What Are the Main Reasons People are Christian?

[Neutonica]

Actually, in my own experience at least, fewer and fewer people become Christians because of reasons like these.

Really? That's funny, cause in my experience, people tend not to get asked before being baptised and raised that way...

Depends on where you come from...

[Cabra West]

Depends on where you come from...

You have to let me know in which country people ask babies if they want the religious upbringing before administering it

[Johz]

Actually, in my own experience at least, fewer and fewer people become Christians because of reasons like these.

Really? That's funny, cause in my experience, people tend not to get asked before being baptised and raised that way...

Aha! What about conformation! And the Baptist denomination. Baptism has become more of a symbol of the church family's wish to raise the child as a Christian child, but the person makes a definite choice to become a Christian at conformation, usually.

[Cabra West]

Aha! What about conformation! And the Baptist denomination. Baptism has become more of a symbol of the church family's wish to raise the child as a Christian child, but the person makes a definite choice to become a Christian at conformation, usually.

Yes, I remember clearly asking to be excluded from that, but you know, not a lot of parents listen to their 12-year-old, especially if there's neighbours to consider and impress.

And we are talking about 12 years already having been spent listening to church sermons and bible stories, after all...

[Johz]

Aha! What about conformation! And the Baptist denomination. Baptism has become more of a symbol of the church family's wish to raise the child as a Christian child, but the person makes a definite choice to become a Christian at conformation, usually.

Yes, I remember clearly asking to be excluded from that, but you know, not a lot of parents listen to their 12-year-old, especially if there's neighbours to consider and impress.

And we are talking about 12 years already having been spent listening to church sermons and bible stories, after all...

Well I see nothing wrong with being able to pass an RE exam without revising...

As to your first point, my brother, at the age of thirteen, clearly asked to be confirmed. I have just realised that I was previously talking about conformation as opposed to confirmation, and I apologise for that error.
Equally, I, my friends, and many other people whom I know, all asked to be confirmed once we had decided ourselves which path to follow. If you have had a bad experience, and I apologise if I infer too much from your post, there is very little reason to then assume that all experiences must be like that.

[NERVUN]

Pic spam, knock it off. Your ice is very, very thin, you don't have a lot of room to wiggle around in.

[Tagmatium]

the western hemisphere had at least ten thousand years of its own traditions before 'christian' europeans ever set foot in it, nor eyes on it. so i would hardly think that applies.

in israel, or europe maybe it might be though.

Again, the Old World had "ten thousand years of its own traditions" before Christianity popped up. But, in the main, most of those ten thousand years were banging rocks together or piling stones atop others.

[Cabra West]

Well I see nothing wrong with being able to pass an RE exam without revising...

As to your first point, my brother, at the age of thirteen, clearly asked to be confirmed. I have just realised that I was previously talking about conformation as opposed to confirmation, and I apologise for that error.
Equally, I, my friends, and many other people whom I know, all asked to be confirmed once we had decided ourselves which path to follow. If you have had a bad experience, and I apologise if I infer too much from your post, there is very little reason to then assume that all experiences must be like that.

I think it's quite erronous to deduct from the fact that some people may ask for confirmation that this has to be the case for the majority, or even that it is in any way an informed decision made by the child in question.
Most of my friends went for it because it meant you got a nice celebration in your honour, and a fairly substantial amount of money from the assorted aunts, uncles, grandparents and others.

To assume that because someone is baptised and confirmed doesn't mean that any decision was ever made by that individual to "become" Christian. They were christian from 2 weeks after birth, after all, and remain so out of habit and a sense of tradition.
Not to mention the hassle involved if you actually want to leave the church... it doesn't come cheap, let me tell you.

[Johz]

Well I see nothing wrong with being able to pass an RE exam without revising...

As to your first point, my brother, at the age of thirteen, clearly asked to be confirmed. I have just realised that I was previously talking about conformation as opposed to confirmation, and I apologise for that error.
Equally, I, my friends, and many other people whom I know, all asked to be confirmed once we had decided ourselves which path to follow. If you have had a bad experience, and I apologise if I infer too much from your post, there is very little reason to then assume that all experiences must be like that.

I think it's quite erronous to deduct from the fact that some people may ask for confirmation that this has to be the case for the majority, or even that it is in any way an informed decision made by the child in question.
Most of my friends went for it because it meant you got a nice celebration in your honour, and a fairly substantial amount of money from the assorted aunts, uncles, grandparents and others.

