Is there really a God??

[Fritz The Cat]

Several times in my life I've been forced to ask this question. Last week was the most recent time.

I was in a clients office and to make small talk I asked a woman if they have recently heard from a woman who used to work there who quit to be a full time mom. She was truly a good human being who never uttered an unkind word about anyone. I really admired her totally positive attitude, a truly good person if there ever was one.

Anyway, the woman's response, thru tear filled eyes, was, she's dead. It hit me like a brick, OMG, "what happened???"

I'm not one to keep track of the news and very rarely watch live TV (I'm allergic to commercials). So I missed the news. Her and her husband were killed in a horrific traffic accident when a 22 YO punk traveling at an (excessive speed according to the official police report) lost control of his PU trunk and crossed the median and hit then broad side. Both her and her husband were pronounced dead at the scene and their 3 YO daughter in the back seat is in serious condition in the hospital. She had just found out she was pregnant with her second child when she was killed (they were coming back from the doctor when the accident occurred).

Excuse me for questioning the existence of God, I can't imagine how a benevolent God would allow this to happen. i can only imagine the grief their families are suffering right now. I only knew her casually and yet I am deeply disturbed. By the death of both her and her husband. I never met him but by all account, he was as good a person as she was.

I pray that I simply don't understand and God is really a good God in spite of what I'm feeling at the moment.   

[Thulsa Doom]

That's a sad story. I hope/believe there is.

[Chrisj CMA]

I pray that I simply don't understand and God is really a good God in spite of what I'm feeling at the moment.

I promise you this is the case. 

I understand your questions and emotions.  I have done many stress counselings with people that had lost loved ones and this is a common feeling.  Over time meaning and purpose seem to come.  All I can tell you is that in Gods economy of time our lives are but an instant and its not really a bad thing to God for one of his children to come home. 

The why(s) and the full explaination for His timing will come.  Thats where faith comes in.

[Valker]

Fritz, if someone thinks the One True God is running things that happen on this Earth, you'll end up hating Him when bad stuff happens to good people. If you believe the Bible, the god of this world is named Lucifer. Second Corinthians 4:4. And remember when satan/lucifer offered to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the Earth if Jesus would just bow to him? Jesus did not argue with him about who the earth belongs to.

[Valk1520]

I 100% believe in God and He is true and compassionate.  He didn't cause that crash but because He gave us free will, it happened.  I don't claim to know why things happen and I've seen many tragic events in my job, involving the very young to the old, but I do know God has a plan and someday we will know the answers (when we're in heaven).  I'm not normally very open about my faith and putting this out there is somewhat out of my comfort zone but I felt lead to do this and I pray it helps you and others.  I will definitely say a prayer for your friend and their families.  God Bless and take care.

[alph]

My life has gotten so much easier and carefree since I rejected church and religion. I'm seriously making more money, less bills, less stress, and I'm much more happier with out the whole god/satan thing in my life.

There's nothing more disgusting than to watch people professing to be "Christians" treat people the way they do.

[Whooray]

I pray that I simply don't understand and God is really a good God in spite of what I'm feeling at the moment.

I promise you this is the case. 

I understand your questions and emotions.  I have done many stress counselings with people that had lost loved ones and this is a common feeling.  Over time meaning and purpose seem to come.  All I can tell you is that in Gods economy of time our lives are but an instant and its not really a bad thing to God for one of his children to come home. 

The why(s) and the full explaination for His timing will come.  Thats where faith comes in.

[PhredValk]

Look to Africa. Warlords, death squads, millions of starving refugees, thousands of dying children...

If there was a just, loving and compassionate God would any of this exist?
Fred.

[bscrive]

No Virginia, there is no god.  Just us.  Maybe some aliens in outerspace.   

[oxfordhog]

My life has gotten so much easier and carefree since I rejected church and religion. I'm seriously making more money, less bills, less stress, and I'm much more happier with out the whole god/satan thing in my life.

There's nothing more disgusting than to watch people professing to be "Christians" treat people the way they do.


[/quote

I've had my fair share of encounters with these "Christians" and their behavior towards me. Nothing Christlike in their thoughts and actions. The good Christians I happen to come across in the last half century an be counted on one hand.

