I've met some people and their profile says they're freethinkers and religion is Christian or Catholic, is that a contradiction?
Not necessarily.
@Millie I’ve met freethinking Christians, but I really wonder how long they can be openly critical and remain Christian.
I see no contradiction necessarily. I would say I am a ‘freethinker’, but if tomorrow the god of Christianity was revealed to me in such a way that I believe in Christianity, I would still consider myself a freethinker. I suppose it all boils down to what ‘freethinker’ means.
Not as far as I can see . They just have not the exposure to the other side of the coin . My guess. I find alot of religious people are lovely . Hardly ever have I had a problem . My horror of their misguided thinking is kept to myself. as for the money grabbers I've never met one . That would not be a happy chat.
I went to a German Lutheran School/church that my grandmother and mother attended. When I was 8 I asked my grandmother how if made sense if I lived in another country and never heard of Jesus I wouldn't go to heaven. Her answer was, "The story does have some holes in it." I think for them the church was cultural experience and better education. She also told me when I came home from school crying because a girl in clasz told me I was peculiar that it was great news as it meant I wasn't part of the herd. She taught me, even expected me to be a free thinker and always identified as being Lutheran. Maybe because Martin Luther was a rebel. Not sure. Just my 2 cents on topic.
free·think·er
noun
a person who rejects accepted opinions, especially those concerning religious belief.
I'm willing to say freethinking is lack of any religious committment. The Nones pretty much fit this.