Jan’s Faith

Introduction

Please note this is a summary of a work in progress.  There will be changes.  If you would like to see the (current version of the) whole paper, please ask for it at jangoss34@gmail.com.  Also, let me know if you want to see new versions that come out.

This is a summary of a paper that is about how someone who doesn’t believe in the supernatural can still find many Christian practices meaningful.  (As a summary, it is not as well-argued as the main paper, but it gives the basic idea.)  I wrote the paper to figure out what my theology is.  It is useful for others who are looking for a way to still find much of the religious experience of Christianity meaningful even though they do not believe in the supernatural.  The main Christian practices I am interested in are things like prayer, finding church services meaningful, and social opportunities.  Some theological concepts such as having a relationship with God are also dealt with.

I used to be a conservative Christian (Seventh-day Adventist).  As time went on, I found that I could no longer accept Christianity; and I became an atheist.   However, I did not find that satisfying.  As I looked back on my life, the happiest years were when I was a Christian.  I wanted to find out how I could be a Christian yet preserve my intellectual integrity since I didn’t believe in the supernatural.  This paper is an answer to that quest.  It shows how Christian practices can be meaningful if someone doesn’t believe in the supernatural.  There are some aspects of Christianity that are lost when I remove the supernatural.  But I’m surprised by the large part that remains without the supernatural.

Read Jan’s full article here: Jan’s Summary of My Faith Paper