Why are you (still) a Christian?

[Belacqua]

I can understand the various reasons that someone may convert, but I'm curious as to why someone would retain their belief after years of being a Christian and having spent time studying the bible and theology, looking at arguments for/against, and so on.

So, for those who have been a believing adult for more than 5 years, and who are feel they're conversant on the various arguments for/against, what is it that keeps you believing?  

Any particular philosophical positions, or specific events that happened, or a particular inner feeling or intuition, etc?

You're asking good and important questions, but I don't think you'll find anyone here who's willing to answer in a good way. It's understandable why intelligent Christians will take one look at the insults here and move on.

One of most intelligent, level-headed, and well-educated people I've ever known converted to Christianity while he was in graduate school. Last I heard he was a Catholic, teaching Ancient Greek philosophy in one of the top-ranked philosophy departments in the world. 

There may have been personal reasons I don't know about, but for the most part he was persuaded by philosophical arguments. 

Shortly after his conversion he posted on this forum briefly, but he was unable to find friendly discussions because people wanted to fight him so badly, and typed mostly insults, so he moved on. 

I knew another guy who was an economist in the Clinton White House, who was well-known for telling Larry Summers that Summers' policies would harm the country. He was right about that. After Bush replaced Clinton he got a job teaching at an elite school in Switzerland, because his wife had some kind of job in Geneva. He converted to Christianity at that point, because he was persuaded by arguments along the lines of those made by Martin Buber (though Buber was Jewish) and other recent theologians. There was a community of such people in Switzerland. The kind of Christianity he adopted is nothing like the kind which is discussed on this forum, with talking snakes and angry sky-daddies. 

When I did my doctoral dissertation in the philosophy of art, I ended up writing about certain Christian artists, and how their theology determined their ways of making art. To my surprise I found that there are large areas of theology that are not only far better thought-out than the caricatures we usually hear about, but appealing in a human way. I've never been a Christian, and in fact never been inside a church unless it was to look at the art. But I think we have to keep in mind that other people know things that we don't, and have good reasons for what they do. 

So again, I think it's great that you're asking the question, but I think no answers will be forthcoming in this place.