You, Me, and God: Interfaith Relationships

What you say is so true in so many areas. I just want to say that for me? It's about experiencing Faith that there is indeed a God. It doesn't matter to me what church each person goes to. It's the personal moments you share with God. Testing him and finding out for myself if there was even a God. Too many occasions have occurred for me to deny God But then again I needed a God in my life. Someone I could talk to throughout the day and late into the night when all is messed up. Yes I have a church, but that is a social place to go. My beliefs are in my heart and soul. I talk to him very plain and quite open. I am just glad I don't have to go it alone. But just like my own beliefs, you need what feels real to you.

You walked with me Footprints in the sand And helped me understand Where I’m going You walked with me When I was all alone With so much I no along the way Then I heard you say

Sunshowers, I wholeheartedly agree! I couldn't have stated it any clearer, myself...but, just because you abhor organize religion doesn't make you an atheist...maybe you're just an agnostic. As for me, I may be a Pagan at heart. All Christian sects stem from Pagan rituals, incorporating some of their beliefs, discarding the rest. One perfect example...the Christmas tree.

Like you, I was raised without religion. My parents always said that it was for me to choose, and I chose... none. My best friend in kindergarten grew up in a devoutly Christian family, and I'd often sleep over on Saturday night and go to church with her family on Sunday. Even at my tender age, the hypocrisy of organized religion and the contradictions inherent in Christian teachings were more than obvious to me. Without even knowing what I was doing, I started rocking the boat during the Bible Study classes by asking too many questions. It soon became obvious that I wasn't welcome. Looking back, I realize that I've been atheist my entire life. I appreciate and respect spirituality, but I abhor organized religion....

It seems like far more often than not, people use organized religion as a vehicle to justify their own petty hatred and intolerance. They live by Don'ts and Thou-shalt-not's, picking apart everyone else's sins but their own, cherry-picking their way through their Book's lessons. If Jesus was a real man, the only lesson that really matters would have been to love thy neighbor, be kind to your fellow man and leave all judging to God - why isn't this more obvious to the very people who claim to live by the teachings of Jesus? Instead, the result of organized religion has been to put people up on high horses, worshiping at churches rife with precious metals and stained glass, crusading for things like movies about gay cowboys while millions starve to death all over the world.