I just saw a blog featuring commentary by a "non-believeing Christian". I guess this is a person who is in fact an Atheist but follows the teachings of Jesus?
There's a big problem with this. First of all, a "Christian" as defined in the Bible (where the term was first described) is a person who mimics the life of Christ.
"See?" the Atheist would say. "There's no conflict here." But wait: if you're a Christian you're supposed to be a follower of the Master.
What did the Master teach us? That greatest commandment of all is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself."
So Jesus taught us that the number one priority is to love God. Kind of hard to do if you don't believe in God.
Jesus also taught us that He in fact was not only God's Son, but in fact he was God in the flesh.
To be a self professed "non-believing Christian" you need to be intellectually dishonest, a cherry-picker who believes in those teachings that don't offend those tender Atheist sensibilities.
I have a simple answer. If you're just looking for some feel-good philosophy to pattern your life after, may I suggest you study Bhudda or Confucius? If you want to be a true follower of Jesus, you need to be willing to accept ALL the teachings of Jesus, not just what makes you feel good. Jesus didn't come here to make us feel better. He came here to fulfill the perfect will of the Father, and that wasn't always pretty. But neither is the sin we need forgiveness for.
Think about it.
'Nuff said.
