Convert me!

[KichigaiNeko]

How old are you Penhorse?

[Napoléon]

indeed. Religion is like a penis. It's great to have one, to be proud of it and great to enjoy it, but annoying when you try to ram it down other people's throats!

You completely missed the main point of his post (although your little wordplay was rather amusing)

Science is better at understanding reality.

The question is whether you care about understanding reality, or do you care about having a warm fuzzy feeling inside you.

[Penhorse340]

How old are you Penhorse?

I'm 34. Why what colour are your eyes? I'm afraid i'm spoken for if your after a date...

"The question is whether you care about understanding reality, or do you care about having a warm fuzzy feeling inside you"

I agree 100% that science is the only way to understand reality.
I disagree with the dichotomy you present. There are areas in which I need to understand reality and in those, its science all the way. However there is no need to choose between reality and warm fuzzies, there is a time and a place for both. Not everything requires deconstruction and dissection.

Example. I like good whisky. I'm happy to leave it there. I don't need to understand why, or how it works. I'm sure there is a whole scientific theorem about how tastes affect our brain chemistry and that's a vital reality for someone. I however just want to sip and say "ahhhh" without troubling myself with the reality of my experience.

[Napoléon]

Example. I like good whisky. I'm happy to leave it there. I don't need to understand why, or how it works. I'm sure there is a whole scientific theorem about how tastes affect our brain chemistry and that's a vital reality for someone. I however just want to sip and say "ahhhh" without troubling myself with the reality of my experience.

But then the reason you are a christian is not because it is correct, rather because you simply like it.

Now that's fine, but don't sit there expecting people to take your religion seriously.

[Cinjin]

Ok, here's my problem. I'm a Christian. I'm not mad keen on most other christians, we seem to attract more than our share of dicks. I'm downright embarrassed by mainstream christianities attempts at science. The bible seems to me full of contradiction and irrationality.

But here's the thing, religion offers something. An easy answer to lifes hard questions, a(broadly) functional moral code to live by, and something to cuddle when I get afraid of the dark (metaphysically speaking). I've heard religion described as a crutch and I think that's true. If I decide not to believe in god any longer, to throw away the crutch are there any upsides to replace all that stuff?

ok first of all, and this is VERY important, don't listen to ANYTHING this guy says, he's the fruitiest one we've got here.

Seems to me, for your life you have chosen Christianity as a crutch to hide from life, that's sad you know. You can not find in scripture that God is to be used as a crutch and Jesus taught that we are not exempted from the troubles of life, what He said was this, He would be there as a friend to always go through life with us hard parts and good parts.
If you think scriptures are bogus then why would you choose Christianity over other beliefs, if the first three chapters of Genesis are not true then all scripture is questionable. This would make God untrustworthy and in that my friend you should truly find yourself in a situation of discomfort.

Secondly, you only THINK religion offers you something. The truth is, you only hold onto it because like most everyone else, you're subconsciously (or maybe consciously) afraid of death and the finality of it all. First things first on that issue: You don't need religion to believe in an afterlife, and once you get rid of the idiocy of religion you probably won't care about the existence of an afterlife anyway.

Freedom is so so very sweet. I was a dumbfuck christian for nearly 20 years. The BEST thing I ever did in my life was get rid of that idiotic religion. Life is about 1000% better.

[Penhorse340]

Example. I like good whisky. I'm happy to leave it there. I don't need to understand why, or how it works. I'm sure there is a whole scientific theorem about how tastes affect our brain chemistry and that's a vital reality for someone. I however just want to sip and say "ahhhh" without troubling myself with the reality of my experience.

But then the reason you are a christian is not because it is correct, rather because you simply like it.

Now that's fine, but don't sit there expecting people to take your religion seriously.

Yep! Got it first bounce I like it! I'm supremely indifferent as to whether other people take my religion seriously! Not that liking something and it being correct are mutually exclusive by that is absolutely my motivation!

