What exactly is a Cultural Christian?
Offline I've heard this term thrown around even by atheists such as Richard Dawkins. Is it Christianity stripped of dogma, superstition and anything supernatural? Interestingly, I've met atheists who go to church (a liberal church mind you) for the sake of community and not for prayer. This is by no means a criticism and I'm interested in this phenomena. At first glance, the term Cultural Christian seems oxymoronic. Yet there are secular Jews. I have been called a secular Hindu by my family. I've heard atheists talk of a post-Christian society. It seems that religion is an all too powerful meme with an ever lasting legacy even when stripped of its supernatural origins. Why doesn't this happen with political religions? I've never heard anyone ever say that they're culturally Marxist. And what happened to the secular Hellenists and Odinists?
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An asshat.
I think (though I'm just speculating) that it means someone who doesn't go to church because they necessarily believe in final judgment, god, jesus, salvation, etc. They are only going because they "believe that belief is good" and they are going because the religion works as a sort of anchor for them to mount their community on.
It is more the community and "church culture" that they enjoy. The literal truth of the bible takes a backseat to that aspect of their religion.
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
I think it means that he recognises that the societies that his ancestors lived through we're heavily influenced by christianity. It was the dominant theocratic force in their culture, and as such became entwined in the state and civil society alike.
Walk down the street and you are more likely to see a church rather than say a mosque. When I was in india there was hindu shrines on every other block corner.
It means that the society of the geography was shaped by a particular religion. If you are born as part of that culture, and as were your ancestors, then that is your cultural roots. Imagine Dawkin's grandparents and great grand parents were likely to be christians.
So it doesn't really mean anymore than that, as I see it. The societies we have to deal with are religious in a large sense. It's just an historical recognition. I personally wouldn't get around describing myself as a cultural christian, but if asked about it in definition I have described above, I don't think I could escape answering in the affirmative.
Cultural Christian has nothing to do with going to church. I consider myself a cultural Christian, I won't step foot in a church though.
By Cultural Christian it simply means recognizing the cultural influences on our society that happen to have a Christian heritage. Celebrating things like Christmas, and Easter. Their influences are Christian in origin, but they don't really have a thing to do with Christianity anymore from a cultural perspective.
I used to attend a Unitarian Church where I used to live. It had nothing to do with believing in a deity. It had to do with socializing with diverse people. There were 5 other atheists in that congrigation, one of which was a WW2 vet, who has since died.
My only problem with today's society is the religious politicing. It would be no skin off my nose whatsoever what people believed if they didn't insist on using their religious morals to write common law for everyone, including people who dont share that same belief.
I cant understand with everything that is available to religious people without government aid, why they insist on gang tagging goverment property as Jesus owned.
Here is a list of private sector media and venues that are consumed by the public, in public without the aid of government. TV stations, radio stations, newspapers, phone books, privately owned stadiums, 360,000 houses of worship, billboards, magizines, websites, bumperstickers........ect ect ect ect ect.
I know this is off topic. But if I as an atheist can freely associate with theists on my own time with my own resources without goverment aid in regards to a Unitarian Church......if I can do it without asking for goverment favortism or help, I am certainly sure any other citizen can as well.
There still is an ongoing beef between the Falwell family and the local UU church, they hate each other. The Falwell camp would rightfully complain if the goverment was giving money to the UU church, but it works both ways.
Falwell's church and college should NOT be recieving government money for their charities, because there is a religious carrot dangled in front of those who apply to those charities and they LIE and say that is not what they are doing.
Doing the "social good" for whatever reason, is fine from the aspect that we DO have freedom of religion, but goverment must be free from intangling itself in that issue and must leave it up to the individual for everyone to be free.
I felt the need to go off topic a bit here, forgive me. But it is the single most important issue to me because I do value the Constitution and I do think Jefferson was very wise and deadly serious about his "wall" between Church and state.
Thats my two cents, dont let this post distract from the main topic. That's just my ADD kicking in(goes to grab rittlen).
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I think that "Cultural Christian" refers to someone who doesn't give a damn about heaven or hell, but participates in the embedded religious traditions. Of course, in more heavily Christian areas, this means more. I think the reason that it affects religion more than politics is that being a Marxist (for instance) simply means that you live in a society that is Marxist for most people. It says nothing specific about day to day activities. For religion, however, you have grace before meals, the sign of the cross, holiday decorations, singing carols, etc... Religion is, in many ways, the cultural extension of political dominance.
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This is interesting...I have employed several pastors of churches over the past 17 years and the past few years I have heard that term "cultural christian" used by them to describe their worshipers. But in the context of : Being a christian in todays society.
I am going to ask a pastor friend what his dig is on it. I am very curious now.
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My parents are probably what you'd call cultural Christians although I've never heard them use the exact phrase. They do like to point out however that they are Protestants despite the fact they don't believe in it because they come from Protestant families. I remember when I applied for college my mum got a bit annoyed when I put 'none' in the religion section of the form. I don't actually see the problem personally, I put none because I don't have a religion.
They're also the sort of people who'll go to church once in a while because they find it interesting and because the people are nice. They keep trying to persuade me to go when I'm at home, but I don't find it in the slightest bit interesting and I'm not so much of a socialite, if I wanna be sociable then I generally go to the pub with my mates and discuss philosophy and have a laugh over a few wholesome English ales, not go and listen to a sermon and talk to old biddies now matter how liberal it is.
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