Richard Dawkins = Secret Christian?

Sigh... This is one story that keeps coming across my news feed day after day, so I suppose I might as well comment on it quickly. Many Christian sites are asking the question of if prominent atheist and scientist it turning back to belief.


Where does this all come from? None other than a quote attributed to Dawkins.

I would describe myself as a secular Christian

Okay... But what about the full quote?

I would describe myself as a secular Christian in the same sense as secular Jews have a feeling for nostalgia and ceremonies

Okay then. This is a 100% non-story. Anyone who has read or listened to a respectable amount of Dawkins  wouldn't find this surprising in the least. Mr. Dawkins has long said that he enjoys carols/religious songs, ceremonies, church architecture, etc. What he said about being a 'secular Christian' is in no way a recent development.

And the Christians reporting on this are missing the point he was making. He was saying that like many people that would describe themselves as Jews, who like the culture and ceremony of Judaism but don't actually believe, he likes parts of Christian culture but doesn't believe in Christianity.

I will say to that I enjoy the beauty of on old church, and may find myself humming along with a religious song that happens to be playing. But that doesn't mean that I'm secretly returning to belief. Sure, there are Christian things that I like. But I also like things about other religions as well. Norse, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Shinto-Buddhism... Am I also turning to belief in all of them as well? Of course not!

So unless Ricard Dawkins comes out and says that he's turned his life over to Jesus Christ, all of this 'reporting' has been much ado about nothing.


-Brain Hulk

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