If Richard Dawkins was not already well known in 2007, he has certainly become so since his publication of The God Delusion. On the one hand, he has helped people to review their thinking about Christianity, but on the other, he has been excessively critical about biblical scripture as a whole and appears to have nothing positive to say about Christian teaching, and alternative conceptions of God which exclude any supreme being. I fear that he has in this book rocked the boat so much that he has thrown out the 'baby' of the good news of Christianity along with the 'bathwater' of spiritual superstition.
The SOF network has seen faiths as varied expressions of the good, the just and the beautiful, as Stephen Mitchell has written, and it has hoped to secure some common ground. With regard to Christianity, I have found the writings of John Shelby Spong very helpful, both in his books and his online letters. A retired American Bishop, he supports the Progressive Christianity movement. I am also indebted to Anthony Freeman who made the case for 'Christian Humanism' in his book God in Us in 1993. However, I am aware that this is a very confusing label, since most Christians are determined to hang on to some notion of God, and, thankfully, in some cases bravely to reinterpret this, while humanists reject all conceptions of gods.
I have been fortunate in having been taught about the agapeic love of Jesus and his followers down the ages, including those in my lifetime who have helped and inspired me. I understand this agapeic love – or charity, as King James would have called it, – as meaning having impartial respect for everyone and for caring more for the wellbeing of others than one's own. As a retired architect, I find this a hugely demanding ideal, being more interested in planning and scheming – or dreaming, as my wife would say – than in listening to and caring actively about the concerns of others. I am full of admiration of those who live creatively and give their time to others, whether they be, for instance, unsung carers, volunteers raising money for others, benefactors sharing their wealth willingly with others, or 'dissidents' willing to sacrifice their own freedom for sake of democracy for others.
We are a long way from fully respecting the freedom of others to enjoy self-determination, both at the individual and at the nation state level. Nevertheless, we can encourage this unselfish caring, as well as the restraining of aggression. We could try to develop more sophisticated ways to restrain aggression and to rehabilitate the aggressor, both at home and abroad.
Thanks to the internet, the world is getting smaller and communications better. I admire all those who live for others whether or not they are aware of Christian teaching. Christian denominational clubs wax and wane, and I regret that the most conservative and paternalistic of these will take a long time to change. I applaud those that are progressive and inclusive, along with all democratic organisations that promote individual autonomy. I treasure the stories the life of Jesus and, without staying nostalgically cocooned by our heritage, I admire the art and music inspired by scripture. I am now resolved to live life to the full as an 'autonomous' Christian.