(March 5, 2015 at 10:07 pm)watchamadoodle Wrote: I watched a little documentary tonight about how Louis Zamperini (of the "Unbroken" film) overcame his problems after receiving Christ at a Billy Graham revival.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Zamperini
I also enjoy watching a preacher named TD Jakes ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._D._Jakes ). His message is usually about achieving your dreams - nothing specific to Christianity or the Bible.
So... why can't atheists analyze the good things and the bad things in Christianity and gradually redesign it? Instead of being forced through the trauma of deconversion, and the humiliation of realizing that they had been duped, Christians could continue with the faith they love. However, that faith would be gradually adjusted to remove the factual and philosophical weaknesses and to remove the harmful effects on the believers and society. Buddhists do not have as much cognitive dissonance as Christians endure. There is no reason IMO that Christianity couldn't be fixed.
The Jewish people don't even read the Old Testament in the manner in which 'bible only' Christians do. There is a Talmud and, I think, other books that interpret some of the Old Testament laws in a slightly softer manner. Many Christians already don't really pay attention to what their bible says. They do good works and are kind, loving people because they ignore most of that book
Like you, I have a friend who found peace when she felt that something greater than herself loved her. She came from an abusive home and suffered with feelings of worthlessness her whole life. I wouldn't kick out her crutch either because it might do her more harm than good. Sometimes people don't give up faith until it serves whatever purpose they need in their lives.
I have wondered the same thing as the OP. Some people seem to need a religion and if we could get rid of Christianity, those people would replace faith with something else. Maybe that something else would be worse.
