Growing up with my father being a minister, I had to separate him into two categories. Father/spiritual advisor. Hearing him plant seeds everywhere, and NOT really spend time with me, it was hard to get passed his hipocrocies. Once I was able to do that, and get a college education, I got to a point of understanding "definition of the situation". Define the situation as real, and it's real in it's consequences. Therefore, what you "believe" in is going to aid you if you believe in it, regardless of the outcome. I believe in the gospel of Christ, and pray in times of good AND bad. When I help my friends with some of life's hard times, I don't preach to them in the name of Christ, but use what Christ taught to help them. I'm not a minister, but it feels like I went to church after thoughts like that. I define that as a good deed, therefore a good deed it was.

In a nutshell, I look at Christianity as doing what you think Christ would do in a given situation. It really helps because of his levels of compassion. Compassion being, "taking the troubles of someone and putting them on your back without allowing to weigh YOU down as well." People see you able to carry the weight of your troubles AND theirs, and it give them "hope". Another intangable perception that helps people through.