I think Christianity in some ways breeds nihilism.
I don't mean that entirely in a bad way. If one of my goals as a Christian is to overcome the world (be it the desires of the world, the pursuit of worldly pride or what have you), it stands to reason that I must level whatever hierarchy of desires I am subject to and replace it with more abstract (yet arguably) more rewarding things like love, peace, truth, etc... (as a Blake-ian I would also add creativity to the mix). That leveling of hierarchies is beneficial if it is self-contained. Christ taught us that the kingdom of heaven is within. He also taught us that we can overcome oppression through love.
The danger, however, lies in people who take this train in a different direction and lose sight of the fact that it is good to dismiss the world but terrible to dismiss the people in it. I think the most important thing in the world is our connection to the people within it, and I believe that is pretty consistent with the themes of the Christian scriptures. As the preacher at my tiny church is wont to say, "If Christianity is causing you to hate more people than you love you are doing it wrong." Yet, that is where many Christians seem to be. A recent Pew poll found that those who attend church weekly are more likely to support torture than those who do not.
I believe this finding likely stems from the usual culprits of exceptionalism, presumed infallibility, and the passive acceptance that somehow this is all part of God's plan (and it will all work out just right!). But I can't escape the notion that there is something inherently nihilistic about Christianity. When I was poor and saw opulence around me, I thought, "That's cool. I am looking for God and art, and they are doing their business thing. This world ain't shit anyway." Such a stance at the time seemed both comforting and useful. But at the same time, I see how Christianity can be used not just to say that circumstances don't matter, but that PEOPLE don't matter either...especially people who believe differently and whom we cannot perceive as being "part of the plan."
This is most evident in the fact that we are yoked to the idea of a binary afterlife that is either the ultimate reward or the ultimate punishment. How CAN people on earth matter if we choose to have faith that these are their only possible outcomes? If you are in the elect (read: like me) what are a few mistakes on this earth? If you are hell-bound (read: not like me), what is a little bit of torture on earth before you spend eternity having your flesh boiled off? It is quite Puritanical.
But see, if THEY don't matter on this earth, we can't either. Imagine the absurdity of Jesus, knowing he is bound of the gallows, capturing a Roman soldier and torturing him for information so that he can evade capture. If he would not do that to secure more days on this earth, then perhaps we should not either.