How can Christians not admit Christianity is all a pile of garbage when ...?

[Abracadabra]

So, the ad populum was one? That's definitely the one I think is probably the most convincing to children (as you've mentioned, all of these people, adults, your parents...they can't be wrong).

Well, that's absolutely the case for me. Had I not been born into the religion by family and culture, I would have never even considered it. I would have passed it off just as quickly as Greek mythology is passed off by Christians. It's not even worthy of giving deep consideration to it.

So yes, the fact that I was born into a close-knit family and local culture that believed in and supported this religion was a major factor. But let's face it, it's also in movies and every aspect of humanity. Not to mention that it used to also be supported by schools as well.

It's clearly a religion that has a very long history of trying to brainwash people to support it, lest they be proclaimed "heathens" and rejected from mainstream society.

Have you ever considered that maybe god is mean, and nasty, and a male chauvinist (or that he is all of those things and also omnibenevolent-as per your sig line..why would god be bound by logic)?

A God that is not bound by that kind of logic would be an untrustworthy God. How could you put your TRUST in a totally untrustworthy God?

More over, why would anyone want to worship a God who's as ignorant and stupid as a barroom drunkard?

If such a God were real, I could never "worship" it or wish to become its eternal servant. At best all I could do is pretend to like it just to avoid it's unreasonable evil wrath. But a supposedly omniscient God who knows what's truly in the hearts and minds of men would know that I was only pretending anyway. So you couldn't fool this demonic God anyway.

In short, if the biblical God truly is a mean nasty bastard then I'd be doomed no matter what. Appealing to Jesus to "save" me from such a hateful demonic God would be futile.

The religion would break down anyway.

So that doesn't help.

I mean, I don't like the idea either, but that doesn't mean it can't be true because of those things. God might be exactly the kind of bastard you wouldn't like. That's not really much of a reason for disbelief in god, simply because you don't like him or the type of being he is said to be. Though it's obviously more than enough reason not to worship him.

But you've just sealed the deal right there.

If you couldn't sincerely respect or worship a mean dastardly God. Then it would be futile for you to appeal to Jesus to 'save' you from this God.

In fact, you're supposed to love this God with all your mind, heart, and soul. If you couldn't do that with sincerity then even Jesus would be powerless to 'save' you.

So the overall religion cannot be "saved" by merely confessing that the God of this religion truly is an asshole prick. That can't work.

I mean, damn, if person has to that far to try to salvage this mythology shouldn't they start to seriously question why they are trying so hard to salvage a myth that proclaims that our creator is a bigger jerk than a common street thug?

On a related note, have you ever wondered if your upbringing might have left a legacy of gullibility in it's wake? That the claims you were raised with might have conditioned you to be accepting towards other, similar claims, or requiring of a replacement once your sense of the numinous had been lost with regards to those once cherished(i use the term loosely, very loosely) but now discarded beliefs?

If anything I hope the experience has taught me just the opposite. I'm never going to accept anything anyone ever tells me again without delving into it deeply on my own and questioning everything about it!

I agree, trying to salvage these myths with regards to reality is pointless, but the same can be said of the vedas, or the various myths that form the focus of worship in Wicca, etc.

I agree. Especially if you are going to hold the Vedas, or anything published about Wicca as though it is some sort of "gospel truth" or dogma.

In truth I use the term "Wicca" extremely loosely. I can guarantee you that many people who claim to be "Wiccans" would not support my views concerning "Wicca".

In fact, it's really a bit of cheat for me to even use that term. I use it for personal reasons, and I'm well aware that it drives atheists bananas. (ha ha)

I have my own reasons for using the term.