Unfortunately, today’s society is made up mostly of people who identify or label themselves as a little Christians, but also a little atheists. However, in the end, they fail to be part of any of these categories. I think this is the new current that is conquering the world, encouraged by what we call globalization.
This category is made up of people who want to be considered atheists, but who, in reality, are not 100% atheists because their actions do not reflect what the mouth declares. Also, many of those who want to be Christians, but who are contradicted by their actions, belong to the same category. I consider that a vast majority of people of the contemporary society are either semi-atheists or semi-Christians because, as a Romanian word says (with all due respect for the animals in question), they are neither horses, nor a donkeys.
On the one hand, we have the paradox of atheist-Christians or semi-Christians. These are people who claim to be Christians, but their actions prove exactly the opposite. I call them atheist-Christians because they are, in my opinion, de facto atheists since in practice, they behave as only atheists should.
For example, we can speak in this case of a Christian who is going through a difficult situation and who tries from the beginning to the end to solve that situation alone, on his own. He is afraid, he is confused, he is stressed, he sees that his solutions do not bear fruit, but he still continues to keep trying and to control the situation. This man prays from time to time, but he does it superficially, not having the real confidence that the God he is praying to can help him. This is, in my opinion, a de facto atheist: a man who considers himself a Christian, with his mouth asking for God’s help, but through his actions trying to solve everything on his own as if there was no God.
On the other hand, there are people who declare themselves atheists, but who do not go all the way in this direction. In order to be a true atheist, I believe that you should take responsibility for everything that happens to you and for what is happening around you. Thus, an extraordinary self-confidence should be put into practice. Atheists should take into their own hands any pleasant or unpleasant situation they face, any injustice they see around them, any pain they or their loved ones go through because, in their view, there is no God in whose hands to leave at least some of these things.
For example, an atheist who sees a neighbour suffering from hunger or cold should take action in this regard and help him because he cannot leave such a problem in the hands of a God who does not exist, right? However, how many atheists do this? Honestly, I don’t know if there is anyone who acts in this way.
Unfortunately, for many people atheism has become just a convenient label that they proudly wear in society. It is convenient not to be labelled a Christian and not to have to act under moral and Christian norms. At the same time, however, atheists do not find it very convenient to apply the atheistic ideology to maximum extent because it is difficult, burdensome, and even impossible to act non-stop as if God did not exist.
In this way, I believe that semi-atheists and semi-Christians can be considered to be part of the same category. Both are people who seem to want to be a little atheist, but also a little Christian, depending on the circumstances and the level of comfort or discomfort they reach. They are undecided people, divided between two worlds, who seem to want a little of both camps, but who do not want in any way to choose or associate their image exclusively with one of them.
What category do you belong to? Are you an atheist or a Christian? Or are you with one foot in each of these camps, dancing to the wind of circumstances, avoiding the price of total commitment?
***
‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.’ (Revelation 13: 15-16)