Theism is literally childish

[KevinM1]

As an outsider to religion, the line for me becomes incredibly blurred when theists start talking about their relationship with their god.  Are they merely ascribing fortuitous events as a sign that their god's telling them they're on the right path?  Do they actually, literally hear what they presume to be their deity?

It's just strikes me as incredibly odd.  And, in any case, I find master/servant relationships troublesome.

No, we don't "actually literally" hear voices in our head. When we say we have a relationship with God we mean that we pray to God, we try to learn about Him particularly through the life and teachings of Jesus, and we try to live by His principles.

I wouldn't describe it as a master servant relationship. We think of Him as our Father.

But, here's my hangup: an actual father is there. You can actually talk to them, and they'll actually respond. Moreover, a parent's job is to prepare their child for independence, when they're an adult and on their own. In most cases, we outlive our parents. I don't see any flavor of Christianity preparing its followers for such a time. Quite the opposite, since heaven isn't about independence, but rather a (re?)joining.

Again, I freely admit that I don't get it. Never have, and likely never will. I don't grasp the appeal, let alone the logic. I don't hate theists; like I've said before, most of the closest people in my life are a believer of one stripe or another. But I don't think I'll ever truly be able to understand them. It just doesn't make any sense to me at the most fundamental level.