# Why don't Christians Skydive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 22, 2009, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-christians-skydive/482408 "2009-01-22T04:43:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-christians-skydive/482408/61 "2009-01-25T21:05:15Z")
There is one simple reason why Christians don’t skydive: ever since that whole tower of Babel disaster, most Christians have been conditioned to fear heights. ---
**Author:** ![Caveat\_lector\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@Caveat\_lector\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caveat_lector_1)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-christians-skydive/482408/62 "2009-01-26T18:33:31Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Lightnin’s point seems clear and central and unavoidable in matters of faith. It also supports a logical proposition that has always baffled me: > > 1. The best thing that can happen to anybody is to get to Heaven. > 2. Babies who have not had the opportunity to sin would get to Heaven if they died. > 3. Therefore the greatest gift a person could give would be to kill as many babies as possible. > > Don’t think I’m trying to be offensively funny. I’m not. I myself am athiest and so believe 1 and 2 are of course completely wrong. I have not the slightest wish to do anything harmful to babies. I wouldn’t even annoy a baby (unless perhaps he was reading Great Debates, but even then it would be unintentional). But I also think that people who really believe 1 and 2 would have to agree with 3. At least, I don’t see why they wouldn’t. It is just one example of a reduction to absurdity. There are a few problems with this argument. First, it ignores the situation of the actor. Killing lots of babies is a good way not to achieve salvation (assuming no mitigating factor like complete insanity or such) and even if we take that out of the picture it would be a moral wrong and, at least under Catholic moral philosophy, if the means is morally wrong the whole act is morally wrong. Second, it ignores the fact that the world is also good and that we have a reason to be in it. To kill an infant is to remove that infant from having a chance to experience the goodness of the world and serve a purpose in it. I would also say it is a infringement on that infant’s free will as you are consciously choosing to prevent that infant from freely choosing God. It also removes any chance the infant had from bringing even more people to salvation through his or her life. Third, it also leaves out that a person can be brought to salvation without resorting to immortal means. So the gift of salvation can be given along with the gift of life. Fourth, it would unarguably cause scandal and could prevent someone else from achieving salvation and could in fact prevent cause more people to not achieve salvation than are given salvation by the killings. The last is somewhat of a utilitarian argument and I don’t follow that philosophy, but it is still a useful thought. Also note that casing scandal on such a massive level could send you right back to reason one. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-christians-skydive/482408/63 "2009-01-26T19:31:53Z")
If God had intended for Christians to skydive, He would have created Christians with parachutes. He did not create Christians with parachutes, therefore Christians are not intended to skydive. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-christians-skydive/482408/64 "2009-01-27T05:33:38Z")
I’ve flown hang-gliders, sailplanes, and I know a number of skydivers. Regular churchgoers of all stripes are under-represented, though I know a number of Christians, one muslim, and a Jehova’s Witness that fly regularly. Churchgoing is unpopular for the same reason that watching football is…waste of precious weekend time. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-christians-skydive/482408/65 "2009-01-27T16:26:38Z")
Because it’s fucking _scary_. I don’t imagine Christians are missing the most basic, innate self-preservation tendencies the rest of us have. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-christians-skydive/482408.md?page=3)