…said every doomsday preacher since the Bible was written.
Correct, which is why I avoid religion (in the institutional church sense). I'm a bit of an odd duck because I came to the Bible after having been a practicing Buddhist for several years and generally being unexposed to Christianity (save for a lukewarm exposure to Jesuit Catholicism) or any religion growing up.
Having lived a mostly-secular life and only later (at age ~30) coming to Christianity, I can confidently say that in regard to reality, it's taught me that it's highly subjective. What most people consider as "reality" is just the interpretation of what they see that keeps them from losing their mind. For some, reality is being an unhinged hedonist, for others it's planting a garden, and for others it's generally just "trying to be nice and getting along."
Personally, God/Christ (and by extension, what's recorded in the Bible) is the interpretation of reality that makes the most sense to me. In practice/study, I've found that it maps 1:1 with what I see while also filling in the blanks on things I can't explain (e.g., the ability for the human body to heal itself, the pace/behavior of nature, or humanity's unrelenting drive to destroy what it doesn't/refuses to understand).
I guess it’s nice that you believe that, but the truth of the matter is that you are about as close to traditional right-wing mainstream Christianity as it’s possible to conceivably get. Like, if I were to imagine the archetypal Christian hypocritical sinner… it would be you.
As does the I Ching
These are all just Rorschach tests, why choose one of the most corruptible and corrupted approaches?
> why choose one of the most corruptible and corrupted approaches?
Because when the non-prophetic elements of it are applied to life, all of the anxiety, fear, and dread you feel evaporates. It's only when you view it through the lens of a "church" or "leader" (read: group) that it loses its meaning.
I've read the I Ching and it lacks a religious/church element which leads to the conclusion you've had. It's not until people take it and turn it into something it isn't that it loses its value.
Arguably, Christianity, due to its claims, has become weaponized. Interestingly, this very outcome is prophesied in the Bible (which, personally, cements my faith in it what it prescribes).
Many people, rightfully, (over-)react to the American caricature of Christianity (mega churches, Kenneth Copeland, etc.) as the definition of what it is (that's arguably the deception hinted at in the Bible), but reading/trusting the raw word—what's referred to as "sola scriptura"—is remarkably helpful in navigating what's taking place.