Confession Bear

Religion and Spirituality are two different things. One does not need religion in order to be spiritual. Don't let the religious extremists and hypocrites cause you to give up your Faith. Give up on the man-made institution if you want, but don't think that you have to give up your relationship with God as well. The God I believe in is a very personal God, and it is in that sense that I connect with Him. I do not need a church or a pastor or a priest, in order to make that connection. We each have a direct line to Him, and it is always open. Do not be afraid to use it.

honestly, extremists aren't the only reason I stopped believing, however, what you wrote was beautiful and inspiring, so I must congratulate you. if there really is a god, then im pretty sure you'll be his right hand man/woman.

Lol. Not likely, but thanks for reading and for the kind words. More than anything, I support each individual's right to figure things out for themselves, and not have other people pressuring them to believe the same as they do. As such, I am not saying you should believe in God. I'm simply asking you to look at the roots of your current beliefs, to make sure you have them for the right reasons, and to consider the myriad options and alternatives that are out there. No one on Earth has a monopoly on Truth. If I were to say, "I have found Truth," what I would mean is "I've found my Truth, something that I feel connected to and resonant with." It sounds like these issues of Faith are important to you. I encourage you to give them more consideration. Ponder on them, in a lighthearted, "anything is possible" sort of way. Shrug off whatever spiritual burdens you may be carrying, and then let your intuition guide you. Recall the words of the Buddha: "Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense."

thank you, Headfoot. I will take your words into consideration.