Why are you a Christian?

[uc pseudonym]

I am a Christian because I have thoroughly been convinced into the position. I can think of no other take on reality that I do not have greater objections to, nor any system that fully fits what I see before me. For all the arguing with devout atheists that I have done, I have yet to see an argument that even begins to convince me.

Beyond that, my answer to life has "checked" so to speak. Once I had taken the position, life continued to justify it as the right one. While I am not one for "experiences" of any kind, I have more or less discovered similar results in my own way. It is my belief that God is quite aware of what I am, and would not do such things that I would find futile.

In a way it reminds me of the belief/seeing issue. It is good to believe before you see, but better to see after you have believed.

Much of the "proof" you mentioned has been produced by admittedly wise people--but in searching for "proof," they felt they needed to "convince" skeptics who demanded evidence for the existence of God, if not the validity of the Bible. (I don't think I have to remind you of what Jesus said about the generation who asks for "a sign.") "Proof" will not win souls to heaven. In fact, "proof" may only motivate the a[nti]theists to find further ways of disproving the Bible. Only God's power will lead to salvation.

This is true, and Ingemar's point should be considered. However, I would suggest that God's power generally manifests itself through people, not Holy Light of Blindness experiences, and that it could well be manifested in reason.

Most people who argue against Christianity do not care about proof, they merely seek to bash a position they do not like. But there are honest intellectual seekers, and I can think of a few situations where serious discussion and research has led to finding God.

[Debitt]

I confess to being scared into accepting Christ when I was a kid. Having nightmares about me or my grandfather (who had recently passed away) going to Hell at five years old was enough to "drive me to it", I suppose you can say. It was just something that was there for a long time after that - I went to a Christian school, was constantly memorizing scriptures, always going to chapel and singing Sunday school dongs. Not like any of that was bad - in fact, I'm grateful for it, and earnestly believe I wouldn't be where I am today without it - but I was spoon fed, and I was never really motivated to look to God for comfort or guidance until I hit public high school.

There I ran into a lot of emotional problems - maybe it was adolescence hitting me for the first time, or maybe it was finally being in a secular environment where I met people who vehemently blasted my "faith". I'm not quite sure what made it kick in, but I slipped into a series of depressions and found myself crying out to God, and He answered. It wasn't in a big blinding flash of light, but He showed himself to me in little ways, through people I loved and through the music I listened to and the devotionals I began to read.

So I guess you can say at this point in my life, I'm a Christian because I've learned through hard experience that there is no fullfilment, and there is no happiness like serving God, like going to Him and just talking, or asking Him to bless your life. There is no comfort like the comfort you can find in God, and there is no plan more perfect for your life than God's, and I know He wants me to impact others for Him - so what am I to deny myself the happiness of doing God's will?

[mikas]

To be truthful God drew me to Him without me even realizing it. I was an athiest i guess i just never really thought of religion much. Then i started to realize that for as many wrongs to be in the world as there are there must be some great evil, which i immediately connected with satan. Realizing that if there was a devil there must be a God who was good, i immediately wanted to jump in with the good. It took me awhile to actually realize that I had to live for God and give my self over to Him, that i couldn't just kinda 'work' for Him or something. And now there have been far to many times where all my supports have been kicked out from under me and God is all i have and He's always been more than enough to keep me sane and deal with anything thats wrong. The more i read in the Bible the more i realized how huge it was that Jesus had died for me and the the more i wanted to live for this wonderful God (even though i don't think i deserve to but hey, if He's willing to accept me i'm not passing it up deserving or not)

[Lynx]

I'm a christian because God drew me to Himself.

on christmas eve night when i was in the 4th grade, i stayed up all night reading this book. it was the precious moments stories from the Bible. as soon as i read the part about Christ dying on the cross, is started to cry. i knew it was true, and couldn't imagine why a horrable thing like that would happen to Jesus. the book then explained how Jesus died for our sins, and then explained how to accept Him. so i prayed and accepted Christ, and became the first (and currently only) christian in my non-christian house.

in middle school i kinda fell alway from God. i had no christian friends, my immiediate family was no help, i didn't attend church of any kind, and got into new age.

my freshman year of highschool, i decided to serve God fully, so i got out of new age, and recommitted my life to Him. during my highschool years, i saw my three closest friends give their lives to Christ, and i started attending church regularly. He has changed me so much from the way i used to be:) i pray that one day my family will know come to know Christ as well:)

[Ducky]

Yay for Lynx getting out of new age 'cause she dragged me out with her... Yeah, unlike a bunch of you I can't blame my family for being a christian 'cause my dad came to Christ a couple of years after me (yay) and my mum and step-dad still haven't yet. But I'm a Christian because my life was pretty well worthless without God in it. He took away all the anger and hurt and loved me as his own as opposed to for what use he could make of me (duh, like He needs us, that makes His love even cooler though). Everything that's happened since only proves his sovereignty. And even when I doubt I don't think I could really go back to the way it was before, after knowing such unconditional love it would be just plain wierd. Even creation and science attest to God's power... the God of the bible I mean. Answering direct questions like that is hard though. I always feel wierd about it, like being caught off guard or something.