What's so great about being a Christian?

In my opinion, I see no difference than being a Buddhist or a Hindu or a Taoist or a Muslim or a Jew or a Samaritan or a Zoroastrian or anyone of the other religions that people belong to. Like any other religion, Christianity is a worldview that provides an explanation of the world and provides a moral philosophy (ethics) that helps the practitioner live with some sense of meaning/purpose/direction in life, implemented in the beliefs, traditions, and practices. So, what's so great about being a Christian?

1. The theology is confusing, and there are many interpretations to the Bible. Because every Christian likes to think that he/she has the *best* interpretation, this can become quite problematic. I think this is one of the reasons why you are not supposed to cite the Bible in a semi-formal term paper in a college/university English course. No matter how tempting it is, the Bible can't be trusted enough to be used in a term paper, presumably because of the equivocal interpretations. (This has never really happened to me, but I know from a grading rubric that you can't cite the Bible . At the time, I knew very little about the Bible besides a few stories and quotes, so it didn't pertain to me whatsoever.)

2. There are too many dogmas and doctrines to remember. This goes along with the theology. As Francis Crick, co-discoverer of the double-helical model of DNA, thought that all religious beliefs (or dogmas) were without proper foundation, he coined the term "Central Dogma of Biology" based on this notion. If a clergyman were to inform a neophyte about one doctrine in his parish, then that clergyman would be indoctrinating that neophyte. In other words, the neophyte must accept the doctrines without question. That's the purpose of doctrines and indoctrination. You are not supposed to question the doctrines.

3. Like any other religion, there would be rituals. If a person wants to become a Christian, then he/she would wish to become baptized, join the Christian community, and participate in the Eucharist sacrament with other Christians at Holy Communion, and do this on each Sunday for as long as he remains a Christian (hopefully till the day he dies). As an irreligious person, you may forget about rituals altogether and consider doing more productive activities than going to church on Sunday (e.g. donating your money and time to charity or participating in community service or studying/doing your homework/working).

4. It is questionable whether or not morality really does come from God. What is good? What is altruism? Can a person really be altruistic? I don't know about you, but I take an evolutionary approach. Humans, like other animals, are evolved to be selfish. What may appear to be altruism in nature may really be a kind of kin selection, thereby narrowing the possibility of altruism to ever exist. That said, if altruism cannot exist the nature, then why do Christians treat altruism as if it's good and selfishness is bad? Selfishness can be good, if it's benefits the species! I am starting to believe that there is no god, and people aren't good. They are inherently selfish, and even though selfishness can manifest itself in negative ways, the only thing that humans can do is cooperate by loving, caring, and helping each other in order to benefit the species. Selfish as it may be, but at least it's better than self-destruction and a total wipe-out of the species.

5. Reading the Bible is difficult, boring, completely irrelevant, and time-consuming. It's difficult, because it's like reading what people from millenia ago, people with a different sort of mentality, thought about the world who wrote terse stories without any explanation for what they meant. Personally, I feel that reading the Bible is as difficult as reading poetry. Sure, there are laws in the Bible, but the laws are never really taken seriously anymore due to concerns about human rights. It's boring, because I usually have no idea what I have just read after reading it, and if I do have a hint of the interpretation, it is most likely going to be wrong or debatable. It's irrelevant, because I live in the modern age. The authors probably have no idea what it's like to live in the 21st century. The only thing that the Bible would be useful and valuable in is that it may be treated as a work of literature (not as a product of God), and as a work of literature, it records human experience and age-old wisdom, from a monotheistic perspective. The only problem is, human experience varies from individual to individual. If two persons are placed in the same situation, there is no doubt that they will interpret the same situation somewhat differently and subjectively. Reading the Bible is also time-consuming. If I have to spend hours and hours trying to understand a passage, then I am going to just quit and forget about reading it! Plus, the Christian Bible includes the Old Testament and the New Testament, so if you think the Hebrew Bible is long, then try reading the Christian Bible (with Apocrypha).

In the end, it seems to me that being a Christian is no better than being an atheist. A Christian would just believe that he/she is better off because he/she is going to justified to go to heaven, but in reality, an atheist who just reads a translation of the Bible out of pleasure and curiosity sounds like a better position to take than a Christian who slavishly reads the Bible out of devotion to God and understand God better and trying to apply an old book to one's life as if every single passage is supposed to be meaningful to the individual.

The first three words of of the final paragraph in this guy's little piece you posted sums it up.

At that point, Dr. Phil would ask....... "And how's that worked out for you?"

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"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL

I don't think you understand what a christian is. If this is your definition, the you are still a bit in the dark about it.

Scripture clarifies a bit of the state of a christian, "But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor 6:11

Nothing else offers that. Nothing else provides that. It's not the same to any other religion an any way.

As far as reading the Bible is "illelevant", actually it's more likely it's true when it states:

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
1 Cor 1:18-19

Those who think they have it "all figured out" in their own heads will be only shown as the foolish in the end.

A big part of the problem is someone who hasn't accepted Christ for eternal life can't understand the rest.

What's good about being a Christian?

Peace. God gives us intense peace even when in the direst of situations.

