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[Newbie]

That's my only question: Why are you a Christian?

[jimwalton]

1. Christianity gives my life meaning and purpose.

2. I find that the evidence for Christianity is convincing.

3. Christianity squares with the way the world is and the way people are. It tells an honest and accurate story of humanity and life.

4. I have known the lifechange that Christianity brings, and seen many others who have experienced bona fide lifechange through their faith.

5. Christianity helps me understand history, science, philosophy, and psychology.

6. Christianity makes logical sense and is reasonable.

7. It makes sense with what I see of conscience, morality, beauty, and purpose.

[Newbie]

Christianity is logical and sensible?

I'm assuming, since you are a Christian, you accept some kind of substitutional atonement in the person of Jesus Christ.

Now, keeping in mind you believe Christianity makes logical sense and is reasonable, would you explain how it makes sense for an all-powerful being to have to go to such great lengths to deal with man's sinful nature instead of just eradicating evil from existence?

[jimwalton]

Because God is love, and he wants a love relationship with people, people always have to choose to have that relationship. If the relationship is forced, it's not love. As long as there are people around with an option to choose to love God or not, there has to be an honest choice. to eradicate evil from existence would only temporarily make any difference, because as soon as there was a choice to make, people would have to be free to make that choice, and some would choose sin, and we'd be right back in it again.

A better way to deal with the sin nature is to create in people a new nature that is different. But again, because it's a relationship of love, it has to be chosen. Jesus just can't barge into people's lives and make them new. They have to love him, and those who love open their lives to that loving relationship.

The atonement itself was an act of love, modeling for us what love is, and giving us the choice to act in love ourselves.

I hope that helps. Substitutionary atonement is a large subject, so if you want to talk more, I welcome that.

[Newbie]

"Christianity gives my life meaning and purpose."

What do you mean by meaning and purpose? Like an existential purpose you mean?

"I find that the evidence for Christianity is convincing."

What facet of the evidence is most important for you?

"It tells an honest and accurate story of humanity and life."

It being the NT?

"Christianity helps me understand history, science, philosophy, and psychology."

What do you mean by that? An example would be nice. Sorry about the inquiry, I just want to clarification on some terms.

[jimwalton]

Sure, glad to.

Meaning and purpose? yes, existential purpose. My purpose to discover the love of God towards me and to love him in return. To serve humankind, feed the hungry, visit the sick, help people get better, to help people with their problems as much as I can, to be a responsible member of society, to be a responsible member of the kingdom of God, to plumb the depths of spiritual reality, to be as stable and helpful a human being as I can be, and many more.

> What facet of the evidence is most important for you?

It has to be real, both logically (reasonably) and historically (reliably). If it isn't true, why bother? If it's just an opinion, why bother? If it's just "faith in the darkness," why bother. It has to be both logically sensible and conform to reality (historical and otherwise).

> It being the NT?

"It" being the perspective that a Christian takes on the world, humanity, God, and life. A Christian worldview, so to speak, as taught in the whole Bible, not just the NT.

> What do you mean by that? An example would be nice.

For instance, many of the stories in the Bible show us an interpretation of history, as to why things happened, and why they happened when they happened and as they happened. As to science, the Bible shows me the functionality and purpose behind the science, how predictability and order set the frame on which our scientific observations are built, and how purpose underlies even mundane natural occurrences. In philosophy, the Bible says that truth is a person, not just a proposition, and that meaning in life is not just a relative pursuit or an existential experience, but has deeper anchors. In psychology, for example, it informs my view of people, and why they do both the good and horrid things they do, and how love and lack of it form characters and behaviors, etc.

Hope that helps. We can talk about any of these areas further if you would like.