Christianity, why the need?

[Truthseeker]

Even though I dispensed with my GI Joe kung foo grip on my Christian beliefs some time ago, I am still thoroghly baboozaled by the idea that otherwise rational, cogent, intelligent people defend, promulgate and proselytize a philosophy that is replete with Greek mythology type stories.  Stories that are ostentatiously preached as literally true: talking snake, Noah's Ark, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego etc.  I could go on and on.  To be sure, this teaching proffers an ultimatum whereby the wrong choice lands you in an eternity of torture that would make those evil, vile acts of depravity of Hitler look like a Sunday strole through a spring time garden.  Oh, and this ultimatum is laid out by a supreme being whose love is incomprehensible and whose forgiveness is everlasting.

My own personal reasons for latching on to this discipline have to do with gaining the approval of my elders as a child.  But as soon as I started thinking on my own I bailed.  And I understand that cognitive dissonance plays a role here, but why are some able to look at these things with intellectual honesty and other are not?  I am quite simply flabbergasted by this notion. 
   

[hismikeness]

My own personal reasons for latching on to this discipline have to do with gaining the approval of my elders as a child.

I think this nails it for a lot of people. To please the adults in a young one's life, they will do/believe almost anything. But, once that person becomes an adult and, as you said, start thinking for themselves, even then, letting go of (up to that point) a lifelong belief is a scary enterprise.

Or, they don't think for themselves because they are fully intrenched in the Christianity and its teachings.

[AnimatedDirt]

Or, they don't think for themselves because they are fully intrenched in the Christianity and its teachings.

Interesting that only those that disbelieve think for themselves.  Chalk another one up for the stupidity of believers.

[xXxWashburnxXx]

To make life easier by being given a set of guidelines to follow blindly without question, no matter how wrong, bundled with the promise that after your physical body is no longer usable your mentality, or spirit/soul as they call it, will exist forever in eternal bliss with everyone you knew and everyone you didn't know who only believed that Jesus was real and died for our sins. To some people just the comfort of thinking that they will never cease to exist is enough to make them cling to their beliefs. Others do it in the name of tradition.   

[AnimatedDirt]

To make life easier by being given a set of guidelines to follow blindly without question, no matter how wrong, bundled with the promise that after your physical body is no longer usable your mentality, or spirit/soul as they call it, will exist forever in eternal bliss with everyone you knew and everyone you didn't know who only believed that Jesus was real and died for our sins. To some people just the comfort of thinking that they will never cease to exist is enough to make them cling to their beliefs. Others do it in the name of tradition.

Christians don't think for themselves.

They are given guidelines and follow them blindly.

[Davin]

When I was a child, it was taught to me as if it were truth. I was told that things had evidence and if I'd never examined the "evidence" myself with a critical mind, I'd probably still be a Christian. I don't think this speaks for other peolple, but I know several people who've had similar experiences. But I'd like to avoid any attempts to generalize my personal experience into why I think most theists are still theists, because I don't know.

[Crow]

Some people just want or need something to believe in to help them make sense of things. For some the belief can be so ingrained that to dispel such a belief is to shatter their perception of reality, even though that may be liberating to some it is a terrifying concept for others. There is also the culture, tradition, ceremony, and ritual that appeal to so many of the believers and this to them may more than enough to help them hold onto the belief in Christianity. Oh and not forgetting many people actually do believe in what's being preached.

I don't think it really has much to do with intellect, reason, or logic (bar a few exceptions) as they are all subjective concepts and have changed with society as it develops, currently it seems we are starting to see a slight shift in the above that favors skepticism over a belief in a deity and is in total objection to dogmatic thought, therefore putting religions on the back foot for the first time in thousands of years. But its wise to remember the same words used by many atheists have been used by theists for centuries.

[Ali]

Because Christians are stupid and lame.

(Not really, but since AD seems to be using this thread as some sort of "ammo" I thought I would give him a good quote.)

