@ aiwass

I understand that many Christians say that they do not try to convert other people. LOL, I get that all the time from the Seventh Day Adventists. They're like trying to be nice and all- but behind the niceness and the "i'm not trying to cvonvert you crap," they're very subtlely trying to convert you to be like them. But although I propse myself a christian and a catholic- as i said before, i am not the typical catholic/ christian that you know. I am a Catholic Christian in a sense that I believe in God and Jesus Christ and that I try, as humanly as possible, to be good and not to be a nuisance to others. When it comes to the sacraments and some of the catholic dogma/beliefs /practices- that's where i begin to differ. I seriously think that Catholicism and most of Christianity has deviated from what the real Christians should be like- the one intended by Christ. It has turned more into a corporate business and a political institution. But just because everyone is screwing up doesnt mean i have to blame Christianity for it. You have to understand that these people are not real christians- they're simply a bunch of assholes trying to hide in the name of christ and the christian religion. It's like this analogy: Suppose you have a family with brothers and sisters. And this family is the best family in the world until one day, your brothers and sisters starts messing up. Would it be fair to blame your parents for it and change to a different family just because your siblings screwed up? Hence, I am still a Catholic and don't blame God.

As for the fact that you're an aetheist- i truely understand and respect that- and I don't condemn you for it like other christians would do. People define God or their reality- whatever you call it in many different ways- and I understand them very well. From my quest for The ANSWER, i've encountered many ways in which people try to define their own reality- whether it be religion, philosophy, or science. I'm also a graduating psychologist. We're forced not to believe in such a thing as the mind or the soul- only the brain exists so I should know! LOL. But as hardcore and as factual as science is. I still chose to believe in a God for many reasons. And one of them is the fact that I've got nothing to lose. In the end, when i die, it wouldn't make a difference if there's no God. I'd simply cease to exist together with my emotions and consciousness and the abscence of God wouldn't even matter or make a difference to me. On the other hand, If I'm dead and there is a God, then I'm actually better off, because as my God promises, I shall live again. It's that simple. I forgot which philosopher said this, but it's better to be on the safe side and I'm just playing it safe. Now, some people who don't believe that such a being as God exists will think that believing in a God is a life of deception- but I tend to disagree. In a scientific and psychological sense-"deception" is not necessarily an evil. It can be good. For instance, we have certain ideologies that we keep intact even though it is not reflective of the real world because it maintains our self esteem, principles, and certain relationships with other people and our relationship to the world intact. It's also due to these ideologies that we know of things such as faith and hope and these other stuff which makes the world a little brighter- This is what separated Tolstoy from Schopenhauer I believe. I can go on and on- but believing in a God, even if he didnot exist is beneficial. And I think, just as religion is human nature- it is a necessity. As Berkeley puts it: Even if God didnt exist, we would have to create one.

As PonyOne puts it "The bottom line is that spirituality and beliefs must be from ones own heart, regardless of how you do or don't follow God." CS Lewis- My favorite author, used to be an aetheist for quite a long time until he converted to christianity and became agruably the best defender of the christian faith. You're very young and the road is still long- there's so many things that you have yet to encounter. It's not my job to convert you. You'll find it on your own. In the end, we'll all find what the ultimate reality is one way or another. In believing in a God, I just don't see how I can lose.