Scout, TL TR,

if you were born in Iran/Iraq 800 years ago, you would probably have been Christian, but, geography & conquest (up til this very day) is extinguishing the last shreads of Christianity (& Zoroastrian) belief in what was Persia.

The idea of parental influence is significant and modern times is seeing part of your hypothesis tested - many children are brought up in a 'disreligious' environment. However, the 'follow mum & dad' bit doesn't explain how Christianity spread in earliest times.

One could argue that State Sanctioned Christianity and Muslim 'reversion' (ie. armed conquest) 'forced' converts, but, raising children in a faith doesn't gaurantee its adoption.

Yabber,
Thanks for fielding the geography question. If born elsewhere, I would be a different person, for a start. So it is a strange question.

However, rationalising faith to equal geographical factors, only, actually underscores Bill's main point: There is far too much "Fuzzy thinking on religion".

Let's take Iran, since you suggested it:
A very good friend of mine, Daniel Shayesteh, and his wife Mary, now live in Australia.
They are Iranian. Daniel was a fundamentalist Islamic political leader, willing to take Jerusalem for Allah, with machine gun in hand, in the days of Ayatollah Khomeini . He was forced out of Iran, and found himself faced with the question of faith. Against all likelihood, he came to know Christ in a succession of unusual events. Today, he resides in Sydney, exiled from his own country, and would be murdered if he returned. He can tell also of a 90 year old Iranian man, too old to fear any longer, converting to Christ in his ninth decade of Iranian life.

Read Daniel' s story, if you would like to expand your thoughts on this matter:
http://www.cma.org.au/cmamissions/missprofiles.asp?name=Daniel%20Shayesteh

Or listen to a podcast:
http://www.mbn.org/genMoody/default.aspSectionID=D50CFEE30E6946D2B6D3DE04DA4F487F

Consider the changing of nations. Christians are familiar with many situations where this has and is happening: 100 million Chinese know the true God, in Christ Jesus.

Kind regards to you many stubborn skeptics!

True, raising children in a faith doesn't guarantee it's adoption. I'll wear that, though I'd certainly argue that it is indeed a large factor in church membership.

It's easier to convince children of fairy tales than adults.

As for the spread of Christianity in 'earliest times' there's a whole host of reasons - the parental influence can play a part, but these 'earliest times' probably didn't have the same devotion to free speech and thought that modern democracies espouse (in theory).
As such, adherence to a religion was in many cases enshrined in culture - as was the case with the comparatively recent (in historical terms) dark ages, when Christianity was simply the way of life.
There's also the fairly simplistic argument that the knowledge of science was rudimentary - the only available explanations came from the learned men who had realised that the key to power was through the authority inherent in organised religion.
I'd argue that this is a motivating factor in fundamentalist islam in third world countries - if a politician speaks of social justice through economic reform, there will be a large voting base who won't understand him. If he couches his rhetoric in religious dogma, his arguments become simplified and thus attractive to the lowest common denominator. (Also known as the 'abbott' method).

The last half dozen posts have shown one thing only...what you believe depends largely on where & when you are born.

So much for absolute truths, then?

Hi,

I don't think it's all "God exists because mummy told me so". My generation is quite sceptical, particularly of our parents' beliefs. We question everything. I think the Christians of my generation are least likely to be the brainwashed-from-home sort than any previous generation in Australia.

More than half of the many Christians I know in my age group (i.e. at my current youth group or who attended my secular high school) have non-Christian parents.

In fact, I have heard that 75% of today's Christians live outside of 'Christendom', the lands traditionally described as "Christian". As has been mentioned, there are multiple times as many Christians in China (where it is illegal to be Christian) as all types of people in Australia.

Personally I think persecution helps fuel religious growth, particularly Christian growth. Looking back to Constantine, we see he adopted the Christian religion (with his own pagan slant on it) because he saw the persecuted sect of people believing in some Jewish guy raised from the dead was outnumbering the people believing the state-sanctioned pagan religion.

TR TL,

in assessing pre Constantine Christianity your thoughts:

-same devotion to free speech and thought that modern democracies espouse (in theory).

- adherence to a religion was in many cases enshrined in culture - as was the case with the comparatively recent (in historical terms) dark ages, when Christianity was simply the way of life.

- knowledge of science was rudimentary - the only available explanations came from the learned men who had realised that the key to power was through the authority inherent in organised religion.

- lowest common denominator (Also known as the 'abbott' method)

do not answer the question "How did a relatively small number of 'reformed' and uneducated Jews cook up the Jesus story and make a goer of it?"

Discounting any supernatural element, the persecuted Apostles and their unarmed successors must be marketing geniuses unparalled in history - better than Pharoahs, Emperors or Barbarians and their armies?!

Alternatively, I think when Bill M and others speak of the Church in terms of 'reason' you will find that, whilst erroneous at times, the Church seeks and eventually finds the truth and contains the 'fullness of revelation' and has teachings consistent with human development.

Not perfect, but seeking perfection, not sinless but seeking the path or at least, a path, to holiness. Speaking with authority, yet, not imposing outcomes with armed force outside of reason. Only those who give their assent of Faith are guided (cf controlled) by the Church.

For all those who feel that the Church is a dictator and policy setter, I suggest that look at the actions of other NGO observers etc at the UN and their barrow pushing. Their relative success and the gullibility of sovereign States makes 'brainwashed' believers look so much the better...