[Bigun]

I dont really know what I believe anymore, was always a firm believer untill my divorce after 21 years of marriage and the last three years in hell  had kicked most of that out of me. But something MADE me lift my head get off my ass and start to live again. I had given up. Now I have a reason to get out of bed every day. I no longer drink myself to sleep every night although I will partake on occasion LOL, and wake up ready to face the new day and the challenges that face me. This was not something that happened over a long period of time, it litterally happened overnight. One day I was in the deepest depression of my life the next was like someone hit a power switch. So yeah I believe he is there to help you when you truley hit rock bottom and dont know if you can go on, but for day to day stuff I think he wants you to find your own way. Good people die and rarely when they are supposed to while the bad seem to live forever there is no rhyme or reason that we can fathom. It's just his plan.

[cookiedough]

I'm not religious at all but that doesn't make me anymore better or worse than the rest on this planet.  Sometimes things just happen, even terrible events like this, that cannot be explained thru religion, IMO.

My wife's mom and grandparents are/were very Catholic and went to Church daily and all that other jazz, more power to them.  But, when we announced to her grandparents that we were getting married,  they totally resented the marriage since I was not Catholic and demanded that I get converted to Catholic religion otherwise we would both go to hell.  Even my mother in law forced (or should I say convinced) her husband way back when to switch religions to Catholic.  IMO,  this is just plain wrong.  

[oxfordhog]

I am a recovering Catholic. Die hard faith based (I.e. unquestioning minds) Catholics are a pain in the ass with their ignorance.

[alph]

             Burn in HELL SINNER!

MAN I HOPE SO!!!!  Living here in Wisconsin I'm sick of the cold!!!

[Bigun]

I dont know about anyone else but when I'm in the woods I can see his work, when I'm on the bike and feel the rush and exileration and thank him for another day. When I look into my girlfriends eyes and feel the love and warmth looking back at me I dont understand how people that dont believe can explain anything that they feel without knowing that something has had a hand in life.

[Bigun]

             Burn in HELL SINNER!

MAN I HOPE SO!!!!  Living here in Wisconsin I'm sick of the cold!!!

LMAO lived there half of my life so I understand.

[Oss]

IMHO

Each of us has the capacity to choose life or death, the blessing or the curse

What you do is up to you, the spark of the Lord is in all things.

I choose life, and to live it in a manner that sets an example for my children

Life is not fair, nobody gets out of this world alive

But how you live the life my friends, that is what makes all the difference.

[Robert]

What would be the appropriate way to die? They are not here anymore they are hopefully with the Lord unborn baby and all so they are happy and content. The 3 year old huummm lets see what will life turn out to be for her, do you know, I thought not, neither do I. Helen Keller was not born blind but went blind at 19 months, did that life get written off no she went on to be a inspiration. Many activists have gone on to inspire have had tragedy hit them. It was with brokenness that came strength conviction compassion to write a different way. Hitler born illegitimate, but had a family and brothers yet went on to become one of the butchers. So what was life going to hold for the new baby or the family? Divorce, sickness, wealth, happiness, we don't know do we. We are looking at people who died and we don't know what kind of life they would have had. But we grieve for the loss. But what are we grieving for? The gift that was given to us by God?  Maybe life for them could have been hideous and we may have prayed for the relief of pain. Hitler missed being killed in one of the attempts on his life. We would not have had the war as bad but maybe worse if someone rose to take his place. The point is we don't know what life holds for any of us. I know I will be with the Lord and will not be in pain and happy. The Bible says we will remember but without pain, how awesome is that. The unborn baby is with the Lord so no pain there either. Wait to see what becomes of the life of the three year old what decisions will she make and what kind of life will she decide to have. Lets hope she will accept the Lord and will have a productive life. But wait there is one more in this whose life is affected the boy who killed them what will happen to his life now and what decisions did he make that lead to this point? Will he start to make good decisions now or will life spiral out of control?  We are not zombies, God gave us free will and we decide what we will do and not do. How many decisions have we made that could have been tragic with one slip? I have been protected at times from tragedy and I knew it. While grieving for this tragedy ask God what can I do to help, and help me see the good in this. Don't be part of the problem be part of the answer and watch the blessings come from a seemingly bad situation. Press into God and ask for answers don't allow this to separate you from Him. This is your decision, Remember one day that went down in history as the worst day three days later became victory for us all. To the Romans they said finished to the Pharisees they said finished, the Apostles sat hopeless and fearful but Sunday was coming and three days later we all rejoiced, things are not always as they appear, because we don't know the end or even one day more than now.
  A boy flipped his truck with 4 kids in it, one died and this boy lived with this guilt and shame for years almost destroying him. One day he accepted the Lord and now his life is being lived as a pastor in the military helping those that need him.  The healing and mending that it took was amazing for him to start to live again. Counselors, psychs, doctors could not do what the Lord did. This is a story I know personally, out of tragedy comes life. Hold life loosely, love each day, love the people you are with, don't leave things undone, and live each day as your last, live with honor and principle and pray, pray,pray and I almost forgot God loves us, have a real relationship with Him, not the kind of see you on Sunday one. He does want that, immensely!
Near Death Experience - Proof of the AFTERLIFE

