Are theists in it because they desire to know the truth, or are they simply in it for the swag?

* In this case, the swag is: A sense of meaning and purpose, better health, an eternal life, and whatever other goodies that theists imagine come along for the ride.

Overwhelmingly, it's about the swag.

Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, etc. all have exemplary contemplatives and mystics in their traditions. But that requires time, patience, focus, and effort. That's too much like real work. It's better to bypass all of that drudgery, if possible, and claim whatever goodies one's special book promises. (Bonus points for Christians who like to cite Paul's doctrine of grace, without troubling themselves much over his many admonishments regarding a Christian's proper behavior.)

Yeah . . . eternal life, God's many blessings (health, prosperity, etc.), the satisfaction of "knowing" that God is as troubled as you are by the people you don't like, the joys of paradise, the excitement of being a central character in a universal salvation drama. We all know what a pallid enticement truth is compared to that.

God is worth knowing and to be loved with all our hearts. Any blessings that come as a result of that, just happens to be because he is a great guy and blesses his searchers with immense blessings.

(May 29, 2018 at 10:55 am)MysticKnight Wrote: God is worth knowing and to be loved with all our hearts. Any blessings that come as a result of that, just happens to be because he is a great guy and blesses his searchers with immense blessings.

Yeah having an invisible friend that you think is all-powerful, is looking out for you and has a plan for your life is just sooooo comforting.  Fantasies usually are.

(May 29, 2018 at 10:59 am)drfuzzy Wrote:

(May 29, 2018 at 10:55 am)MysticKnight Wrote: God is worth knowing and to be loved with all our hearts. Any blessings that come as a result of that, just happens to be because he is a great guy and blesses his searchers with immense blessings.

Yeah having an invisible friend that you think is all-powerful, is looking out for you and has a plan for your life is just sooooo comforting.  Fantasies usually are.

Thank you.

Swag seems to be the overriding reason.

They claim to already know the truth, which in no way coincides with reality as we currently understand it, and rather than acknowledge the neutrality of I don't know they prefer to revel in delusion. If they genuinely sought truth, they would at least be agnostic rather than theistic.

They are in it because they are too chickenshit to dare question authority.

(May 29, 2018 at 12:30 pm)Minimalist Wrote: They are in it because they are too chickenshit to dare question authority.

God and his chosen ones are the real means to rebel against all false authority and leadership.

Swag and a feeling of  moral superiority within a community. (maybe that's part of the swag definition, I'm not sure)