M Robert Mulholland Jr. This book goes a long way toward explaining the phenomena of why so many Christians seem so un-Christlike. Mulholland talks at length about what he calls the "religious false self". This religious false self pretty much embodies everything we think of as being a bad example of what it means to be a Christian. These are dogmatic, rigid, right fighters for Jesus who are convinced that they have a lock on the truth and treat others badly who may hold opposing or different views. They very much believe in God. What they lack, however, is a loving union with Him. They can be described as busy do-ers who are in the world for God, without being in God for the world. These people have a very rigid God construct and they like to keep it that way. Mulholland calls this their "God in a box". They keep the notion of their God very much clasped in a tight fist. Because to allow Him free reign might be disastrous. He might just show up and make some demands of them.....Hmmm.....can't have that! 

What I have found, what I am learning and growing into, is that the very best of who we are and who we can become, begins to occur when we leave behind the rigid God construct and exchange our ideas about God for a relationship with Him.  One of my friends likes to say it is so much better when we do things "with God" instead of  "for God".  With Him implies a partnership.  We let Him lead.  We give Him the reigns.  When we can do this, and it isn't easy by any means, wonderful things begin to happen.  Seeing this manifest right in front of your eyes has a powerful effect.  Once you see what happens when you get out of the way, stop inserting your will, stop insisting on your own way, it is easier not to do this the next time you are tempted.  I believe that we are our own worst enemy most of the time.  The problem with most Chistians is that we look absolutely no different from the rest of the world.  We say we love God.  We say we know Him.  But to outsiders we look absolutely no different.  And this is because most of us, if we are honest, are still very much running our own show and relying on our own judgement.  We live independently from God.  Which is the very essence of sin....

I believe that until we show the world something different we can never expect to change it.  People come to Christ for one reason and one reason only.  They see the effect He has on those who embrace Him.  It is the radical agape love that flows thru us because of Him that draws the world in.  This can't happen until we abandon ourselves to His will, to His leadership, to His agenda.  Anything less is a false religious self, a "God in a box" construct.  It's a paper tiger.  It won't hold up and it won't change the world.  No matter what kind of label you put on it.......  Shalom!