[donaldcc]

My life has gotten so much easier and carefree since I rejected church and religion. I'm seriously making more money, less bills, less stress, and I'm much more happier with out the whole god/satan thing in my life.

There's nothing more disgusting than to watch people professing to be "Christians" treat people the way they do.

            Burn in HELL SINNER!

 Nice Christian attitude there.

Go Alf.

  MODIFY: i mean alph

[Valkorado]

Tragedy is a part of this life, God is not to blame.

[Robert]

God is a big God if you have questions ask if you don't hear the answers keep asking till you do. I have never known God not to answer a question, just be prepared for the answer. Religion says don't question, God says seek and you will find knock and I will answer. He also says my burden is light and my yolk is easy if it wasn't this way for you maybe religion was the name of it not relationship.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I dont know about anyone else but when I'm in the woods I can see his work, when I'm on the bike and feel the rush and exileration and thank him for another day. When I look into my girlfriends eyes and feel the love and warmth looking back at me I dont understand how people that dont believe can explain anything that they feel without knowing that something has had a hand in life.

That's very true. I believe in God deeply and pray daily. That being said, I've been to church once because of a School evacuation in the 70's, once to get married and a few other times going to weddings.

For me, when I want to feel close to God, I look at the moon just before dawn or watch the woods come alive from a tree or blind. Or I watch the country unfold in front of my handlebars.

As far as death, we all die. We've all had many times on our bikes when being a second ahead of or behind our location we would have killed or maimed us. In the same way, how do we know what tragedy and heart break someone might have had to endure if they hadn't died when they did? Every time we walk across the lawn, things live and die just by the randomness of our footsteps. Without death, there can be no life.

And, as much as we try to understand and find a reason for every death and every life we are no better equipped to do so than a deer is to understand the internal combustion engine.

But, knowing all of that doesn't make the lose of those we care about any easier. It may even make it harder. Such is the human condition.

[franco6]

Religion is another step in man s evolution. What interests me is ,what is next?
Only through care, to assure survival, Can humanity realize its potential ,LIFE.
 

[MP]

It really makes for easier reading if you skip a line every few sentences.  More than that makes for very hard reading.

Esp for us old guys!  LoL

Thx.

MP

[alph]

there must be a god, last night my wife was screaming for him......  

On a more down to earth, honest answer; I'll say that I do hope there is.  I hope that there is some type of justice, some type of reward for a person's good deeds.  I hope those that have hurt others are shown how damaging their actions are, I hope that when someone thinks they're being good, they can see the true fruits of their actions.  I hope those TV evangelists (like Robert Tilton) that feed on the ignorance of the poor, are raped in the arse repeatedly by a group of Harley riders with herpes......

But, then again, I also hope my boss promotes me instead of that alcoholic co-worker that sometimes comes to work sober enough to do his job, but I'm not going to hold my breath on that one either.

[Patrick]

If there is a God, then when I stand before him, he'll have a lot of questions to answer !

[Xtracho]

My heartfelt sympathy for such a tragic loss in your life Fritz.

I was raised, steeped if you will, in the Protestant faith. My father was a chaplain in the Army during WWII and he carried that over into civilian life; attending seminary and becoming a Presbyterian minister. Our home was filled with happiness and joy. I never heard my father or my mother say a bad thing about anyone; much less cause the mayhem and destruction that some others in this thread claim Christians to be responsible for. There were no religious fanatics in my father's congregations, no mass murderers, nothing of the sort. Amazing that those posters mention how much better their lives are after rejecting God and faith. And in the next breath spew venom towards others that choose to profess and practice their faith and/or religion. The same could also be said of atheists as well...Stalin, Lenin, Amin, Hitler (although raised Catholic he rejected religion other than it being a method to control the people)...the list is long. These are monsters that are responsible for what....200 million dead? Yet I don't condemn atheists or non-believers because many that held those same beliefs are responsible for untold horrors and deaths over the course of history.

