The Christian Agnostic
January 28, 2009
When I stared labelling myself as an “Agnostic Christian”, I thought I was being quite clever and original. The full summary of my ‘religious view’ on my facebook profile says
Agnostic Christian. (Or is that Christian Agnostic? I can’t make up my mind.)
…which was supposed to be clever (can’t make up my mind. Get it?). But it should come as no surprise to me that the idea is far from original. In fact I’ve just discovered a 1965 book called The Christian Agnostic” (Leslie D. Weatherhead) that I’d rather like to get hold of. There’s a fairly long extract here, from which I shall quote just this one section:
I am writing for the “Christian Agnostic,” by which I mean a person who is immensely attracted by Christ and who seeks to show his spirit, to meet the challenges, hardships and sorrows of life in the light of that spirit, but who, though he is sure of many Christian truths, feels that he cannot honestly and conscientiously “sign on the dotted line” that he believes certain theological ideas about which some branches of the church dogmatize; churches from which he feels excluded because he cannot “believe.” His intellectual integrity makes him say about many things, “It may be so. I do not know.”
That may describe me. A bit.
Entry Filed under: books, faith and doubt. Tags: agnostic, book, christian, church, faith, leslie weatherhead, reading.
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1.
unexpectedthankyou | January 29, 2009 at 12:17 am
I’ve never really liked labels about what kind of Christian we are. But at the same time they can be helpful in defining our roles at times.
2.
OldCorpsCPL | October 14, 2009 at 3:24 am
The title “Christian” implies that one relates to Christ. Therefore, a relationship is involved. Whether conservative or liberal in a person’s view of Christ, the church has failed in that it has taught a whole lot about God, but not to know Him. This lack of knowlege of a God who personally relates to us, transcends denominational and non-denominational lines.
The fact that you are questioning is good. Know this, God loves you, and He cares.
3.
Trevor | October 15, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Thanks, whoever you are.
4.
Phil Groom | October 27, 2009 at 11:29 pm
I tend to describe myself as a Christian Atheist these days. That’s not original either *sigh* — as old Solomon said, there’s nothing new under the sun.
But the stuff the church spins us about God… well, it just doesn’t mesh with reality, does it? But Jesus: he makes sense. That’s how it seems to me.
So I’m with you, I think; and this being my third comment here tonight, I’d better shut up and go elsewhere before you ban me. Good to find your blog, though: thanks.