Which is sort of the op. If I like religion, is there a good reason to abandon it? Is a comforting half truth better than a bleak one?

@Cinjin
That's interesting, you say life is better for you post deconversion (or whatever the correct term is). If it's not a rude question, were you raised as a Christian? Or were you atheist - Christian - atheist. I ask because my experience was atheist - Christian and I was miserable as an atheist.

Oh and I listen to everyone ;-) although I don't often agree with them...

[Mystic]

Is the idea of everyone but Christians going to hell a comforting thought? Does it give you peace?

[Haydn2]

Yep! Got it first bounce I like it! I'm supremely indifferent as to whether other people take my religion seriously! Not that liking something and it being correct are mutually exclusive by that is absolutely my motivation!

Which is sort of the op. If I like religion, is there a good reason to abandon it? Is a comforting half truth better than a bleak one?

@Cinjin
That's interesting, you say life is better for you post deconversion (or whatever the correct term is). If it's not a rude question, were you raised as a Christian? Or were you atheist - Christian - atheist. I ask because my experience was atheist - Christian and I was miserable as an atheist.

Oh and I listen to everyone ;-) although I don't often agree with them...

Half truths don't exist and there is no alternative to the truth , bleak or not.

[Faith No More]

Penhorse340, I guess now you have to decide whether the easy yet false comfort that Christianity is more important that understanding the universe as it truly is even though finding comfort that way may take time and effort.

[Brian37]

Ok, here's my problem. I'm a Christian. I'm not mad keen on most other christians, we seem to attract more than our share of dicks. I'm downright embarrassed by mainstream christianities attempts at science. The bible seems to me full of contradiction and irrationality.

But here's the thing, religion offers something. An easy answer to lifes hard questions, a(broadly) functional moral code to live by, and something to cuddle when I get afraid of the dark (metaphysically speaking). I've heard religion described as a crutch and I think that's true. If I decide not to believe in god any longer, to throw away the crutch are there any upsides to replace all that stuff?

ok first of all, and this is VERY important, don't listen to ANYTHING this guy says, he's the fruitiest one we've got here.

Seems to me, for your life you have chosen Christianity as a crutch to hide from life, that's sad you know. You can not find in scripture that God is to be used as a crutch and Jesus taught that we are not exempted from the troubles of life, what He said was this, He would be there as a friend to always go through life with us hard parts and good parts.
If you think scriptures are bogus then why would you choose Christianity over other beliefs, if the first three chapters of Genesis are not true then all scripture is questionable. This would make God untrustworthy and in that my friend you should truly find yourself in a situation of discomfort.

Secondly, you only THINK religion offers you something. The truth is, you only hold onto it because like most everyone else, you're subconsciously (or maybe consciously) afraid of death and the finality of it all. First things first on that issue: You don't need religion to believe in an afterlife, and once you get rid of the idiocy of religion you probably won't care about the existence of an afterlife anyway.

Freedom is so so very sweet. I was a dumbfuck christian for nearly 20 years. The BEST thing I ever did in my life was get rid of that idiotic religion. Life is about 1000% better.

Yes and no. An atheist can have good luck in life just like a Muslim or Christian. Hitchens and Dawkins have done economically well, where as I am dirt poor.

I agree that it is better, in the sense that I am not stuck on utopias, and that the baggage of others projecting themselves on me is not as much an issue as it was when I did believe. And even outside the issue of religion, the projection of others as to "what I should do" as if life is a script, which it is not, it is a range. When I finally came to the realization that I could only be myself, it got better. I am still dirt poor. But I have met tons of miserable rich people.

Life really is what you make it and material things are not the measure of a human. I would much rather have a shorter life being poor than ending up like Gadaffi who was a billionaire who owned stock in GE.

Life will always have ups and downs, no matter class or nationality or race or religion. The ultimate sucky thing none of us can escape will happen to us all.