Why do Christians become Christians?

[paulpablo]

It has come up in another thread that natural theology (philosophical arguments) are not the reason once becomes a Christian. Natural theology should be properly understood as support for the direct revelation and personal revelation from God (the Bible and personal relationship respectively).

I believe, especially for an adult not raised in a Christian home, it is the appeal of Jesus as a person coupled with his teachings that draws people. Why do these things resonate with a large number of people? 

It is obvious that we are somehow wired to believe in God/higher power/supernatural/purpose/destiny etc. Of course you will say this is a product of our evolution. There are several theories centered around the adaptive values of religion (social solidarity for one). However, these theories presuppose naturalism. So the result of this reasoning is that if God did exist or did not exist, we would still be wired to believe God exists. 

I think another reason this resonates with people is Jesus' main message that forgiveness, personal peace, a relationship with God, and eteral life is possible. 
a. there are a lot of people, who have had tough experiences that find the forgiveness and internal peace very appealing.
b. when you meet someone who has been a Christian a long time and exemplifies Jesus' teachings and shares how God has been a constant comfort and support to them in their daily lives, that is very appealing as well.
c. eternal life, how can you beat that? This component also helps you make sense/cope of the shortness of life, tragedies, and pain endured while we are here. 

Another appealing quality of Christianity is having the question of purpose and place in the universe answered. 
a. with atheism, at best, you are a happy accident with no overall purpose that will very shortly die and cease to exist.
b. contrast that with the purpose of man is to "Glorify God and enjoy him forever". We were created for a reason and daily life has purpose and you really want others to know what you have found. 

In addition, Jesus modeled his teachings of love, compassion, and forgiveness for your fellow man and in doing so set an example that, if aspired to, would result in a very fulfilling life. Perhaps you are not old enough, but once you contemplate the brevity of life, finding fulfillment becames important.

While I know the one-liners will start flying in a moment, please contemplate the point I made at the beginning: It is not the KCA, or where did life come from, or arguments about origins of morality that converts people to Christianity, it is Jesus and his message that does that and I thought it important to make that clear.

 Firstly, I think most Christians are indoctrinated from childhood and threatened with supernatural violence after death which is what helps them stay Christians .  It's also been spread via colonization.  Obviously we're talking about huge populations and general trends here, there are instances of conversions because people just liked the sound of a bit of the bible or quran.  But I think an overwhelming majority have been threatened with real or supernatual violence from a very young age to believe in their religion.

This isn't to say Jesus's messages were bad or that I disagree with them, just that Christians obviously don't want their children to go to hell so they tell them the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the sexually immoral, those who practice the magic arts the idolaters and the liars they will be consigned to the firey lake of sulphur
The same way any good believing Muslim who's a good parent doesn't want their child to go to hell so they tell them either you believe the quran or god will burn your flesh repeatedly on purpose so you will feel the pain.
Or at least you have to get these messages across at some point wouldn't you?  If I believed the words of the bible or the quran I'd have to get the message across to my children at some point that if they don't believe these books they will burn for an indefinite period of time.

Yeh people have a tenancy to be superstitious, I don't necessarily think this equals hardwiring to believe in god, there are tribes of people who believe in no god who never believed in god.  I don't have have to really go that far out of my own experience to think of some examples of people who don't seem to be hardwired to believe in god, I believed in god sort of when I was very young but I just kept questioning these weird unbelievable stories, and I had friends that just never ever took god seriously, as a joke in classes in my catholic school they would get down on their hands and knees and worship pictures of freddy kruger. 

I agree that Christianity and other religions provide purpose in life, and as an atheist it's important that this purpose is replaced by something.  But it's not impossible or even difficult to have another purpose other than religion, sometimes people can turn to unproductive or harmful purposes but it's basically a mixed bag.

Lastly, I don't remember much of the bible stories about Jesus but I'm sure they were very nice stories, the ones I do remember were very nice, but I still stand by my point I think most people are indoctrinated by threats of violence rather than liking the nice stories.