July 6, 2010
Atheism is therapeutic
The church in the West is raising functional atheists (those who confess with their mouths but live as if there is no God) because they have capitulated to late capitalism. Thus, we're impotent to engage the material world in meaningful ways. So what is the church ministry about if we're raising functional atheists? "Therapeutic, consumer deism." Ministry tends to imbibe (especially liberal Christianity) therapy, consolation (to the point that suffering from illness or grief is picking up and carrying one's cross), and maybe even passion for "issues" with no depth of engaging those issues. We love the idea of love, but do not actually love. We think that reading a book in a class means having done what the book talks about (whether contemplative prayer, social justice, or living simply). Thus, our essential action is apathy produced by consumerism that pacifies us and aids in the essential goal of self-actualization: the realization that the individual is all that matters. Atheism declares there is no god. So does the church if the church will not begin to live alternatively in dominant story of late capitalism.
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5 comments:
I really identify with your blog's sentiment as an Asian beginning a life in the west generally experiences!
It's crucial for you to be in a therapeutic environment in which your atheism is respected.
By
Offers King
Do you really believe capitalism to be the problem? I think we need to look at ourselves to realize that's it's not capitalism, but jealous pride, greed, aggrandizement, immoral wars and ignorance of God's word which has brought us to where America is as a nation today. Social (group) justice has brought us is nothing but wars, hate, class warfare and the warfare/welfare state. So we just keep on killing innocents in our emperalistist wars thinking we should be forcing our way of life on others all in the name of safety and God. Instead of respecting each other as God teaches us to do, we have become expectant and dependant of others. Should we give in to social justice and forsake the gift of God in each of us? Should we not respect each other, teach and set examples for rightous living whether a believer or not? As children of God, shouldn't we humble ourselves and seek equal justice for all as exampled in God's word not social justice as in man's folly? Or should we live by the law of man and worship man instead? After all aren't we "all" individuals in God's eyes with a divine right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, "within the the realm of God's natural laws". If you can honestly answer these questions then we may be able to know the true meaning of love for each other. Love comes not from handouts but in teaching others how to dream and to stand on their own feet "realizing God's gift to each of us" while respecting others.
Pray for peace, end the wars, bring our sons and daughters home.
Walter Bumbulis
It is simply the absence of belief that any deities exist.
It is simply the absence of belief that any deities exist.
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