I am the adult son of a retired Presbyterian (PC(USA)) pastor. I am a life-long Presbyterian and believer. But, a lot of Christians might be surprised by what I believe. I'm not so concerned about whether Heaven exists or what it's like, for example. I do believe in God, some sort of Higher Power, but I don't believe in a bearded super-human Uber-Santa-Clause up in the sky (I believe God is more abstract than that, compared to we humans). I don't know exactly what God is, but I do believe God exists. My "proof" is simply to look around at the amazing world around me, the beauty that surrounds me, and to take stock of the amazing good things that have happened to me in life. That's the evidence. Just like you can't see the wind, but you can sure see the evidence of it (I'm not stupid, there have been a number of awful times in my life, too, but I still find beauty in my life that seems like evidence). I have chosen to make a continual study of my faith throughout my 6+ decades of life. I'm no expert, but I'm not a mere "lurker" in my faith, either.
Faith/religion/church comes in many many stripes. Personally, I don't much care what faith community a person explores (I believe that all faiths are ultimately inspired by the same Higher Power, regardless of what the mere humans call that). I find that there is value in having a church community. It helps to grow your faith (give it time, if you have found the right community), and if you truly join in with the community, it gives you people who will care about you and lift you up in difficult times (and you them, which can be its own kind of growth).
The only thing I find hard to condone is any faith community that insists that they are the only ones who have the "truth", whatever that is, and demonize anyone that doesn't believe just like they do.
That's my pitch for finding a faith community that resonates with you.
I left one thought incomplete, regarding Heaven...I believe that God, and my faith, guide my behavior in life, and I don't find a potential reward in Heaven to be motivating. That was where I was headed with that thought.
Wow! I’ve never been able to articulate my specific beliefs, but you just did for me. This is exactly what I believe and feel. Thank you! (I may quote you to random folks now.😉)
You described pretty much any faith community I've seen or heard of. "God is infinite and can't be understood fully by man, but if you don't believe as we do, you're going to hell, so f you". No thanks. I believe in God, pray daily, try to do His will as best I can. I don't need dogma.
For sure, those "exclusive" faith communities exist. But, they're not all that way. My congregation is open minded, and appreciates exploring with an intent to understand and accept others. I suspect there are more of us than many realize. We consider that everyone may have a perspective that, if explored, may bring all of us closer to a fuller faith experience.
Hi Andy, I’m another lifelong Presbyterian (also PCUSA) with a very similar religious perspective. Note to Chris: what’s translated as faith=belief in specific ideas is just a portion of what faith encompasses. It’s also orients how to live, which sounds like what the minister’s sermon on work addressed.
Wow Chris. That was very personal and appreciated. Everyone's journey is different. I am a life-long church goer but have felt stuck many times.
What I cannot fathom is how anyone who professes Christianity can drink the Trump Koolaid. Regardless of who wins in November, I trust that there is a God and he is in charge.
Chris, thanks for your candor. I've been an Atheist for a long long time. With the amount of injustice and cruelty in the word, I just cannot believe any deity would allow it. I don't have a problem with people of faith, just so they don't get confused about cause and effect, which too many do. A neighbour who had cancer that went into remission said "Somebody up there is looking our for me." That made no sense - many people die horrible deaths from cancer, and some of them are people of deep faith. My neighbour was implying that God thought he was special, and that was offensive to me. The other thing that troubles me about religion is that humans actually need to act to solve our problems. It's apparent that no deity will do that for us. So if a person says "It's in God's hands" that sounds like an excuse for inaction.
Jan, one of my grandmothers who was very judgemental had a very simple test of character for measuring other people. If you followed the Golden Rule, to do unto others as you would want them to do unto you, then she would say that you were a good person. Could there be a higher goal for each of us?
Laurie, I'm glad to read your thoughtful comment - and that I've received several "Likes" here. I expected to be attacked, and that has not happened (yet - the day is still young, lol). Talking about action - regardless of Biden, we need to keep Trump from being re-elected, and don't forget all the other elected offices. Visit https://www.focus4democracy.org/ - and attend their zoom (next one is Tuesday, July 16 at 5pm PT/8pm ET.) Sign up at bit.ly/F4D16July and learn about their plans to turn out Democratic votes, especially in the swing states. This will determine the next election, due to our unfortunate Electoral College.
