> Chris wrote:
>
> >Myself being a non-believer in the system of christian philosophy, is
> >in love
> >with a hardcore fundamental christian girl. The problem: the girl's
> >always
> >attending some christian function. I have participated in these
> >rituals and
> >even studyed the bible. I often attempt to point out the illogic
> >principals
> >that the new testament is based on. But this girl is hardcore into the
> >bible, in fact often times she memorizes passages believing that this
> >will
> >bring her into a better light with a god.
> >
> >I have been reading the mail from the virus church and trying to
> >reconcile
> >why it is she is such a believer?
>
> First, what is your purpose in being in this relationship? If it's to
> enjoy the good feelings you get when you are with each other, I would
> STRONGLY advise you that EVERY time you have a negative thought about
> her, you weed it out and replace it with a thought that makes you feel
> good. Until you grok how different her process is from your own, and are
> OK with that, you will poison the relationship with critical vibes,
> expressed or not.
>
> The purpose of the Christian rituals are to make your life work better,
> not to be logical. You may think of God and Christ as metaphors -- but
> don't argue this point with her; she's on her own Path.
>
> Why is she such a believer? That's where the memetic currents and eddies
> of her life brought her. Unless you're her therapist, it's not your job
> to fix her. Don't pluck the imperfect petals from your flower or you'll
> be left with a withered, ugly stem.
>
> Richard Brodie RBrodie@brodietech.com +1.206.688.8600
> CEO, Brodie Technology Group, Inc., Bellevue, WA USA
> http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie
> Do you know what a "meme" is? http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/meme.htm
> >
>
First of all, I want to note that Richard Brodie's response is a good one.
Some of the rest of us instantly focused on 'how to fix her', which is not
really a good idea.
Second, I noticed on rereading the original letter that that's not even
what Chris asked for. He *said*
>I have been reading the mail from the virus church and trying to
>reconcile
>why it is she is such a believer?
Well, there are a lot of reasons people believe in the Christian religion.
Among them:
--That's what they grew up with, their parents believed it and taught
them.
--Christianity is very widespread, and they may not have encountered
alternatives, or have encountered them only from a Christian perspective
as 'heresy' or 'paganism'.
--Christianity offers readier answers to such questions as 'what should I
do with my life?', 'what comes after death?', 'am I being a good person?',
than a lot of other systems, including no system.
--Christianity has built-in rewards (salvation) and threats (damnation).
If a person accepts those, e is 'hooked' on the system.
--Similarly, the Christian God demands monotheistic worship, so anyone who
believes in Him as the author of the Bible is 'hooked' on (and limited
to) the whole system of rules and beliefs.
--Christianity provides absolutes and guidance to people who are lost in a
cruel or confusing world.
--Christianity offers an all-forgiving God to those who feel abandoned by
everyone else.
Not being a Christian myself, I am sure I don't understand the appeal
fully. Obviously, it hasn't worked on me. But just as obviously,
Christianity feels right and true to millions of people.
Eva