Eric Pickles writing in the Telegraph today.
When in office, New Labour’s spin doctor, Alastair Campbell, declared: “We don’t do God.” By contrast, I think this Government does. We are committed to the right of Christians and people of other beliefs …
Non-sequitor. Being Christian and believing in God are entirely different. Jesus is a much mythologised good-life / life-style prophet with a love of fellow man on which a great deal of western culture is built. Fact. I/we are part of that culture. Does the narrative of a “good” culture depend on a Jesus – no, but that does’t change the historical fact. God on the other hand, a personal, sensible agent on which the workings of the world literally depend, is part of the mythology, simply one myth too far.
The mythological history of our culture is a fact, the contents of the mythology are, well, …. mythological, a mix of practical common sense and experience, tangled up in communicable parables and stories of doubtful origin involving mythological beings along the way of its evolution.
As an atheist / humanist I wouldn’t identify myself, define myself in terms of being, “a Christian” but you’d need to be an ostrich to deny the culture you come from.
[Post Note : responding indirectly to Sam’s comment below – even the top jew refers to the top atheist as a “christian atheist”.]
Um.. really don’t want to get stuck into a fight with a tar baby here, but “Being Christian and believing in God are entirely different” – just wondering exactly what you’re trying to say with that. I would have thought that the former necessarily entailed the latter.
Here in Russia one sociological poll was much popularized in blogs and other media. Around 75% of population identified themselves as Orthodox Christians, and only around 15% believe in god.
But no one received this result as calm as your position is 🙂 It just sparcled another round of religious media-wars.
Have it your way Sam 😉 (You’re not really my audience here, my argument is with atheists not theists.) Normally, sure, but not “necessarily” – except that the naming of Jesus as Christ, and him using god in his preaching are all intimately connected so not “entirely” different. (It’s why I also qualified the god I’m talking about.)
Nice one Victor. I treat that as a compliment. I deal with reality and try to work through the baggage, rather than “go to war”.