Can you be Atheist and Christian?

from CBC.ca

There is an interesting idea that ideological pluralism (the welcoming of every ideology/philosophy as equally valid) is an obvious "good." The first problem with pluralism is its adherents are not truly pluralist! Christianity, for instance is scorned because Christians claim the Way of Christ is unique and the absolute Truth. There is no way a Christian can mitigate this claim and remain Christian. Christians know that many can and do challenge and deny Christ but know also that this is a path away from Truth. The pluralist is as closed minded, narrow, regressive and bigoted toward Christianity as they claim Christians to be. Christianity and Pluralism are mutually exclusive conditions.

Second, there is nothing obvious about good. This morning on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (#CBC) there was an interesting #documentary. It is always good for us to hear the language and manipulation of language by broadcasters, those who are walking in error and those who adhere to wayward (anti-biblical) teaching. So much "sounds" good on the surface but if you really stop and think about it, it is not. The Christian knows this - sounding good is what got us into our sinful condition in the first place. We must read and listen carefully and speak precisely. Eve was NOT attracted to evil - she was attracted to what seemed good! "When the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it." (Genesis 3:6). Too often when things sound too good to be true, they are.

#CBC #RadioOne This is the very sad and disturbing story of an #Atheist minister who wants to keep her job in the United Church of Canada [#UCC].

So today's blog is an open letter to #TheCurrent, host #AnnaMariaTremonti and the CBC:

"I will never claim expertise in matters ecclesial. However your documentary (as is often the CBC habit) speaks from a position which elevates human intellect above the awesome (that is unimaginable, indiscernible, indescribable) nature of God. The appeal of Gretta to the CBC is thus understandable as she does likewise.

So from the perspective of a very simple person I wonder this - is there a national story in this scenario: I work at #BlackBerry but I continually extol the virtues and superiority of the #Apple product line. I send all potential BlackBerry customers to pick an Apple. BlackBerry wants to remove me from their employ. Is that a story? Obviously not. Gretta’s story is no different – she’s flogging Apples.

I want to claim the title “BlackBerry Sales Representative” but if I sell Apples I simply am not. Even if I hold up an Apple which is painted over with BlackBerry branding, stuffed into a BlackBerry box, spoken of as a BlackBerry in BlackBerry language (suitably redefined and muddied for my purpose of course) and claim I am now selling a BlackBerry am I truly that “BlackBerry Sales Representative” I claim to be? No! My fraud is revealed by the fact of the device I am selling. If I encourage the consumption of Apples I am an Apple salesperson. These Apples of mine might look good, but I am deceiving, they are not genuine. If Gretta is atheist then she is no more Christian that an Apple vendor is a Blackberry vendor – thus  - by her own choices she has become “not-of-the-Church.” Her choice is her resignation from the Church.

There is also a very practical legal and taxation concern. The incorporation documents, the NPO rulings and the charitable status rulings related to the United Church of Canada I suspect are all framed within the mandate to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to bear witness to Christ and to teach Christianity. Gretta is not doing this so thus she jeopardizes her employer as a Canadian charity.

Christian (a witness of Christ) is not a negotiable condition. The foundational document of the Church warns against this. One bears witness of Christ or one does not – one is Christian or one is not. If you were to be called to court to witness for Christ and said the things contrary to Jesus broadcast today I fear you would rightly be held a perjurer, a fraud and in contempt. What we have to get beyond if we are to know Christ is the notion that Christianity is a matter of
plurality and opinion – Christianity is a matter of bearing witness.

Be blessed"

Jesus answered: “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Pilate said to him: “What is truth?”


To whom are we transformed? Jesus or Pilate?

the Passion of Jesus Christ: whom do you choose?