"To those of you who have left the Christian faith, I'm asking you to stop and think for a minute about what I have to say to you."
Ookay. But be warned, the reason I left the Church in the first place was thinking about things people told me.
"The Christian faith is not about following a bunch of rules,"
But the entire argument against Same Sex Marriage is based upon the rules we're supposed to follow, right?
The protests against abortion are all based on scripture, most of them rules.
The complaints against wiccans in the army, evolution in the schools, sex on TV, unseemly clothing, divorce, multiculturalism... Christains just won't shut the fuck up about the rules they think they AND the rest of us need to follow. So, thinking about this, I think you're not accurate, here.
"it's not a religion."
Yes, it is. That's why it benefits from tax exemptions for religion. If you want the Churches to start paying taxes, convince them they're not religions...
"Christianity is coming into personal, experiential, and intimate relationship with God."
Ookay... And about rules, and about religion.
"For me it all started when ...the supernatural."
Okay, you have a miracle story. I do not have any corroboration from a medical professional that it was a miracle. So it's about as compelling as the talking donkey or the world-wide-flood. It's a story.
And you didn't even establish a personal relationship with God, then, did you? At best, your mom did.
At worst, you have a mutant healing factor like Wolverine, and there was no god involved.
I lack the tools or access to determine what actually happened, and you are too indoctrinated to ask the important questions about what happened.
So, no, this was NOT where it started for you, because you were already primed to believe the 'goddidit' explanation.
"Christianity is not a philosophy to me nor is it a matter of intellectual debate,"
Yeah, I can see that. YOu would be better equipped for supporting your claims if it were a matter of debate. But you jump straight to the desired conclusion, without much in the way of philosophy or intellectual support.
"It is a relationship with a loving God."
Something happened. You attribute it to God. That's not exactly a relationship WITH God.
I note that your 'loving' god does fuck-all for kids in hurricanes or earthquakes or abortions, but rushed to save your ass from...a cut. How do you justify your miracle(s) in the face of his inaction elsewhere?
"I am a Christian because I have experienced God firsthand more than once."
Okay. You're convinced of that. You offer nothing to convince me, though. Are you SURE you meant for me to think about what you said, rather than just swallow it without thought?