And there's another organization called OATH - https://app.oath.vote/ - whose website lets you specify your greatest concerns (stopping Trump, Reproductive Rights, or other issues) and tells you which campaigns you can donate to that will make the greatest difference. This is particularly important because there's the risk that people who are so disheartened about the Democratic presidential choices may decide not to vote at all - that would have an awful downstream effect on dozens of other offices. I'm hoping you good people here - of any faith or no faith - will join me in TAKING ACTION.
Thank you for the information that there are more people working for a just and peaceful and loving American than just those in political parties and politically-named campaigns. Trump is a mean but smart bully who believes that as he lies, enough people are fooled.
I was raised Unitarian & remain agnostic. What I'm comfortable with is belief in something (a force or undefined entity?) larger than myself. I like the fact that I don't know. Perhaps this might apply to you, who knows. Enjoy the search.
I chose Unitarian and attended services there for about 20 years. I have since moved on to pretty strong new-agey believes and the Unitarians are too humanist / agnostic for me. I wish I could find some kind of religious community that fits with my current beliefs.
In "religion," like politics, everyone has an opinion. You need to gather the facts, examine the opinions, and form your own.
Exactly what you already do...
The reason I put religion in quotes, because "religion" is all those opinions. But the goal is to set religion aside and form your own personal relationship with your Creator.
Very honest. I struggle on the concept of church. While I do believe in God and doing unto others, what I struggle with is chuch attendance. I have seen far too many people in my life (friends and family) who profess to be good Christians and go to Church every Sunday. However, on the 7 days in between church visits, their behavior can border on downright unkind. Just walking into a building every week does not suddenly make you have a close connection to a higher being or make you a good person. It is what you do when you think no one is watching is what makes you a good person. I rarely ever go to church but I spend my time outside of church trying to be good to people, help others, not have means thoughts out of anger, etc. Just be good to yourself and others and I think the rest sorts itself out.
I go to an Episcopal church which is inclusive, diverse and welcoming. I go to center myself for the coming week, and remind myself about what it is that I should do for others. I believe in a Creator who played some part in shaping our universe. I believe in the unconsciousness of death, and that one has a spirit after death - we just don’t know what it is. Love others. Vote.
Brave of you to put out this post - good on you! As a Catholic (not sure whether to call myself lapsed - you'll see why), I find your struggle similar to mine. My faith in God, the Bible, and Heaven are stronger than ever. My faith in any Church has never been lower. I don't go anymore. I read my Bible passages, I pray, I try to learn and live my faith. Does me not entering a building make me a bad Christian? Doesn't make sense to me, especially seeing the actions of some church-going Christians like Charlie Kirk or any other of that ilk. Upon death, I like my chances vs. his chances.
I suggest reading more Jesuit authors - particularly Fr. James Martin. Having been to a Jesuit University, I find their approach to education and actual doing (versus just talking) to be a huge help on my journey. And if you ever want to talk and compare notes - just shoot me an email.
I've believed in God all my life, and since my early teen years I have considered myself an "evangelical." In the last few years, I've stopped using that label, though - not because my fundamental beliefs have changed, but because the American usage and connotations of that word have changed.
I've been extremely disappointed - heartbroken might be the word - at how many Christians in America have behaved in recent years, in ways that, to me, are clearly contrary to Jesus' instructions. But my beef is with those other people's behavior, not with Jesus.
As far as ideas and beliefs about heaven - there's really not a lot of detail about that in the Bible. "Eternal life" and being in some sense consciously present with God, yes. But I don't think there's much detail (which, in my limited understanding, is probably because it's not something we could understand in this life anyway).
The important things that are particularly emphasized in the Bible are, I think, the parts that we should spend most of our energy working on in our lives: (Old Testament emphasis) there is one God, who is holy and is to be revered; and (New Testament emphasis) God is triune (Father, Son, Spirit), and the Son (Jesus) took on himself the penalty for our wrongdoing, so that if we ask God's forgiveness, we will be forgiven - and (the important part for day-to-day life) since God lives us and forgive us, we must likewise love and forgive everyone else.
So relatable, thank you for sharing. As a research scientist, I struggle with the same need for proof (in a lot of things but particularly religion). Every time I'm in church and hear mention of something in the Bible, I think to myself A: which version of the Bible? and B: /half-jokingly/ "This citation is out of date and a new reference is required." It's hard for me to have faith based on something that's been translated multiple times over centuries.
