After reading ALL the posts (up to this point - which took quite some time), let me offer the following "kind" hypothesis:
Religion is merely an illusion. It's a massive attempt at wish fulfillment. Religion is based on nothing more than our infantile feelings of helplessness and the consequent desire to be protected by an all powerful person who becomes God.
Religion is a dangerous illusion because it keeps humankind in a childish state.
As science matures humankind should stand on its own.
I hope this helps.
You have missed something not revealed to those who only live by the body or the soul. There exists a spirit life which isn’t known by those who do not exercise faith through Christ.
The human spirit is discernible from activity in the mind or in the heart. Without that human spirit being regenerated by God the Holy Spirit, no man is able to understand the significance of that new life. It has absolutely nothing to do with psychology. Psychology might influence a believer’s continuing growth in the spirit by God’s Plan, but only the soulish person confuses the human spirit with the human soul.
These issues have been known for millenia. Surely one cannot consider themselves very well educated if they haven’t grasped such rudimentary basics available even to children.
I don’t hope this helps, but instead I express my love for my fellow man enough to encourage you not to take my word for it, but rather take His Word for it and afford Him a simple amount of faith so that He might lead you to understand what this Christianity thing is all about.
Science might provide some assurances in empiricism and rationalism, but is void with respect to the perception system only available through faith in Christ.
You have been missing out on one of the most enthralling adventures available to you. It begins with faith through Christ, not imagination, not illusion, not feelings, not religion.
I see you must have taken a Psych class. Good for you. Now explain how the first life form was created.
I would like to add one more comment...
Having "the calling" ain't exactly a joy ride. In fact it's a real pain in the arse sometimes. Trust me.
Also, the idea that that science could ever be exact is a myth...the more you know about science, the more you will find that we don't know jack dittle.
Nope, it’s a relationship with God, not a “wish fulfillment”.
Hope this helps your understanding of Christianity!