Eternal Life. None of the religions you mentioned offer that; none of the other leaders professed even to be God. Jesus Christ is and can.

Love. God loves you. The others discuss internal and personal love and "peace" but it's not from God that way.

Christianity is a way of life... "faith-ing" and isn't a man-made religion, as the others are.... sorry didn't mean to compare but your post begged it...

There really is no comparison.
Choose God. He's the real thing.

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The benefit of being a Christians is being part of what God is doing in the world--to follow Jesus and be member of His work to and for the world.

If, however, this God-work which Christianity claims is true is actually false, then there is no benefit to being a Christian. As St. Paul says, if Christ is not risen, then we are to be pitied more than any other people.

-CryptoLutheran

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To be crucified with Christ means to be in the business of dying. Our arms should be outstretched, unable to make a fist or be armed to injure. To be crucified is to be too busy suffering, serving, and loving everyone that we don't have time to think ill or wish one harm. "When Christ calls a man, He bids him, 'Come and die.'" (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

If what you have said means "follow Jesus and serve the community", then how is that different from "love others and serve the community"?

So, does that mean that if Christianity is false, then Christians are to be pitied more than other people? Offering pity may be considered a good thing. Receiving pity may also be considered a good thing. What's your point?

Because we believe God is actually at work, doing something and that what He has done to and for the world in and through Jesus of Nazareth means something. It's not simply being charitable, it's bearing the Divine Healing of the Gospel to the world of sin and death.

Pity, not as in sympathy. But as in our religion is worthless, our way of life is worthless, we have done all things in vain and it is entirely and in all ways meaningless. If Christ has not risen, if God is not repairing the world, if there is no salvation, then Christianity is a meaningless, pointless, and entirely worthless thing.

-CryptoLutheran

__________________
To be crucified with Christ means to be in the business of dying. Our arms should be outstretched, unable to make a fist or be armed to injure. To be crucified is to be too busy suffering, serving, and loving everyone that we don't have time to think ill or wish one harm. "When Christ calls a man, He bids him, 'Come and die.'" (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

Oh. Since resurrection would entail divine providence, which is itself a supernatural and superstitious event, and since the supernatural is difficult to believe to exist, does that mean Jesus never resurrected and thus Christianity would be automatically false? How do you know that Jesus really did resurrect, or you really do not know but just "believe" or assume that he did to claim that your religion is true?

What about secular humanism or Unitarian Universalism? They may not be considered Christians, but they are certainly being charitable! You can be charitable without the Gospel!

All of that is not Christianity, in short.

Rituals? I have no religious rituals. Many do, I do not see that as having anything to do with the gospels. Plenty of Christians keep no rituals.

Prayer is not a ritual, it is not a monologue, it is a dialogue.

That is, how it should be, anyway.

Doctrines and dogma... the sayings of Jesus are all you need to know, one can go further or not. Most - as Scripture even says - go further in the completely wrong direction.

I do not think such people really care about the truth or immortality of their soul.

Morality, is always difficult, unless you want to live in a very black and white universe. The Law seems very black and white on the surface, and many go into Christianity thinking they want to follow those Christians who have made themselves "teachers of the Law".

But that has nothing to do with Christian morality, Christian morality is taught by Jesus. In short, it is to "do to others as you would have them do to you", as Jesus said even "in short", and teachings on being non-judgmental, forgiving, and loving.

As for God being good, that is evident to all. As for there being good and evil behaviors, that, too, is evident to all. Personally, I enjoy morally challenging fiction, where the protagonist has to make many difficult moral calls.

And as for number five, your last point, all anyone should read to start is the Gospels.

I started from the first of the book, my own self, but I was deeply interested in getting the whole story and I am a very strong reader.


Christianity is not a religion like Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism or something. Not true Christianity. It is a call to immortality. Some of these other religions promise immortality, but they will give no proof of it in this life.

We find immortality in this life.

We become new creatures and enter into a new world, the Kingdom of God.

There are the poor, the pure in heart, those who eagerly seek for justice, those who mourn.... these nobodies of the world, who know there must be more. They are the ones God taps on the shoulder and calls to the Kingdom.


If you are conned to believe Christianity is "just some church", I can assure you that is wrong. You do not go to some building and find God, you find God in your heart, waiting.

There is nothing one must do to be saved, but to believe on the Son, Jesus Christ, and what message he gave the world.

No decent Christian falls into this trap of pride

This has nothing to do with it. Surely you know that?

There is NO element of Christianity like that

Strawman. Seriously, you're sounding like a poe for atheism

This entire (truncated) point, is one big mess. The only thing humans can do? How man mass murders have there been just since this summer? I know of 4.

No, it's not like that - it IS that! Tell ya what; you only do things that are easy. Let me know how that works out for you.

This is the way it's SUPPOSED to be!! Here, you are actually WAY ahead of the curve most atheists find themselves on. There is a learning curve that includes suffering, patience, and humility. Like a butterfly that has to break out of it's cocoon, this is how it strengthens what is needed to fly.

Probably?!? Of course Isaiah had no idea was 2012 is like!
In no way does that make him irrelevant; rather, it defines the relevance.