Can An Atheist Be Catholic?

[Anomaly]

[quote name="Era Might" post="2711868" timestamp="1421247259"]

I guess I take a more poetic view of Catholicism. To quote Hamlet, "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Not sure if you're familiar with Simone Weil, she was a sort of mystic/tortured soul who also refused to be baptized in the church, which she explains in a famous autobiographical letter to a priest. Kenneth Rexroth wrote an article about her, and comments:


That kind of practical Catholicism, unconcerned with theology or existential agony, has always been part of the church's spiritual tradition. The truly wise in the church aren't zealots who want to get rid of that, but work with it, believing in a deeper level of redemption that doesn't begin and end with theological formula.[/]


Era,
I'm inferring your original premise in the context of you personally. I would think that you know the fundamental requirements of Faith and Assent required and asked for by the Church and the duplicity would weigh in your conscience if you only outwardly behaved Catholic whilst inwardly rejecting it. As the Catechism instructs, you must follow your conscience first. I think you are too self aware to tolerate the disingenuity for very long. However, I think one could agree and follow Catholic morality and principles without being a theological Catholic.

Edited January 14, 2015 by Anomaly

[Era Might]

Era,
I'm inferring your original premise in the context of you personally. I would think that you know the fundamental requirements of Faith and Assent required and asked for by the Church and the duplicity would weigh in your conscience if you only outwardly behaved Catholic whilst inwardly rejecting it. As the Catechism instructs, you must follow your conscience first. I think you are too self aware to tolerate the disingenuity for very long. However, I think one could agree and follow Catholic morality and principles without being a theological Catholic.

 

For me personally, I don't buy into that idea of a "theological Catholic" as if such a category exists. There are Catholics who think theologically, but also plenty who don't, for whom, say, the Virgin of Guadalupe is their entrypoint into the church. I think of someone like Abraham, who was ready to sacrifice his own son at the call of God, something a "theological Catholic" would never do, but would submit to reason. Which is to say, faith is not rational, ultimately. It just is, in greater or lesser degrees. I don't think the heart of Christian faith has ever been theology, and even today, the church is recognizing that through ecumenism, placing faith over theology.

 

So, I suppose I'm also saying that "atheism" is also not primarily an intellectual idea, but an orientation in the world that does not have to rule out irrational religion, except insofar as it claims to be an intellectual domain. Certainly, I can't submit to a religion that begins with phrases such as "As the Catechism instructs..." I find that silly and childish, but I could submit to a religion that begins with "Follow me."

[Anomaly]

Still, that's just an existential humanist using Catholicism resources but not really being a Catholic in the sense The Catholic Church deems Catholic as the representative of the institutional Religion. I don't think you can torture their definition to the degree necessary to claim you fit in under their guidelines. You must be willing to desirous of eventually changing or not I disagreeing with the fundamental requirements of the institution. But hey, who am I to judge as an apostate.

[PhuturePriest]

Still, that's just an existential humanist using Catholicism resources but not really being a Catholic in the sense The Catholic Church deems Catholic as the representative of the institutional Religion. I don't think you can torture their definition to the degree necessary to claim you fit in under their guidelines. You must be willing to desirous of eventually changing or not I disagreeing with the fundamental requirements of the institution. But hey, who am I to judge as an apostate.

 

You're an apostate, but you're one of the favorites. You're welcome to come and be all apostaty with us any time you want.

 

Hasan is a different story. We just let him hang out with us because we feel bad for him.

[Era Might]

Still, that's just an existential humanist using Catholicism resources but not really being a Catholic in the sense The Catholic Church deems Catholic as the representative of the institutional Religion. I don't think you can torture their definition to the degree necessary to claim you fit in under their guidelines. You must be willing to desirous of eventually changing or not I disagreeing with the fundamental requirements of the institution. But hey, who am I to judge as an apostate.

 

In practice, I don't think the institution would make much of a stink about a pious atheist, unless it had to do public relations or something. He's probably be welcome at the parish with the rest of the riffraff (divorced Catholics, gays, left-handed Catholics, etc.). I'm half kidding lol, but also serious. I think most of the stuff we argue about on the internets doesn't really matter in the real world of how Catholicism is lived and experienced, even on a very traditional spectrum (using "traditional" in a wide sense, not SSPX sense).

[Lux]

I think this idea is really interesting, because, as an atheist, I have often considered becoming Catholic. I'm attracted to the ritual and ceremony, but it is also more than just the beauty--something about Catholicism just seems so true and right. I have brief periods when I suddenly decide to become a Catholic and I get so excited about the prospect until I remember that I don't believe in God. It's not a choice, believing in something or not. Would I want to believe in God if given the option? Certainly! But I've come to the conclusion that my belief is not up to me. It's more of a psychological (or religious, if you prefer) influence. So, what should a person in my situation do? If the core belief is not going to change, is it better to be a Catholic, adhering to everything but the belief in God? Or is better to align with one's instinctive belief?

[Ice_nine]

 So, what should a person in my situation do? If the core belief is not going to change, is it better to be a Catholic, adhering to everything but the belief in God? Or is better to align with one's instinctive belief?

You could pray to God for faith. Even if you don't believe in Him, ask and you shall receive. If not, at least you tried. Faith comes natural to some people, for others it's a constant struggle. For people like me there are intermittent times of secure faith and great doubt.

 

You insist the core belief will not change, but where there is a will there's a way.