Another poster mentioned the gift of "free will." Quite possibly the most important facet of anyone's life on this planet. We all have the choice to believe or not, choice to drive like a maniac or not, drink ourselves to sleep or not, cheat on our spouses or not, etc. With that gift comes the consequences of making bad choices in our lives. Tragedy is not the hand of God reaching down to pluck us from the flock.

To this day, I still have questions, far reaching questions, that challenge my belief system. LOL...my dad would say that I was "backsliding!" But the sheer magnitude of contemplating these things is overwhelming to me. And I think it healthy to challenge myself with these questions. It not only forces me to search for answers to things more profound than I will ever understand, I think it affords me the opportunity to understand why many believe, or do not believe, as they choose to do.

When my youngest daughter was baptized, my parents gave us a copy of the Thompson Chain Reference Bible. That book is a veritable fountain of information that one will never find in standard King James or other translations. The portion that I find most interesting is in the back of the book. There is a lengthy section covering the archaeological history of the Holy Lands over the last 300 years. It is overwhelmingly obvious, even to the casual observer, that the archaeological evidence strongly supports Biblical events as they are described in the Bible. Was the Bible written by man? Sorry, but that's just about as rhetorical a question as there ever was. Of course it was. But to claim it as a work of fiction is, based on the evidence gathered over the last 300 years, simply erroneous.

I'm always amazed how quickly we are want to accept evolution as a fact; based on paleontology and fossil records. Yet at the same time many are quick to discount the Bible as a fictional work in the face of overwhelming archaeological evidence that proves the contrary. We accept the existence of the ancient Egyptians and their almost miraculous feats of constructing the pyramids based on the archaeological evidence. The same holds true for scores of ancient civilizations. I mean come on...the father of evolution, Charles Darwin, used methods such as getting monkeys drunk, observing their behavior, then likening it to the behavior of inebriated humans. How scientific is that?

No, I do not have all the answers and I'm not so sure I want to. Both sides of the argument have some merit. Both have scholarly and scientific evidence in their favor. We live our lives as we choose....free will remember? And we, mostly, treat our fellow planet dwellers with kindness and respect. Is there a reward beyond the Rainbow Bridge? I'll have to conference with my mom and dad up there and see what they have to say.

[f6john]

       Wow is all I can say, this is all very sad indeed.

[Fritz The Cat]

I just have this to say about organized religion -

When I was a kid my parents never went to church but they made sure me and my older sister did. They would give us what they could to put in the collection plate and all was well until another preacher came along. He visited us one evening and told my parents that the family wasn't tiding correctly. We we supposed to give 10 percent of our income and we weren't giving anywhere near that. My mother told him that all he was going to get was what we could afford and that was that. His response was that she should find another church for us to attend. I was 8 and my sister was 10 at the time. I still remember to this day the words of this so called man of God and even tho I rejected religion at that time as did the whole family (mom never made us go to church again) I did not reject God.

 Years later, I married what I thought was a good Christian woman and started attending church again. Years later another preacher was to come along who would once again turn me away from organized religion with far more devastating effects. Sunday after Sunday after Sunday this man would preach politics, rail against the Lottery, beg relentlessly for more money, and any and every subject that I felt had no place in the Sunday sermon. He never once preached the Bible or anything remotely related to God. Most of the congregation of this church were life members and not easily driven off but those that weren't, including me, got to the point where we had had enough. I told my wife that I wasn't going to attend that church anymore and unless she was willing to change churches, she would have to go alone. Her reply was that her parents attended that church and that she grew up in it and wasn't willing to give it up. Several months later she came to me and told me that God told her to divorce me, said I wasn't Christian enough for her. We had 3 kids and they're the ones paying the price for her fanaticism. I simply decided that it was Satan and not God who whispered in her ear and moved on.

 Needless to say I will never have anything to do with organized religion again and you won't find me involved with a "Church Lady". While I still believe in God, my faith has been shaken to the core by my life experiences with Gods followers. Sure, there are lots of Christian out there who are truly good God fearing people who do try to live their lives like the Bible says they should. But there are way too many others who are Christians in name only and live their lives in sin. I've decided that if the church is the way to heaven than God is going to have to lead me back with a miracle or else I'm on the road to Hell.

