Christians... why do you identify as Christian?

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Several reasons:

1. Most religions in the world are based on the concept that you can achieve some sort of reward in the afterlife for being a good person and doing good deeds in your life on Earth.  The Christian faith teaches that no matter how good you are, you will never be good enough to earn God's favor through your own efforts.  In my mind, it is much easier to admit that you're not good enough, repent of your sins and accept Jesus' death and resurrection for your forgiveness than it is to try working your way into heaven yourself.  (Unfortunately, many Christian traditions have abandoned this and gone to a legalistic, works-based salvation such as last-day perfectionism.)

2. I was raised in a Christian family, and thus my outlook on life is more likely to reflect a Christian worldview.

3. A modified/extended version of Pascal's wager.  In other words, it is safer to accept Jesus as the Son of God and be wrong than it is to reject Him and be wrong.  

[Oldiesfreak1854]

3. A modified/extended version of Pascal's wager.  In other words, it is safer to accept Jesus as the Son of God and be wrong than it is to reject Him and be wrong. 

Pascal's Wager doesn't really work in Christianity because it is a faith based religion, not a works based religion.

Read the post again.  I wasn't applying Pascal's wager to the existence of God; I was applying it to the belief in Jesus as the Son of God.  I realize this wasn't the way it was originally used, but it still applies.

And why would it only apply to works-based religions?  Believing that God exists requires as much faith as believing that Jesus is His Son.