I think the way we're talking about it here is more thought than many believers bother to go through.
Could be a cultural thing. In the U.S. most people consider themselves "christian" but in a very vague way. Basically saying you're Christian=being a good person. When you start getting into the topic of hell and sinning, that's where you could lose them, because if you asked someone point blank "Hey do you think that kind old jewish man over there deserves to burn in hell?" They are most likely going to think no, but their bible says yes, so they just rely on "god's way is not our own" or "it's not for me to judge".
I personally know a lot about Christianity, its history, and different takes on it because I taught myself about it. To me it was a nightmare I had to figure out. I think a majority of people stop that questioning process, and just equate being a christian with being a good person and loving others. Which is totally fine. A large portion, if you showed them many things in the bible (especially in the old testament) would be repulsed. Who knew God had a thing for rape and killing infant children.
All people are different, everyone is going to have their own views on Christianity. My upbringing is from the fundamentalist, fire and brimstone variety, so it's natural that the "scary stuff" would color my view of the religion as a whole.
Having learned about its history, and knowing that the early teachers may have seen it as metaphor and symbolic, I'm more willing to see the good things that are in there. But that's only after rejecting a literal interpretation.
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