[Truthseeker]

Right.  So I guess it is really a mystery as to why some people, like many on this board, were able to cleanse themselves from a horrific brainwashing and many others still follow the Pied Piper, hypnotized by the bright and shiny things of this non-starter teaching.  

Don't get me wrong I was in love with and devoted to my precious belief system.  Studied that Bible inside and out.  Prayer meetings, youth retreats, Sunday morning church, Sunday night church, Wed night church and Sat night AIM (Agape In Motion) gatherings.  And I love loved it.  It was a goddamned drug.  I was hooked on a feeling, high on believing.  But for some reason I was able to do what I guess so many others cannot and look at my 1 1/2 year old son in 1994 (my avatar) and see so plainly how I could NEVER allow him even the option to choose the miserable eternal suffering that the god of the Bible allows.  That is when it all turned to shit for me.  I am still deciding whether it was all bullshit or horseshit (a never ending quandary for me).  

Sometimes I feel like I am going to go out of my mind wondering why this belief is so adhered to and adored.  Kind of like thinking about Stonehenge.  How the hell did those bastards build that damn thing 4500 years ago?  Mind boggling.  

But I am so glad and grateful that I have taken a detour to free thinking.          

[Stevil]

Christians don't think for themselves.

They are given guidelines and follow them blindly.

As an example of your own ability to think for yourself, can you please explain why homosexuality is bad.

[Truthseeker]

I don't think it really has much to do with intellect, reason, or logic (bar a few exceptions)...

But how can I escape the illogical idea that someone who, on the one hand holds to the notion that they serve an ever loving, ever forgiving god whose mercy endures forever (all of that straight out of scripture) and then also holds to the hell deal if you make the wrong choice.  How can I escape the idea that they are not using their intellect?  Especially when I have seen their intellect work full throttle in other areas.  Surely this boils down to some type of aversion to intellectual honesty when it comes to this subject.  No?  

[AnimatedDirt]

Christians don't think for themselves.

They are given guidelines and follow them blindly.

As an example of your own ability to think for yourself, can you please explain why homosexuality is bad.

Why is homosexuality bad?  Where did this come from?  When did I say homosexuality is bad?  What does that have to do with THIS thread?  Maybe you'd like to be like others and start threads on what I seem to think or to force a certain answer from me?

[AnimatedDirt]

Because Christians are stupid and lame.

(Not really, but since AD seems to be using this thread as some sort of "ammo" I thought I would give him a good quote.)

Not ammo, Ali.  Simply point out what everyone thinks and agrees with so when I do use the *you.

[Stevil]

Christians don't think for themselves.

They are given guidelines and follow them blindly.

As an example of your own ability to think for yourself, can you please explain why homosexuality is bad.

Why is homosexuality bad?  Where did this come from?  When did I say homosexuality is bad?  What does that have to do with THIS thread?  Maybe you'd like to be like others and start threads on what I seem to think or to force a certain answer from me?

You are a master at avoiding answering simple questions.
You have stated in the past that homosexuality is an aberration, that it is a sin. I assume this means in your eyes it is bad.
In this thread you have sarcastically stated "Christians don't think for themselves."
I am challenging you on this.
I would be very keen to know how AD the Christian thinks for himself and how he uses his thinking abilities to reason that homosexuality is bad.

[AnimatedDirt]

You are a master at avoiding answering simple questions.
You have stated in the past that homosexuality is an aberration, that it is a sin. I assume this means in your eyes it is bad.
In this thread you have sarcastically stated "Christians don't think for themselves."
I am challenging you on this.
I would be very keen to know how AD the Christian thinks for himself and how he uses his thinking abilities to reason that homosexuality is bad.

I'm not sure I've ever written that homosexuality is an aberration exactly.  However, I'm sure wherever you got this from probably states my opinion on the matter already.

It seems to me you're taking this thread here off topic.