Why am I a Christian? It's a long journey and I couldn't possible encapsulate it in a series of tweets. Here are the cliff notes.
I converted at the age of 39. Why?
This is not in strict chronological order; it'll be as I think of it.
1/20

I was never indoctrinated in Christianity. I only barely went to church in my youngest ages, until about 10 or 11. It most certainly wasn't a "high" church.
The only thing I would say I was indoctrinated in is truth and it's pursuit.
2/20

Around the same time I was convinced to read the Bible for myself, seriously, letting it speak for itself and not what others had to say of it; which I had never actually done.
Also, I began to question the foundation of my own humanist ideals.
3/20

I didn't necessarily question if they were true, but what (if) is the inviolable foundation of my own humanism? I found that logic and reason couldn't get me there. All I could hold onto was a blind belief; which is entirely unacceptable.
4/20

I was reading the Bible seriously. I didn't yet believe.
What I did find in the Bible was an accurate reflection of the pattern of reality, and I found what appeared to be the source of my humanist values.
5/20

I've studied history my whole life. Although, I've at various pts been an militant atheist, casual atheist, agnostic, general pagan, and Norse pagan.
This time I decided to reexamine history with neutrality toward Christianity. I was surprised by what I found.
6/20

Much like others, I see the direct influence of Christianity, in positives ways, to values that I already held very dear.
I don't think my examination is that much different than @holland_tom, the classical historian not the actor.
7/20

To my surprise, as well, the scholarly consensus is that Jesus of Nazareth did exist as a physical person located in time and place. The Gospels accurately portray the genre of biographies of antiquity, and also vary as one would expect of eye witness accounts.
8/20

Likewise, the archeology of the Gospels is and has been reliable. They were written by people familiar with the culture and the location.
9/20

The effects of Christianity on Rome after the reported death of Jesus is incredible as well. Much of the culture of the Romans is foreign to our modern minds. They held some very different foundational values from us, which is not at all uncommon for antiquity.
10/20

Also, that Jesus of Nazareth is attested to outside of the Bible in historical sources.
Another compelling thing I found in the Bible was the overwhelming emphasis on the truth; the importance of it's pursuit and possession.
11/20

I was concerned about the Bible itself. How reliably was texts of the NT I was now reading handed down? It turns out very well. No, we don't have the original writings. However, the number of copies are incredible, and nearly all the differences don't matter, at all.
12/20

I looked at science. I found convincing arguments for God there. Yes, the Kalam argument, although it doesn't seal the deal.
Quantum mechanics. Something like this.
http://depthsofpentecost.com/blog/something-from-nothing?fbclid=IwAR1uklprbS1rMj_LBNw4J8XT6Wb_D7v-7OOoF8A5c-nZWNIpaH23-nra6x0
13/20

The origin of life is not at all figured out. Evolution is different than it's popular portrayal. I looked into evolution in much more depth.
It did not undo God.
14/20

The idea of reality being a hologram actually agreed with the Christian orthodoxy that the spiritual is more real than what we see as reality. That what we perceive as reality is a mere reflection, or looking through the glass darkly, of the spiritual realm.
15/20

Not that this is an utterly complete picture up to this point, but it's a cliff notes.
I'm reading the Bible, seriously. I'm begging to think it could be true, so I go to science, philosophy, history, science, and scholarship to see how it holds up. Turns out pretty well.
16/20

I'm reading the Bible and I'm becoming convinced there is more deep truth there than I can quite grasp; it's just outside of my reach. I'm at a wall.
So, I take the Bible at it's word, and I pray to God for (not mine but) His wisdom.
Everything changed from there.
17/20

I am pretty well a believer at this point. Did I have faith? No, because faith is a gift from God, in that He gives us the proof of why He can be trusted; which is the Biblical definition of faith.
18/20

Now, I start experiencing God in my life, and I'm seeing behind the veil of the words of the Bible.
That's where I'll stop on this tweet storm. I intend to fill this journey out further.
I'm writing a blog, or maybe a book; I'm not sure which it will be.
19/20

You may not agree, but surely you can see I have not been tricked by blind belief, or unquestioning belief in what someone has told me. Further, I would like to express that mine is a reasonable faith, and I am a reasonable person.

Thank you for reading, God bless.