There is no more transformative power in Christianity than there is in any other socially constructed system.

I think you can also add the observation that if God only transformed through one religion, then we wouldn’t see the same types of transformations in religions such as Mormonism, or Islam. We wouldn’t even see this type of transformation in atheism.

are these people actually not as Christian as they proclaim to be? Could it not be that actually, they aren’t practicing what they’re preaching, because they don’t actually believe it?

carriedthecross, I suppose you could have seen this coming. I think it would be safe to say that nobody really is a Christian then, except for a select few – a very select few.

Who, Pete, if I may ask, are the people that actually “follow through” with their faith? Priests? Pastors? Missionaries? “Good” Christians? Pete, you are on a very slippery apologetic slope here, not to mention theologically absurd. What does it mean, to you, to “follow through” with your “faith”? What do you think it meant to Jesus… Paul…. Peter?

Lots of people are willing to pay lip-service to their faith; very few actually follow through.

I always liked the saying “I’d listen to your words, but your actions call you a liar”

Very salient point and an excellent commentary overall. This was one of the major “cognitive dissonance” issues that came up during my deconversion, and still rings very true for me.

But do you act it? Do you really? Are you kinder, more loving, more compassionate? Do you love your enemies as well as you love your friends? And do you show it?

I had always thought that is there was a transformative power in Christianity it was meant not to change yourself, but to change the way you reacted to and connected to other people.