Do you think there are many people out there that just say they’re a Christian and attend church (but don’t give a shit about Christianity) and just go because they want to be accepted by their social circle and family?
And then when the service is over, they just throw their Christianity up on the shelf and go about their week having hook ups, cursing like a sailor, and behaving the exact opposite of what the Church defines Christianity in whatever “denomination” they were raised in?
What are those people called? Apatheists? Wanna be Christians???
Not necessarily. Some of them (particularly in the liberal denominations) are moral, ethical, responsible people who just accept a patina of dogma on top of their personal conduct, which is quite good in or out of church. Some like church for the social connection, and some denominations have almost a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy about your actual beliefs. Unlike with the fundamentalists, you don’t have to sign a statement of doctrine or belief, or even particularly subscribe to anything other than sitting through enough of the rituals to fit in.
According to an Episcopalian I met, he did not recall ever being asked about his beliefs or having to subscribe to them in some overt manner. He just goes to Eucharist now and again and to the various church socials, and volunteers in their food kitchen (which BTW is superb and meets quite a need, no strings attached, in the community), and he’s a fully accepted member of the tribe.
Personally I could not stand the high church rituals and stem-winding services as the price of entry, but they seem like very nice genuine and generous people who I would not mind being associated with, who do a lot of good in the community. If I were a different kind of personality who really needed the outlet, I might have made a different decision. I’m secure enough in my convictions that I wouldn’t be concerned I’d get God Cooties or something.
There’s a flip side to this. I do go to a men’s group every Saturday morning to play Rummy and shoot the shit with a few guys and the fellow who leads it on behalf of the local old people’s activity club identifies as Christian yet hasn’t actually practiced it since his youth and in fact I think was something of a hell-raiser back in the day. He VERY reluctantly went to a church for a funeral a couple of weeks ago and you’d think he was being dragged to his own execution. Yet if you said anything against church or Jesus he would surely take umbrage. So there are nominal theists – so nominal that they don’t darken the doors of a church – yet it is their cultural identity. And I get along with those kinds of people as well, so long as they aren’t assholes.
