Reply #72: early teens......... [View All]

[rppper]

about the time all the jim baker/jimmy swaggart scandals were coming to light...people like jerry falwell and the old moral majority went against what i had been taught to believe. my mom and dad both believed in god and the teachings of christ, but organized religion was not a factor in my family's life after about age 8. the absolute turning point in my personal life was when my son was scalded in an accident and required nearly a month in a burn unit and a year of therapy afterwards....after seeing my son burned, as well as the other children in that burn ward who were worse off than my boy, i questioned what kind of god would allow a 1 year old infant to suffer such pain. the answers that preachers and pundits gave me...that my son suffered for myine and my familys sins...were not the answer i had in mind. i believe in a higher power, and i think christ's example is a good one to follow. but i see the bible for what it is, a historical manuscript interpretted by humans...a set of stories meant to act as sort of a moral compass. ultimatly i feel god gave us a brain and a set of choices which we are supposed to act upon. each choice you make directly affects the situations in your day to day life. i am a firm believer in karma. i live my life through that principle. whether i'm right or wrong, i'll know when i die i suppose.