I also struggle with the "I'm a 'Catholic/Lutheran/Methodist/whatever flavor of Christian' because that's how I was raised..." There are just so many divisions within Christianity not to mention all of the non-Christian religions that people have never been exposed to. If there is a "right" one, that means there are a lot of wrong ones...
Also, my first thought when I read the church scene from The Blues Brothers where Jake is inspired to get the band back together...maybe I would enjoy church more if James Brown was my Pastor...
Chris....I too am from CT and was raised very Catholic (right through Fairfield Prep). I have been a regular church goer but have started to fade. I cannot recommend enough reading Jim Palmer (here on Substack). My struggles have been around the people who corrupt religion for their own reason (see today Evangelical Christians) in no way that should resemble their faith. I hope you find his work as impactful as I do.
Good luck on this, Chris. I enjoy your thoughtful writing and your compassionate honesty here. Maybe, as a lapsed Catholic, there’s a middle ground between Catholic mass and a mega-jumbo evangelical church such as McLean Bible. There’s a lovely ELCA Lutheran church, Christ the King, in Great Falls that is reasonably progressive in its outlook, offers communion in a liturgical setting you would find more familiar and is a genuine community of friends who offer great support to each other. I don’t live in Northern Virginia anymore, btw. Faith is a constant struggle. I wish you well in the journey!
Chris, your journey sounds pretty similar to mine. I grew up in a devoted Lutheran (and Republican) household. My parents sang in the choir, and the church was probably the most important thing in their lives outside of the family. It just never resonated with me. When I took a philosophy class in college that talked about the "lack of proof" for a God (like you mentioned), I was convinced that I would never be a regular church-goer again (and my mom was horrified). Over the years I've become even more disillusioned with organized religion as many of them have used their hatred for others who aren't just like them to discriminate against those people. See: Donald Trump and evangelicals. I also became a Democrat a long time ago for some of those same reasons.
On Being by Krista Tippett. She has a wide variety of guests, and a broad range of topics. Faith in something always ends up in there somewhere, and not in airy-fairy unbelievable ways. I spent years listening to this every fourth Sunday, as I drove to pick my daughter up from her father so she could go to church (she lived with me, visited him every other weekend— and she hated missing church.) It’s a tedious drive from the Chicago lakefront to Indiana and back… Krista Tippett made it something I enjoyed, and helped my frame of mind.
Oprah’s SuperSoul. Like Krista Tippett, Oprah has a wide variety of guests, and gets to the area of faith in something.
I believe I am a bit more convinced than you are, and I feel from how you’ve described your experiences that I’ve been in a similar space at times. I’m fortunate that I was raised Episcopalian (Roman Catholic Lite 😉) so there’s some baggage I was spared. What has been most helpful to me is to find a faith community that does not insist on one’s complete unquestioning adherence to super-specific beliefs and positions. Example: I pitched an almighty fit when my child’s father tried taking her to a church where it was a specific doctrine that women were secondary to men and needed male approval for any number of things— either from father or husband, or any other male-in-charge. Uuhhhh…. hard NO. Not raising my daughter that way! I attend churches where women are allowed to preside, where LGBTQ+ community is welcome, where various viewpoints are allowed and welcomed, and courteous discourse occurs. Faith can ebb and flow, and the church community can become a container for that experience.
According to the studies run by 23 and Me, there is a gene for belief. You either have it, or don't. If you don't, all the sermons, admonitions, and strenuous attempts on your part to make that leap will fail. Although I have tried for my entire 73 years to get there, I am now convinced that it "ain't gonna happen".
I hear you, Thomas. That's why it's called blind faith. Read a book awhile back ... "Jesus Before Christianity." Written by a Catholic priest and theologian. Worth the time particularly in the place you are in. One thing that stayed with me was Christ's instruction after performing a miracle of the sick. He would say, paraphrasing only slightly, that "I didn't heal you. Your faith healed you."
I am the adult son of a retired Presbyterian (PC(USA)) pastor. I am a life-long Presbyterian and believer. But, a lot of Christians might be surprised by what I believe. I'm not so concerned about whether Heaven exists or what it's like, for example. I do believe in God, some sort of Higher Power, but I don't believe in a bearded super-human Uber-Santa-Clause up in the sky (I believe God is more abstract than that, compared to we humans). I don't know exactly what God is, but I do believe God exists. My "proof" is simply to look around at the amazing world around me, the beauty that surrounds me, and to take stock of the amazing good things that have happened to me in life. That's the evidence. Just like you can't see the wind, but you can sure see the evidence of it (I'm not stupid, there have been a number of awful times in my life, too, but I still find beauty in my life that seems like evidence). I have chosen to make a continual study of my faith throughout my 6+ decades of life. I'm no expert, but I'm not a mere "lurker" in my faith, either.
