To wonder if a lot of people who are Christians have had a rather nice life?

Why? Why would you hope and work to get into heaven when you've got everything you want here?

Been lurking for a while on this board but felt I had to post on this.

I think a lot of visible Christians, such a people who run churches, work in Christian organisations etc can often seem like that. I used to think so before I became a Christian. But actually the more you scratch the surface the more you find people in churches who've not had a nice life. Not all are live long Christians from devout families. Some are poor. Some are abuse survivors. Some have messed up careers or relationships. Personally my life has had its very un nice moments.

Mind you, I also find middle class people with apparently nice lives generally have plenty of skeletons in the cupboard whether they are Christian or not.

My parents were very devout Christians and both came from very poor backgrounds and had very tough lives, they had been Christians all their lives as were their parents. They were white but there wasn't much they could do to change that.

I don't know any of the members of their church who are well off or privately educated.

Purely on the basis of my personal experience YABU

I'm Christian and I've had a pretty rough life. Having faith doesn't stop bad things happening but for me it has meant that I've got through in one piece.

Throughout my teenage years I went to a Pentecostal church. Many people with difficult lives joined, particularly at the time of the Billy Graham crusades here in the 80s.
Thru Facebook I've been able to see which of them hgasver maintained their faith. Nearly all of the children of the christian families have maintained and strengthened their beliefs. Many of the converts with difficult lives have stayed in the church too. There were several adopted children. None other f them have kept it up.

YABVVU.

I am a Christian. I am white, middle class, privately educated, university degree, good job....which I have recently resigned from due to stress. I am coping with anxiety, grief and a number of other issues which have all contributed to mental health issues. I feel dreadful guilt every day for my DP and DS who also cope with this. At the same time I function as normal like lots of others in the same position....

But I still believe in God...and it has never entered my head at any stage in my life that being a Christian has anything to do with how 'nice' my life is. Or how 'not nice' my life is.

I think you are massively oversimplifying with your thread title. It's quite offensive really.

I tend to think it is the opposite actually. Most poor countries have very devout Christians and the richer countries tend to be more unbelieving.
Within the UK most people in the churches I have attended had difficult lives. Although there were a few well of people in the church. I think money tends to make you feel self sufficient.
I also agree with Tuscongirl that following the basic tenets of Christianity alone can make life easier. I

Stability doesn't buy you happiness.

I scare most people off because I am religious, but I've never needed to worry about my house or the bills.

I'm an atheist. Middle-class, white, university-educated, never experienced genuine suffering.

My neighbour is Christian. She's black and from a working-class background and has suffered loss and hardships in her life.

I'm not sure that your acquaintances or my data are enough to form a clear picture. I know where you're coming from, but many people who have a strong faith have lived extremely hard lives.

The most devout Christians I know are very hard working in low levels jobs and go through all challenges you can imagine in life. But they are always happy and hopeful, their willingness to help is astonishing.

Actually most christians I know well have had fairly
Shitty things happen in their life. But you would have to know them well so it could appear differently to someone on the outside as it were.

YABU, everyone has their problems.

I think it's a combination of having a nice life makes it easier to have faith in God, and generally following the basic tenets of Christianity making it easier to have a nice life.