Christian Atheism is the belief that, as per Wikipedia, asserts the teachings of Christ but rejects the existence of God. For most, it's a bit of a contradiction but some Christian atheist philosophers rationalize this by stating that it can be done if you treat Christianity as a utility rather than a religion in itself.
An example would be using the morality embedded in the Christian tradition to guide one's daily actions but conveniently discarding the belief in Christ as God. For some, it involves doing the same thing but also asserting that God has, in fact, died already. Such an approach definitely reduces the message of Christianity to that of a how-to guide to living one's life but it does relieve the levels of cognitive dissonance among those who are non-believers but who insist that Christianity remain a significant part of their lives.
This way of thinking does not come without its dangers however. One of its more insidious effects is the occurrence of selective amnesia, leading to a gradual drift from Christianity's core morality and the eventual subversion of the Christian message. As an allegory, Christian atheism can be likened to a man climbing a ladder who, once he reaches his destination, throws away the ladder (similar to Wittgenstein's ladder example in Philosophical Investigations). The ladder, in this case, is Christianity and the destination is the man's achievement of a moral compass. For many, the belief in Christianity now becomes superfluous after one has gotten the most out of it and after one has internalized its ethics; it is now time to throw it away together with the "superstitions" it espouses.
Such a decision comes with a price though, in a world wrought with increasingly complex ethical scenarios, where one is faced with a host of dilemmas but there is no "ladder" anymore to fall back on. Here, the dangers are similar to that posed by secularism. Since Christianity is treated as a utility to guide one's conduct, such a debased view of it makes it easier for one to switch to another philosophy of life, to another set of principles, which is more accommodating of one's desires and aims. If Christianity is seen only as a tool, it can easily be replaced with other tools more suited to one's temperament.
(Sorry, I would have loved to go on but I've ran out of steam. Maybe, I'll continue my line of thought in another post.)
An example would be using the morality embedded in the Christian tradition to guide one's daily actions but conveniently discarding the belief in Christ as God. For some, it involves doing the same thing but also asserting that God has, in fact, died already. Such an approach definitely reduces the message of Christianity to that of a how-to guide to living one's life but it does relieve the levels of cognitive dissonance among those who are non-believers but who insist that Christianity remain a significant part of their lives.
This way of thinking does not come without its dangers however. One of its more insidious effects is the occurrence of selective amnesia, leading to a gradual drift from Christianity's core morality and the eventual subversion of the Christian message. As an allegory, Christian atheism can be likened to a man climbing a ladder who, once he reaches his destination, throws away the ladder (similar to Wittgenstein's ladder example in Philosophical Investigations). The ladder, in this case, is Christianity and the destination is the man's achievement of a moral compass. For many, the belief in Christianity now becomes superfluous after one has gotten the most out of it and after one has internalized its ethics; it is now time to throw it away together with the "superstitions" it espouses.
Such a decision comes with a price though, in a world wrought with increasingly complex ethical scenarios, where one is faced with a host of dilemmas but there is no "ladder" anymore to fall back on. Here, the dangers are similar to that posed by secularism. Since Christianity is treated as a utility to guide one's conduct, such a debased view of it makes it easier for one to switch to another philosophy of life, to another set of principles, which is more accommodating of one's desires and aims. If Christianity is seen only as a tool, it can easily be replaced with other tools more suited to one's temperament.
(Sorry, I would have loved to go on but I've ran out of steam. Maybe, I'll continue my line of thought in another post.)
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