The most important reason I'm xtian

[Esquilax]

However, aside from the sniping, there is half of a valid point here. Mr Spock here speaks of being consistently analytical. How far is this a good thing? I mean clearly there are times when being analytical is appropriate (science, medicine etc), and times when it gets in the way (sex drugs and rock and roll).

Perhaps not everywhere, but in terms of existential claims, wherein there's a definite, objectively true answer? Like, say... the existence of a god? Analysis is definitely good there, especially when the specific claim asks so much of you in return for believing it.

Jacob, if the pronouncements of christianity have helped you, if you like them, then that's great; I'd point out that those things can stick with you irrespective of your actual christianity. You don't need the big guy upstairs commanding you to obey them, nor should you: you're a goddamn adult, and as far as I can tell, one with his head firmly screwed onto his shoulders in all but this one single issue. Why not just keep the good aspects that you enjoy, and shuck the rest? We atheists do it every day: the good parts don't belong to christianity anyway, they've just been co-opted.

Because the only rational way to approach the question of religion, which has a very specific, objectively true or false claim at its heart, has nothing to do with how it makes you feel, simply because if the existential claim isn't true then those feelings have and will continue to come from you. If the claim is true, if there is a god, then those things are, at least in part, contributed by divine source, I'll freely grant that, but the only way to get to that point is to determine the existence of the god first, rather than making assumptions.

Now, you've mentioned being born again, and having a religious experience, which might provide more justification than you've currently given, but even that would require some serious investigation.