Faith/religion/church comes in many many stripes. Personally, I don't much care what faith community a person explores (I believe that all faiths are ultimately inspired by the same Higher Power, regardless of what the mere humans call that). I find that there is value in having a church community. It helps to grow your faith (give it time, if you have found the right community), and if you truly join in with the community, it gives you people who will care about you and lift you up in difficult times (and you them, which can be its own kind of growth).
The only thing I find hard to condone is any faith community that insists that they are the only ones who have the "truth", whatever that is, and demonize anyone that doesn't believe just like they do.
That's my pitch for finding a faith community that resonates with you.
I left one thought incomplete, regarding Heaven...I believe that God, and my faith, guide my behavior in life, and I don't find a potential reward in Heaven to be motivating. That was where I was headed with that thought.
Wow! I’ve never been able to articulate my specific beliefs, but you just did for me. This is exactly what I believe and feel. Thank you! (I may quote you to random folks now.😉)
You described pretty much any faith community I've seen or heard of. "God is infinite and can't be understood fully by man, but if you don't believe as we do, you're going to hell, so f you". No thanks. I believe in God, pray daily, try to do His will as best I can. I don't need dogma.
For sure, those "exclusive" faith communities exist. But, they're not all that way. My congregation is open minded, and appreciates exploring with an intent to understand and accept others. I suspect there are more of us than many realize. We consider that everyone may have a perspective that, if explored, may bring all of us closer to a fuller faith experience.
Hi Andy, I’m another lifelong Presbyterian (also PCUSA) with a very similar religious perspective. Note to Chris: what’s translated as faith=belief in specific ideas is just a portion of what faith encompasses. It’s also orients how to live, which sounds like what the minister’s sermon on work addressed.
Wow Chris. That was very personal and appreciated. Everyone's journey is different. I am a life-long church goer but have felt stuck many times.
What I cannot fathom is how anyone who professes Christianity can drink the Trump Koolaid. Regardless of who wins in November, I trust that there is a God and he is in charge.
Chris, thanks for your candor. I've been an Atheist for a long long time. With the amount of injustice and cruelty in the word, I just cannot believe any deity would allow it. I don't have a problem with people of faith, just so they don't get confused about cause and effect, which too many do. A neighbour who had cancer that went into remission said "Somebody up there is looking our for me." That made no sense - many people die horrible deaths from cancer, and some of them are people of deep faith. My neighbour was implying that God thought he was special, and that was offensive to me. The other thing that troubles me about religion is that humans actually need to act to solve our problems. It's apparent that no deity will do that for us. So if a person says "It's in God's hands" that sounds like an excuse for inaction.
Jan, one of my grandmothers who was very judgemental had a very simple test of character for measuring other people. If you followed the Golden Rule, to do unto others as you would want them to do unto you, then she would say that you were a good person. Could there be a higher goal for each of us?
While I am a strong believer in a higher power, I strangely agree with everything you wrote.
Laurie, I'm glad to read your thoughtful comment - and that I've received several "Likes" here. I expected to be attacked, and that has not happened (yet - the day is still young, lol). Talking about action - regardless of Biden, we need to keep Trump from being re-elected, and don't forget all the other elected offices. Visit https://www.focus4democracy.org/ - and attend their zoom (next one is Tuesday, July 16 at 5pm PT/8pm ET.) Sign up at bit.ly/F4D16July and learn about their plans to turn out Democratic votes, especially in the swing states. This will determine the next election, due to our unfortunate Electoral College.
And there's another organization called OATH - https://app.oath.vote/ - whose website lets you specify your greatest concerns (stopping Trump, Reproductive Rights, or other issues) and tells you which campaigns you can donate to that will make the greatest difference. This is particularly important because there's the risk that people who are so disheartened about the Democratic presidential choices may decide not to vote at all - that would have an awful downstream effect on dozens of other offices. I'm hoping you good people here - of any faith or no faith - will join me in TAKING ACTION.
Thank you for the information that there are more people working for a just and peaceful and loving American than just those in political parties and politically-named campaigns. Trump is a mean but smart bully who believes that as he lies, enough people are fooled.
