Christian Atheist

This weekend we will be talking about Christian Atheism, which is an oxymoron. An oxymoron is two words that are used together that don’t seem to belong together. So for example, we may eat “jumbo shrimp” at a restaurant, take note of a “small Crowd” at said restaurant, and have the waiter or waitress give us an “exact estimate” of what the meal will cost. In history class we may talk about the “Civil War” while being taught by a “student teacher.” If we wanted to be guilty of employment profiling while also being mean-spirited, we might talk about a “postal worker.” The mantra of the Christian Atheist is a phrase we find in the book of Judges, right at the very end. “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.” (Judges 21:25, CSB) Christian atheists are people that say they believe in Jesus, but they live their lives doing what is right in their own eyes. They say they believe in God, but they live as if He doesn’t exist. They don’t follow Him, trust Him, or obey Him. They do what is right in their own eyes. So a Christian atheist might say things like: “I believe in Jesus, but I don’t pray.” “I believe in Jesus, but I’ll never forgive them.” “I believe in Jesus, but I’m in charge of my sex life.” “I believe in Jesus, but I refuse to be generous with my money.” “I believe in Jesus, but I won’t share my faith.” Join us this weekend as we take a deep dive into Christian Atheism from our final look at the book of Judges. Following Jesus isn’t simply about saying we believe in Him, it is about living in a relationship of trust and surrender.