h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm making this up as I go on, so I apologise for this muddle of thoughts below, and please bear with with me.

What a Christian actually is is difficult to say, because any one Christian can think the opposite of another.

Christians disagree as to the character of god, god's intentions and his involvements. If you look for common themes throughout Christianity, god isn't one of them. I therefore can justify that knowledge of the essence of god is NOT central to Christianity. I think of myself as agnostic (as in I will never know). The Bible supports my belief, by telling us that the only way we can believe in god is stupidity or faith. Both of these are gifts from god, and if we haven't been given them, then there isn't anything we can do but be agnostic.

The Bible says that only by actively turning away from god can we be cast out from god's people. It also says that we will go to hell if we haven't been circumsised (In Exodus 4.24, god tries to kill Moses, unsuccesfully, for not being circumsised) or if we haven't been circumcised. I choose to ignore these last two, for reasons I will disuss later.

So, basicly, the Bible is fine with the fact that I don't believe in god, or have faith. As I have been told by succsesive Chaplains, Ministers and R.S. teachers, the Bible should be seen as a collection of histories, myths, stories and teachings. Therefore, it is not necessary for me to believe that Jesus rose from the dead, performed miracles or is the son of god. And what's more, I don't believe it.

However, I have read the Bible, and learnt from the stories contained in it. After reading St Thomas Aquinas, I have seen how the christian moral code can be justified by reason and logic. I have found I can justify the moral code, and live by it.

Therefore because of this, I am a Christian, despite not believing in god, Jesus ressurected, angels, churubim and seraphim. Christanity expects humans to be intrinsicly flawed, hopelessly addicted to the temptations of wealth and indulgunce, lacking in knowledge, faith and common sense. I find that I match this criteria perfectly.