Thank you for reading my Sunday morning rant.  

[Xtracho]

Hypocrits abound everywhere. Conspiracy theorists are a dime a dozen and most of their rants are a result of their personal paranoia and hatred towards others. Whether you accept the existence or not is a sublimely personal decision....a private one. Not one to be made by a church or any other entity. Not one to be made on fallacious arguments that there is some sort of "Zionist Conspiracy" that controls our every waking moment. The claim that the archaeological evidence is "sloppy and forged" is belied by the sheer magnitude and diversity of those that have explored the Holy Lands.

[Robert]

 This is few things I have seen and experienced in my walk with the Lord these are stories to you and personal experiences to me. These are not the ones related to me by others but personal experience
I have seen a woman with a heart attack in service turn blue the guest speaker walk over to her pray for her and by the time paramedics came they could not find anything wrong with her.
 When praying for people and having a word for them they break down and cry because the word is right on and the answer the Lord gave happened just as it was told to them
 Praying for people laying hands on them they fall out in the spirit
I have seen holy laughter in so many situations, another words laughter not attributed to the mood or situation.
I have had God answer prayer to me and direct me in situations that I needed to know what to do.
I have seen people healed many times with prayer and the laying on of hands and medically verified
I have seen fiances change in response to prayer
I have seen people broken yet they come and pray over them and life takes on new meaning and changes and the situations changed in the way they needed not necessarily in what they expected
I have seen people confess that this was not going to happen and It did, good things
I have seen marriages healed and hearts changed through prayer
I have seen mean angered husbands or wives become tender and loving to a spouse that offend them
I heard God not audibly but a knowing in my spirit that it was Him about a situation and it came to pass
I have seen kids pray for people and say things that were right on and people were healed physically and emotionally also.
I have seen demons cast out and a new person emerge when healed
I have experienced reading the Bible and the Lord explaining verses to me
I have been in a meeting where there was no agreement but after prayer there was full agreement and direction.
I started to think back on all my experiences with the Lord and realized I could go on and on but I think you get the idea. I do seek Him, in all I do, He has never let me down, and maybe this is the key. I started on a journey to find out who this God really is. This did not come till I was in my 30's. I am still learning and experiencing His presence and beauty and  love for me and all of us. It is a journey that wont be completed even in death but carried through death into life the real life. What a wonderful person He is, I would say this I am no different than any of you, and while some talk about a unknown force or there is no God I ask what do I do with what I have experienced? I cannot deny these and I am not a religious person the experiences are even verifiable. All I know is I love the Lord and don't like religion maybe if you search you would find the same thing I am finding. All I can offer is search with ALL YOUR HEART. I personally can assure you He is there and waiting and will make the search worth while. Just a small tip come as child no preconceived ideas or notions just start the search. Most already do search but just don't know it because there is something inside of each one of us that only God can fill.

[Valker]

Seems that a lot of folks with bad experiences had faith in other people or other people's beliefs. That is not the same as faith in God.

[Robert]

Fritz I am sorry for your experiences but when I was in my 30's divorcing my former wife and seeing my present wife I was thrown out of her church. I was a new Christian trying to do what God wanted.  It was the rules that they said they wanted me and her to do even to publicly embarrassing her in front of the congregation. On our wedding night we didn't have enough money to go away so we stayed at her apartment and some member's of the church left messages like its the worst thing you could have ever done. Its a big mistake, oh it just went on and on. Well 20 years later we are still together and that church closed shortly after that incident. The Pastors sons did not speak with her for years and still there is a wedge in that family. The wedge was not about the situation with me and my wife but personal issues in their own lives. I don't say this with glee but sadness, I never had hatred in my heart for them and wish there family healed and the church could have gone on. What I have seen now I wish I could relay some of the stories but I will tell you this stay faithful to God not to man. I have seen so many of Gods men not walk a straight line and do things that are pretty bad. But God is a one on one God and looks at each heart to find faithfulness to Him not to man. It does not take church to have this relationship but if you want to find a good church pray about it and let God lead you. He will always feed His sheep. One last thing remember Jesus words in the book of Promises. I am not good there is no one good except the Father. Remember these words in consideration of man. Dig out Gods promises for your life. I will say this, the one spot in the Bible that God says test me on this is on tithing. It was a hard pill to swallow at first, so I don't judge others but my personal testimony is HE IS FAITHFUL. Actually it amazed me

[Xtracho]

Yes and christers are easily duped, that is why the zionist love them so.