I was raised Unitarian & remain agnostic. What I'm comfortable with is belief in something (a force or undefined entity?) larger than myself. I like the fact that I don't know. Perhaps this might apply to you, who knows. Enjoy the search.
I chose Unitarian and attended services there for about 20 years. I have since moved on to pretty strong new-agey believes and the Unitarians are too humanist / agnostic for me. I wish I could find some kind of religious community that fits with my current beliefs.
Impressed by your vulnerability and authenticity ….Mere Christianity by Lewis is my favourite book in this space
Agree, agree, agree! Mere Christianity by CS Lewis is the single best book to boost faith. Logical, pragmatic, intelligent. A must read.
Only excerpts, which are excellent.
In "religion," like politics, everyone has an opinion. You need to gather the facts, examine the opinions, and form your own.
Exactly what you already do...
The reason I put religion in quotes, because "religion" is all those opinions. But the goal is to set religion aside and form your own personal relationship with your Creator.
Same here.
Chris - C.S. Lewis' (of "Narnia" fame) "Mere Christianity" is an *excellent* book for these matters.
His autobiography "Surprised By Joy" is also excellent, regarding his personal spiritual and intellectual move from skepticism to faith.
Same! That book has helped me through times of questioning as well.
Appreciate the honesty here
Thanks, Andrew. And thanks for reading.
Very honest. I struggle on the concept of church. While I do believe in God and doing unto others, what I struggle with is chuch attendance. I have seen far too many people in my life (friends and family) who profess to be good Christians and go to Church every Sunday. However, on the 7 days in between church visits, their behavior can border on downright unkind. Just walking into a building every week does not suddenly make you have a close connection to a higher being or make you a good person. It is what you do when you think no one is watching is what makes you a good person. I rarely ever go to church but I spend my time outside of church trying to be good to people, help others, not have means thoughts out of anger, etc. Just be good to yourself and others and I think the rest sorts itself out.
I go to an Episcopal church which is inclusive, diverse and welcoming. I go to center myself for the coming week, and remind myself about what it is that I should do for others. I believe in a Creator who played some part in shaping our universe. I believe in the unconsciousness of death, and that one has a spirit after death - we just don’t know what it is. Love others. Vote.
Unfortuately I observe this too. I scratch my head.
Brave of you to put out this post - good on you! As a Catholic (not sure whether to call myself lapsed - you'll see why), I find your struggle similar to mine. My faith in God, the Bible, and Heaven are stronger than ever. My faith in any Church has never been lower. I don't go anymore. I read my Bible passages, I pray, I try to learn and live my faith. Does me not entering a building make me a bad Christian? Doesn't make sense to me, especially seeing the actions of some church-going Christians like Charlie Kirk or any other of that ilk. Upon death, I like my chances vs. his chances.
I suggest reading more Jesuit authors - particularly Fr. James Martin. Having been to a Jesuit University, I find their approach to education and actual doing (versus just talking) to be a huge help on my journey. And if you ever want to talk and compare notes - just shoot me an email.
Fr. James Martin, a favorite author of mine. I highly recommend him too, Chris!
Thank you for sharing this.
I've believed in God all my life, and since my early teen years I have considered myself an "evangelical." In the last few years, I've stopped using that label, though - not because my fundamental beliefs have changed, but because the American usage and connotations of that word have changed.
I've been extremely disappointed - heartbroken might be the word - at how many Christians in America have behaved in recent years, in ways that, to me, are clearly contrary to Jesus' instructions. But my beef is with those other people's behavior, not with Jesus.
As far as ideas and beliefs about heaven - there's really not a lot of detail about that in the Bible. "Eternal life" and being in some sense consciously present with God, yes. But I don't think there's much detail (which, in my limited understanding, is probably because it's not something we could understand in this life anyway).
The important things that are particularly emphasized in the Bible are, I think, the parts that we should spend most of our energy working on in our lives: (Old Testament emphasis) there is one God, who is holy and is to be revered; and (New Testament emphasis) God is triune (Father, Son, Spirit), and the Son (Jesus) took on himself the penalty for our wrongdoing, so that if we ask God's forgiveness, we will be forgiven - and (the important part for day-to-day life) since God lives us and forgive us, we must likewise love and forgive everyone else.
