I'm an atheist?

I know spirituality is taboo for some to speak of, but it is such an appropriate topic for discussion. I met two women a while back who both claimed to be atheists. I consider myself to be a pretty spiritual person, so I was especially shocked that two women I met consecutively both placed themselves in that category. After further discussion, I found that one believed in God, but felt no obligation to a particular denomination; while the other believed in a higher power, but did not ascribe the attributes of a particular group to whatever the higher power might be. In either case, both were mistaken in classifying themselves as atheists, but I started to think about the reasoning behind the former.

Now, I'm not a theologian, but as I’ve studied and continued to grow in Christianity, I’ve found more and more freedom outside the box of denominational thinking. It appears that denominations often put the cart before the horse; placing certain conditions on the same plane as what is required to be in the body of Christ. It’s an uncomfortable paradox for one to be expected to conform to the restrictions of someone else’s dictations, as well as God’s. I honestly believe most religions have some element of truth, but no group is absolutely more correct than any other.

So, what about the woman who did not ascribe to God from a Christian perspective? I believe that God is three individuals in one, and the part of Him that moves in our lives today is called the Holy Spirit. Now, from my understanding, if she ever was to make a decision to join the body of Christ, it would be the Holy Spirit who would give her the insight to make that decision; but even more importantly…how much more effective could we as Christians be in showing her what life with Christ is like if we let go of our hang-ups? Imagine how stifled the Spirit feels within the confines of denominations?