To assume that because someone is baptised and confirmed doesn't mean that any decision was ever made by that individual to "become" Christian. They were christian from 2 weeks after birth, after all, and remain so out of habit and a sense of tradition.
Not to mention the hassle involved if you actually want to leave the church... it doesn't come cheap, let me tell you.

I appear to have seen and experienced very different confirmation experiences to you. I am afraid that we seem to be arguing over what is not particularly substantial. Let us say that for some Christians, who were raised as Christians, and baptised and confirmed as per usual conditions, this 'tradition' is a reason why a person may become a Christian. However, for many others - definitely more than the 20% figure that we were, I believe, originally arguing about - there are a multitude of different reasons for becoming a Christian that are not to do with tradition.

[Karsol]

When I was of the cloth so to speak, it just because my parents would beat me if i didn't feign belief.

[Tagmatium]

When I was of the cloth so to speak, it just because my parents would beat me if i didn't feign belief.

That's what I don't get about a lot of religions.

[Cabra West]

I appear to have seen and experienced very different confirmation experiences to you. I am afraid that we seem to be arguing over what is not particularly substantial. Let us say that for some Christians, who were raised as Christians, and baptised and confirmed as per usual conditions, this 'tradition' is a reason why a person may become a Christian. However, for many others - definitely more than the 20% figure that we were, I believe, originally arguing about - there are a multitude of different reasons for becoming a Christian that are not to do with tradition.

There would appear to be a misunderstanding... in order to get confirmed, people need to already BE Christian. They don't become Christian when they get confirmed, they become Christian when they are baptised.
Which, in most cases, is still done when they are babies.

So most people become Christian because their parents decide they will, and their parents became Christian because their grandparents decided they will.
Tradition.

And I'm not sure where you get the 20% from...

[Blouman Empire]

In general terms.

Cue all the non-christians of NSG second guessing people's thinking.

[South-Western Dakota]

When I was of the cloth so to speak, it just because my parents would beat me if i didn't feign belief.

It always seems to be the parents that are the most radically religous that have children that take a very sharp right turn in the opposite direction. A guy I know had idiotically radical Catholic parents and is now Firmly atheistic and homosexual much to the dismay of his parents. Pretty much the same thing hapened to me without the homosexual part.

[Blouman Empire]

Top Five IMO
Having Their Life Saved (Ironically, mostly by Science)[/list]

Well one could believe that God worked through these people and science.

Reminds me of a story, There was a large flood in a town and a man climbed up to the roof of his house as the rain continued and the water rose a boat came along and they told him to jump in the boat the man replied "No, Jesus will save me" and so the boat left, a little while later another boat came along and again he was told to jump in the boat, again he replied "No, Jesus will save me" and so the boat left. After awhile the flood waters had risen and were almost completely covering his house and a helicopter came along and was told to get attach himself to the harness again the man replied "No, Jesus will save me". Eventually the flood waters rose and the man drowned. Later while in heaven the man saw Jesus doing what Jesus does while in heaven and the man went up to him and asked "Hey Jesus, why didn't you save me?" and Jesus replied "I sent two boats and a helicopter, what more did you want me to do?".

[Blouman Empire]

Actually, in my own experience at least, fewer and fewer people become Christians because of reasons like these.

Really? That's funny, cause in my experience, people tend not to get asked before being baptised and raised that way...

Not all Christian churches allow infant baptism and perhaps he should have said remained Christian. After all one can leave and not remain a Christian.

[Blouman Empire]

When I was of the cloth so to speak, it just because my parents would beat me if i didn't feign belief.

That's what I don't get about a lot of religions.

The capacity to make shit up?

[Ceannairceach]

This has always been one of my complaints about Christianity. A guy can be a serial killer or a mass murderer, and yet if he repents in prison and accepts Jesus Christ as his savior, he gets to go to Heaven? Meanwhile people like Ghandi, and the Dali Llama have/would end up in Hell because they don't accept Jesus Christ as their savior? Where is the justice in that? Why does the murder get off scot free because he says some magic words and people of a different faith who are trying to make the world a better place burn?

Responding to this from page 2.

Well, that depends on the Christian sect. For example, in the Orthodox religion, if your a MASS murderer, their isn't a chance in hell you are getting into heaven. No way. If you are a murder or a something smaller (Not saying murder is small) then repentance will help you. As for Gandhi, he would most likely get into heaven sooner or later. Most christian sects believe that if you don't believe in God, you won't be saved. Untrue. Jesus loved all his children, even the wayward. Once they died, they would see the truth, as he thought.

