In the comments below some note that several prominent Founding Fathers who would have self-identified as Christian would not be perceived by many as such today (e.g., Is Barack Obama a Christian?). At the time of the Founding men such as John Adams and Thomas Jefferson assumed that Unitarianism was the future of Christianity, so in hindsight their own perception of their identities makes more sense. But there are still societies where a “Jeffersonian,” for lack of a better word, view of Christianity persists. In much of Scandinavia most of the population identifies as Christian, without acceding to any of the “orthodox” tenets of Christian theology (not only do they continue to identify as Christianity, they continue to pay a voluntary “tax” to a Christian religious institution).
I will admit that until recently I thought it was best to take use a stringent theological test to determine whether someone was Christian or not. As an atheist, that is of course how I identify myself, with a theological test. But of late I’ve come to have second thoughts about this, as a non-believer a “thin” theological set of criteria is clear and distinct, but my reading of anthropology, sociology and psychology suggests that religious identity is embedded in a “thick” cultural matrix. I’ve come to believe that heuristics based on theology have less power than those which integrate all the disparate parameters which frame religious identity.
Perhaps I know what you are driving at.
You give up a tremendous portion of your cultural identity if you deny the religion of your ancestors. If that religion disappears from the earth, together with its rituals and music; your own identity disappears also, to some degree.
And you are vulnerable to those of other traditions who want to move in and who ask why you should object since you have no culture of your own.
I want to be a Unitarian, like the founders, but an intolerant Unitarian who indulges only the decorations and music of Christianity. And along with that mostly the political culture of enlightenment England.
but an intolerant Unitarian who indulges only the decorations and music of Christianity.
Unitarian churches vary in their culture. For example, look at the UU churches on either side of Central Park. A friend told me that the one in the Upper East Side has a lot more Christian imagery than the one in the Upper West Side. King’s Chapel in Boston is generally Christian culturally. UU churches in the American West far less so.
I don’t know why people continue to act as though decorations and music are harmless, impotent frippery.
They’re extremely powerful tools for manipulating the pre-rational mind. Symbols are lifeblood to most people.
Generally speaking, doctrine and dogma ride on the coattails of symbolic representation. People don’t care about the religious beliefs themselves – they usually don’t even understand them. But they preserve the beliefs because they’re wrapped up in decorations they regard as part of their identities.
@Robert Hume
You give up a tremendous portion of your cultural identity if you deny the religion of your ancestors
I most definitely agree, though I would replace ‘intolerant’ with ‘traditionalist’ or ‘conservative’. I’m an atheist, but consider the Jewish part of my identity as far more important. For the reasons you specify, I prefer Conservative Judaism to Reform Judaism.
Much like Danny, I am faced with the same weird predicament: I’m a dyed in the wool atheist, but my Jewish cultural heritage is really strong, and I would definitely prefer my future children have a Bar Mitzvah than not have a Bar Mitzvah.
It leaves me feeling a little cold, though. I just hope my kids inherit my own bad ass rationality genes 😉
For the reasons you specify, I prefer Conservative Judaism to Reform Judaism.
Right. I have known atheist Jews who prefer Orthodox Judaism over Reform, because of the latter’s Christianesque “feel.”
and I would definitely prefer my future children have a Bar Mitzvah than not have a Bar Mitzvah.
Most atheists (define as people who do not believe in God) have their children baptized in Scandinavia.