So relatable, thank you for sharing. As a research scientist, I struggle with the same need for proof (in a lot of things but particularly religion). Every time I'm in church and hear mention of something in the Bible, I think to myself A: which version of the Bible? and B: /half-jokingly/ "This citation is out of date and a new reference is required." It's hard for me to have faith based on something that's been translated multiple times over centuries.
I also struggle with the "I'm a 'Catholic/Lutheran/Methodist/whatever flavor of Christian' because that's how I was raised..." There are just so many divisions within Christianity not to mention all of the non-Christian religions that people have never been exposed to. If there is a "right" one, that means there are a lot of wrong ones...
Also, my first thought when I read the church scene from The Blues Brothers where Jake is inspired to get the band back together...maybe I would enjoy church more if James Brown was my Pastor...
Why thanks for the OTR post Mrs Alito! Don’t you have some Crusades to fight? Or some Proddies to burn?
Chris....I too am from CT and was raised very Catholic (right through Fairfield Prep). I have been a regular church goer but have started to fade. I cannot recommend enough reading Jim Palmer (here on Substack). My struggles have been around the people who corrupt religion for their own reason (see today Evangelical Christians) in no way that should resemble their faith. I hope you find his work as impactful as I do.
Thanks for the suggestion. I just subscribed to his substack.
Good luck on this, Chris. I enjoy your thoughtful writing and your compassionate honesty here. Maybe, as a lapsed Catholic, there’s a middle ground between Catholic mass and a mega-jumbo evangelical church such as McLean Bible. There’s a lovely ELCA Lutheran church, Christ the King, in Great Falls that is reasonably progressive in its outlook, offers communion in a liturgical setting you would find more familiar and is a genuine community of friends who offer great support to each other. I don’t live in Northern Virginia anymore, btw. Faith is a constant struggle. I wish you well in the journey!
Chris, your journey sounds pretty similar to mine. I grew up in a devoted Lutheran (and Republican) household. My parents sang in the choir, and the church was probably the most important thing in their lives outside of the family. It just never resonated with me. When I took a philosophy class in college that talked about the "lack of proof" for a God (like you mentioned), I was convinced that I would never be a regular church-goer again (and my mom was horrified). Over the years I've become even more disillusioned with organized religion as many of them have used their hatred for others who aren't just like them to discriminate against those people. See: Donald Trump and evangelicals. I also became a Democrat a long time ago for some of those same reasons.
Podcasts:
On Being by Krista Tippett. She has a wide variety of guests, and a broad range of topics. Faith in something always ends up in there somewhere, and not in airy-fairy unbelievable ways. I spent years listening to this every fourth Sunday, as I drove to pick my daughter up from her father so she could go to church (she lived with me, visited him every other weekend— and she hated missing church.) It’s a tedious drive from the Chicago lakefront to Indiana and back… Krista Tippett made it something I enjoyed, and helped my frame of mind.
Oprah’s SuperSoul. Like Krista Tippett, Oprah has a wide variety of guests, and gets to the area of faith in something.
I believe I am a bit more convinced than you are, and I feel from how you’ve described your experiences that I’ve been in a similar space at times. I’m fortunate that I was raised Episcopalian (Roman Catholic Lite 😉) so there’s some baggage I was spared. What has been most helpful to me is to find a faith community that does not insist on one’s complete unquestioning adherence to super-specific beliefs and positions. Example: I pitched an almighty fit when my child’s father tried taking her to a church where it was a specific doctrine that women were secondary to men and needed male approval for any number of things— either from father or husband, or any other male-in-charge. Uuhhhh…. hard NO. Not raising my daughter that way! I attend churches where women are allowed to preside, where LGBTQ+ community is welcome, where various viewpoints are allowed and welcomed, and courteous discourse occurs. Faith can ebb and flow, and the church community can become a container for that experience.
According to the studies run by 23 and Me, there is a gene for belief. You either have it, or don't. If you don't, all the sermons, admonitions, and strenuous attempts on your part to make that leap will fail. Although I have tried for my entire 73 years to get there, I am now convinced that it "ain't gonna happen".
Really? I wonder the basis of this gene. That’s so interesting.
I hear you, Thomas. That's why it's called blind faith. Read a book awhile back ... "Jesus Before Christianity." Written by a Catholic priest and theologian. Worth the time particularly in the place you are in. One thing that stayed with me was Christ's instruction after performing a miracle of the sick. He would say, paraphrasing only slightly, that "I didn't heal you. Your faith healed you."