Anonymous wrote:I've said this before in other threads. I always had a feeling from a really young age (catholic school k-12), that the church and clergy took meaning too literally. I can't answer any questions more than my fellow man/woman. But, I never prayed to saints. I don't remember how old I was when I was like nah not doing stations of cross, nope no rosary either (but I liked the really pretty ones and use them to decorate Barbie dream house. She was always kissing Ken, but she ne ver went all the way. Anyway, I can't get behind all of it, have given my DS as much knowledge as possible, he was baptized and received communion. I used to read a children's bible to him and he loved it. It was like mythology to him. He's a very spiritual kid. So much so, that he wants to apply to a Jesuit college because of the theology requirement.

I do believe in something greater, I believe in Christ and I believe that I am living a Christian life. I give selflessly and my empathy overflows . I ask for forgiveness when I'm angry and find people unforgivable. I just don't use a middle man. It's between me and God. If God exists, then my heart is known. If not, I would still live life the same way. I have always told DS there is something greater than us. I never wanted him to be afraid. Maybe it's that I've convinced myself of it. I don't care what other people believe, as long as it's in the name of love and not hatred. I think we are in hell. This test, this life, suffering and evil... all of it is hell. Fight against it and continue to love and give selflessly. Harm no living creature. Have an open heart (i believe other life exists, I believe in evolution, I am not against anyone's choices if it's based on love). This is my story. No real question but only a rhetorical one...I struggle with it all, I am open to it all...does this make me a non Christian, am I a fake and not loyal to God and the Holy Trinity?

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Anonymous wrote:Why are people so cruel to each other?

Because whoever or whatever created us did a really botched job of it.

That's why I can't believe in "intelligent design." No intelligent designer would have created humans with such obvious defects.

If you read the creation account you would understand why we are born with “defects”, i.e. a sin nature.

So God did this to us, his children whom he loves, on purpose? He wants us to live forever with him in heaven, but if we screw up, thanks to the defects we were born with, then he sends us to burn forever in hell.

This kind of love I do not need.

No, he wants us to trust in Him so that we will be saved, even if we continue to sin and screw up. He wants us to accept His payment for our “screw-ups”, he doesn’t want us to never make mistakes because that is impossible.

Not a very Nice god -- he made it impossible not to screw up and invented a firey pit to send people to for eternity if they screwed up.