Condescending attitude towards others noted. A little hint for you though: You, by far, haven't all the answers. No one does. And by your insulting demeanor I would guess that you pretty much hate everyone that doesn't fall into lockstep with you. Just sayin'. 

[Misfit]

I feel sorry for the lost.

[Patrick]

I too believe there is a big difference in believing in organized religion and a God. I've mentioned before the problems I encountered with the catholic church because of a divorce and re-marriage, so I won't go into it again. Suffice it to say, I refuse to be extorted.
But, that issue got me to study religions which I have found to be very interesting.

[Robert]

Whipit
   When one talks about the realities of this world and doesn't address that he is a slave it sounds like the reality TV shows. We are all slaves to something or someone, sin,desires,hate,hurt,the governments of the world so how can we be free. We can be in jail and be free or in a mansion and be a prisoner. Yes by our bodies we are confined but what about the true us our spirit? That cannot be imprisoned by any worldly structure but it can be captured by the yielding of our free will and agreement with wrong.
So while speaking of being naive and the coming of the way it was foretold us things would happen what are you doing about the inner person or your spirit? The ideals being said by you are much more a bondage than any prison, we can only be bound by what we agree with. The shallowness of your statements only reflect the lack of knowledge and exploration of reality or who you really are in relation to the world around you. It is not Christians who do not explore but those with the answers. It must be so comforting to know all things, to have the search finished by science so as to not look at self in relation to the world. How convenient but what a lie. That is the ultimate blinder the ultimate bondage.

[Hooter]

My life has gotten so much easier and carefree since I rejected church and religion. I'm seriously making more money, less bills, less stress, and I'm much more happier with out the whole god/satan thing in my life.

There's nothing more disgusting than to watch people professing to be "Christians" treat people the way they do.

I don't usually get into one of these just discussions because of my belief. I never straddle the fence on most anything but in this subject, I'm on the fence.... I'm agnostic....My grandfather was a baptist minister and along with my dad just couldn't get my belief. My mother did understand but she didn't condone it. My jobs were a big part of the issue as well. My family is religious, and I have opted out. I have seen and been a part of too many things that contribute to the belief I have. For those that believe in God or are Athiest or Agnostic, its up to the individual. I don't preach my belief to anyone and expect the same respect in return.

[Dave Ritsema]

I feel sorry for the lost.

Was thinking the exact same thing Damon.

Many years ago a co-worker was a new christian with lots of enthusiasm and in one of our talks I told him that while I didn't go to church I felt like I was living my life trying my best to be good to others, help the needy, assisted the injured and sick by being a firefighter/EMT, etc and I figured that should count for something. His reply? "Well you will be the nicest guy in Hell".

At the time it kind of offended me, but I didn't say anything and just laughed it off. What I came to find years later was that no matter what I did, it would never be enough to grant me passage to the kingdom of heaven. Christ died on the cross for our sins and the only way I can enter heaven is to accept him as my savior. No matter what my deeds are here on earth, good or bad Jesus is The Way.

I am far from a perfect person and make mistakes all the time and I would never presume to tell others how they should live their lives. However I do feel sorry for those that I see consumed by such hatred or bitterness that they cannot see The Way.

[solo1]

It sure is interesting how some people on this board resort to name calling, ridicule, and put forth a condescending attitude toward Christians.

I am a sinner.  I am of the Lutheran Faith, Missouri Synod, and have yet to see some of the bad experiences that others have talked about concerning religion.  My Faith has upheld me in many personal and other problems.  My church is supportive, our ministers are scholars of the Faith,  all speak the same truths and don't interject their own opinions.  My church does not accept with open arms, 'church shoppers'  (some one looking for their own idea about religion.) As a result, our church is not 'popular'.

Our Doctrine and Practice remains the same.  That is comforting to me.

I have my Faith.  I don't have to explain it nor attempt to try to convince others.  Conversely, NO one will convince me that the Bible is not God's Word.

I've been on this earth far too long to attempt to change other people's opinion based on their experiences.

I respect your opinion and I fully expect you to respect mine. PERIOD!!!

Solo1