Have you ever heard of Non-Realist Christians?

[Radiant_Owl]

I ran to the post office next door and there in the lot was a car with a sticker that said, follow me to the non-realist Christian church. I hoped to see the owner but they didn't come out in time.

I searched and apparently it's a new kind of atheism? If you can believe that.

[Jayne]

I've never heard of it until now.

Here's a link I found outlining their tenets.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/atheism/types/christianatheism.shtml

They call it Christian Atheism.

Quite the oxymoronic treatise - with an emphasis on the last seven letters of that particular figure of speech.

[simplejeff]

From this excerpt in wikixxxxxxx it looks like another name for "a form of religion denying the power" that has long been described in SCRIPTURE (many people deny the power,  but love the form of religion, all thru history).

"Vanity of vanities,  all is vanity" (empty) ...

excerpt:In his writings Cupitt sometimes describes himself as Christian non-realist, by which he means that he follows certain spiritual practices and attempts to live by ethical standards traditionally associated with Christianity but without believing in the actual existence of the underlying metaphysical entities (such as "Christ" and "God"). He calls this way of being a non-realist Christian "solar living".

[Guest BacKaran]

He calls this way of being a non-realist Christian "solar living".

ummmm, so atheists are trying to rebrand or update or modernise atheism? It's still atheism...Poor lost souls....

[FresnoJoe]

1 hour ago, BacKaran said:

He calls this way of being....
a non-realist Christian "solar living"....

Without Christ

"Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24 (New International Version)

Living Will Get As Real

And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’ Mark 9:47-48 (New Living Translation)

As The Center Of The Hot Hot Sun

And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15 (English Standard Version)

~

Be Blessed Beloved Daughter Of The KING

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. Numbers 6:24-27 (King James Bible)

Love, Your Brother Joe

~

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Psalms 119:160 (King James Bible)

The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable.

Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword and the Christian’s charter. Here too, Heaven is opened and the gates of Hell disclosed.

Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully.  It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure.

It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

From The Inside Of My Gideon New Testament

[Radiant_Owl]

There are atheist churches now too. Fascinating in all if you think about it. Atheists claim there is no such thing as God and yet that's their number one talking point.

 

[missmuffet]

Question: "What is Christian atheism?"

Answer: Christian atheism, also called non-realistic Christianity, is a bizarre form of quasi-spiritual philosophy that keeps the forms and practices of Christianity while denying God’s existence. Christian atheists attempt to “de-mythologize” Christianity, doing away with all belief in the supernatural yet maintaining liturgies and corporate worship experiences as meeting humanity’s need for socialization and the communication of lofty ideas.

Christian atheism has roots in the 1960s’ “Death of God” movement, which claimed God actually did exist at one point, but died. According to “Death of God” proponents, when God became incarnate and died on the cross, God ceased to exist as a being independent of the universe. This was the position of Thomas Alitzer, one of the earlier proponents of Christian atheism. Modern adherents of Christian atheism generally believe in a more literal atheism in the sense that they disbelieve that God has ever existed. Of course, in Christian atheism, Jesus is not divine.

Christian atheism, like most esoteric spiritual approaches, can be difficult to explain in brief terms. There are multiple interpretations and no particular definition to bind them all together. In broad strokes, Christian atheism is a spiritual approach using the teachings and example of Jesus while denying the existence of a literal God. As a result, Christian atheism is entirely focused on earthly concerns and earthly justifications. Religion is a purely human endeavor, and God is simply a projection of a person’s mind. Belief in an afterlife is incoherent within a Christian atheist framework. In fact, Christian atheism generally holds that Christianity, like all religions, is nothing more than a “benevolent lie,” a fiction that makes life easier to understand and control.

All of this is interesting in theory, but, in practice, Christian atheism is really just atheism. Christian atheism is a non-religious, non-spiritual, and non-Christian worldview that borrows biblical terminology and ideas without actually believing in them. Non-realistic Christianity is not really Christianity at all.

What is concerning is the surprising number of people who identify as orthodox Christians yet hold beliefs similar to Christian atheism. It is easy to find clergy who do not believe that Jesus was actually God. Many churches teach that Jesus was merely a good example. Some churchgoers participate in religious practice while openly doubting that God exists. It seems that Christian atheism is not an uncommon approach today, and non-realistic Christianity has made inroads into the church.

The Bible warns against those who, in the last days, possess “a form of godliness but deny its power. Have nothing to do with such people” (2 Timothy 3:5). Christian atheism denies the Father and the Son, a rejection of truth that brings a stern scriptural rebuke: “Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22; cf. 1 John 4:2–3).

Christian atheists see themselves as intellectual sophisticates who are smarter than your average churchgoer, who might actually believe that God is real and that the miracles in the Bible happened. But what Christian atheism rejects as “fairy tales” the Bible calls “many convincing proofs” (Acts 1:3). And what the Christian atheist considers an intellectually superior position the Bible calls foolish (Psalm 14:1).

https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-atheism.html

[Radiant_Owl]

That's a great addition to this thread. Thank you MM.

I guess that's what atheist and author Richard Dawkins meant when he called himself a secular Christian.

This part of their belief system just doesn't make sense. From the article above:"when God became incarnate and died on the cross, God ceased to exist as a being independent of the universe."

Not that any of it really makes sense but anywho. Thank you again. And all who have contributed thus far.