I hoped my two cents (now deposited) offer some light.

[Karsol]

When I was of the cloth so to speak, it just because my parents would beat me if i didn't feign belief.

That's what I don't get about a lot of religions.

The capacity to make shit up?

Like people won't beat their kids if they don't do as their told.

[Blouman Empire]

When I was of the cloth so to speak, it just because my parents would beat me if i didn't feign belief.

That's what I don't get about a lot of religions.

The capacity to make shit up?

Like people won't beat their kids if they don't do as their told.

Some do some don't and it also depends what you mean by beat. A light spank on the buttock is not the same as repeated punching and kicking.

[Karsol]

When I was of the cloth so to speak, it just because my parents would beat me if i didn't feign belief.

That's what I don't get about a lot of religions.

The capacity to make shit up?

Like people won't beat their kids if they don't do as their told.

Some do some don't and it also depends what you mean by beat. A light spank on the buttock is not the same as repeated punching and kicking.

Generally the belt, lash and/or buckle or a cane that you could bend tip to handle without it snapping. :/
And yes it was on the buttocks, though I was once lashed on the back for picking fights.

[Johz]

I appear to have seen and experienced very different confirmation experiences to you. I am afraid that we seem to be arguing over what is not particularly substantial. Let us say that for some Christians, who were raised as Christians, and baptised and confirmed as per usual conditions, this 'tradition' is a reason why a person may become a Christian. However, for many others - definitely more than the 20% figure that we were, I believe, originally arguing about - there are a multitude of different reasons for becoming a Christian that are not to do with tradition.

There would appear to be a misunderstanding... in order to get confirmed, people need to already BE Christian. They don't become Christian when they get confirmed, they become Christian when they are baptised.
Which, in most cases, is still done when they are babies.

So most people become Christian because their parents decide they will, and their parents became Christian because their grandparents decided they will.
Tradition.

And I'm not sure where you get the 20% from...

I think that was the original figure that we were arguing about. Perhaps not. I'll shut up about that.

Many people are baptised in order to become confirmed. For example, at my confirmation, half the service was taken up with people baptising other confirmers-to-be in an ARGOS paddling pool. Many of whom were adults, if I might be allowed to add that.

[Cabra West]

I think that was the original figure that we were arguing about. Perhaps not. I'll shut up about that.

Many people are baptised in order to become confirmed. For example, at my confirmation, half the service was taken up with people baptising other confirmers-to-be in an ARGOS paddling pool. Many of whom were adults, if I might be allowed to add that.

That would be kind of obvious. wouldn't it?
Considering that everybody else had been baptised as a baby, only late converters would need the baptism before getting confirmed, and since it's not all that likely that those would be young children, I would sort of expect them to be adults.

The question is, if you compare the number of such late baptisms with the number of babies being baptised, I'm willing to bet that the overwhelming majority of people who "become" christians each year can't say "Jesus" and doesn't walk into church on their own two feet yet.

[Threlizdun]

Almost all religions evolved either as a way in which to control others, the human need to give things purpose and reason, and for the desire to have someone to follow. I think multiple deities may exist, but that they have no true power if they do.

[Coccygia]

I think what is more interesting is that a religion that was looked upon as an anti-establishment cult during the Roman Empire ended up being one of the more dominant religion in the world. What was so attractive about Christianity in those early years of its inception???

Christianity offered hope for the afterlife.The Greco-Roman religion mostly did not. If you were bad you went to Hades and were tortured forever. If you were good you went to Hades and were miserable and bored forever. The only exception were initiates in certain mystery cults, such as that of Isis and the Eleusinian Mysteries. These cults were only accessible to those who could afford the initiation fees and weren't born as slaves. The vast majority of people had no hope in this life or the next. Along comes Christianity and says, "You can go to Heaven. Doesn't matter if you're poor or a slave. All you have to do is believe and do what we tell you." This is still pretty much the pitch of most of cults. Naturally, this appealed greatly to poor people and slaves. No wonder it sold.

Marketing 101!!! I believe if I was there during that time I would have bought into it too. Today there are just to may different view points not to mentions how scientists have been such a pain in the ass for religious institutions/doctrines.

I forgot to mention St. Paul's most brilliant marketing idea: Original Sin. "In Adam's fall we sinned all" as the New England Primer put it. Even if you didn't do anything bad, ever, you still need Jesus Christ^TM, because you have Original Sin! As Joseph Campbell said, "Now you have a product you can sell."