Member of More Light congregation admits that he doesn't believe in God By John H. Adams The Layman Online Monday, March 13, 2006 "I don't believe in God. I don't believe Jesus Christ was the son of a God that I don't believe in, nor do I believe Jesus rose from the dead to ascend to a heaven that I don't believe exists." That was the lead to a column by Robert Jensen, a journalism professor at the University of Texas and a member of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin. The column was posted on the Web site of the Palestinian Chronicle, whose sponsors say they plan to begin an international print edition with a "progressive voice" in June. How Jensen passed muster to become a member of St. Andrew's, a congregation allied with More Light Presbyterians, is not known. He describes himself as "a Christian, sort of. A secular Christian. A Christian atheist, perhaps. But, in a deep sense, I would argue, a real Christian." St. Andrew's is a congregation led by the Rev. Jim Rigby, who was cleared in January by an investigating committee of the Mission Presbytery of charges of marrying same-gender couples – a charge he never denied but insisted he did performed the services as a matter of conscience. Jensen describes his profession of faith at St. Andrews as follows: "Standing before the congregation of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX, I affirmed that I (1) endorsed the core principles in Christ's teaching; (2) intended to work to deepen my understanding and practice of the universal love at the heart of those principles; and (3) pledged to be a responsible member of the church and the larger community." The Presbyterian Church (USA) policy on admitting new members by profession of faith requires 1) asserting one's belief in Jesus as Lord; 2) renouncing evil and asserting one's reliance on God's grace; and 3) declaring one's intention to participate actively and responsibly in the worship and mission of the church." There is no loophole for a candidate to state disbelief in the existence of God. Jensen said his reason for joining St. Andrews "was more a political than a theological act. As a political organizer interested in a variety of social-justice issues, I look for places to engage people in discussion. In a depoliticized society such as the United States – where ordinary people in everyday spaces do not routinely talk about politics and underlying values – churches are one of the few places where such engagement is possible." He describes St. Andrew's as "expansive in defining faith; the degree to which members of the congregation believe in God and Christ in traditional terms varies widely. Many do, some don't, and a whole lot of folks seem to be searching. St. Andrew's offers a safe space and an exciting atmosphere for that search." Jensen's column promotes a pluralistic understanding of faith that includes "ethical principles common to almost all religious and secular philosophical systems, one of which is the assertion that we should treat others as we would like to be treated." In that framework, he said, an atheist can be a Christian. His closing comment reveals a self-directed "faith in our ability to achieve" a "peace with each other and in sustainable relation to the non-human world." The Palestine Chronicle describes itself an independent online newspaper that is "largely focused on Palestine, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Middle East as a whole." It says it has "grown in its importance and scope of coverage mostly because of the support it received from socially conscious and progressive communities around the world."

Respond to this article

Home · Archives · The Layman · Subscribe to The Layman · PLC Publications Presbyterian Lay Committee · Online book reviews · Feedback · Links