Why I'm Still a Christian

[Esquilax]

Last week I was in the midst of pursuing a discussion in this forum concerning a loving God when I suddenly realized that I had argued the same points numerous times before, and that this discussion would end the same way as all the rest - in seeming futility. This made me begin to re-examine why I spend so much time here and why I had even begun in the first place. I decided to back off, take a breather and summarize in my mind what had transpired in my thinking and beliefs since I had joined the form on December 14, 2013. What I have discovered is there has been quite a change since that day. I found that it can be very scary to venture out of the comfortable world that you've come to accept and face new possibilities. My thought was that if my faith was real and defensible, it should stand up up to all the questions, and I wanted to face them head-on. As I found out, you folks here were only too happy to oblige me in that regard.

Good for you: the truth doesn't have anything to fear from investigation, and kudos for having the wherewithal to understand that.

Here's some things that have changed since Dec 14, 2013:

I was a progressive creationist and I am now an evolutionist. I've acquired a greater appreciation for what science can teach us.

This makes me happy; I've never thought of evolution as some grand, dichotomous schism with religion, just as an astoundingly elegant and interesting topic that some people refuse to entertain beyond their own myopia. Seeing someone else share in that world, where before they wouldn't have, is gratifying.

Although I was never a biblical literalist, I am now more convinced that the bible is true and inspired, but it was not written to be a scientific or historical textbook, and so it can't always be relied to be specifically accurate in that regard.

That'll do wonders for your cognitive dissonance.

I was against gay marriage and civil unions, but I now support civil unions, but not gay marriage. I don't think the government has any business in marriage.

I've never understood this: you don't believe the government should have a stake in marriage, but at the same time believe that gay people should be prevented from getting married in favor of civil unions? If the government gets out of marriage then there will be nothing preventing gay marriage at all. So, what's the solution? Should the government prevent gay marriage but allow civil unions, undercutting half of your beliefs here? Or should the government not stand in the way, turning the whole thing into little more than a moral stance based on an argument from tradition?

Unfortunately, I can't say I've made any friends here, but I think if we could meet in person that would happen.

Actually, you're one of the few theists here that I feel like I'd enjoy being around.