Agnostic Christian
May 22nd, 2009 · Posted in God Stuff · 2 CommentsI read this letter in the Sydney Morning Herald today:
To believe or not to believe
I’m not sure how anyone can claim to be a “Christian agnostic” (”Believe it or not, the bishop’s an agnostic”, May 20). It makes as much sense as calling a colour “ashen red” or a size “gigantically small”. The words are incongruous. An agnostic believes God is unknowable, whereas a Christian believes God has made himself known in the person of Jesus. Bishop Holloway has a choice to make.
Lynette Spicer Telopea
What a fantastically concise explanation of what God has done through Jesus. Thanks Lynette!
RodeoClown: unagnostic.
May 26th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Personally, I always thought Christianity was about more than semantics… :p
Given the variety of people who call themselves Christians, I’m disinclined to try and pigeonhole one group that are “the real Christians”. This, to me, is profoundly anti-Christian!
Best wishes!
May 27th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Christianity is definitely about more than just semantics, it is a belief that Jesus is God’s revelation of himself to us and a following of his teachings (which include that he is from God).
I think people can call themselves whatever they want, however calling yourself a Christian implies that you believe Jesus was God’s Christ/Messiah (pick you language).
If you don’t believe in God, then calling yourself a Christian makes no sense.
I’m not trying to pigeonhole here at all, but there has to be some boundaries, or else words become completely meaningless.
I think this (ex-)bishop can be agnostic if we wants, but to call himself a Christian is misleading. If he doesn’t believe in God, he would be better off saying that he likes the stories about Jesus, and thinks they are nice (or whatever), and leave it at that.
There would be no controversy then.