Too long to comment

This was going to be a comment, but it was too long. I couldn't hijack, Michele's comments, so I decided to just post it here. Sure now only, 3 people will read it, but maybe that's just as well.

Michele, you have such a wonderful sense of yourself and you seem to be so at peace with who you are without being closed off to other ideas. That's a beautiful combination. We've had completely different experiences with Christianity. You know this since we've talked about it a couple of times. I wish I had your gift with words so that I could say what is in my mind as clearly as you can. I don't mean for it to sound like I want to convince you of anything or change your mind, but I never quite feel like exactly what I'm trying to say ever comes out.

What you wrote says a lot about who you are. I don't think that I would believe in God either if I had to feel guilty for the forgiveness he gave by sacrificing his Son 2000 years before I was born. It hardly seems fair to do it so long ago and then hold it over our heads to make us feel guilty everytime we sin. It's like a parent threatening to call Santa at the North Pole if their kid's not good enough the entire month of December. I mean it, clean you're room, or I'm calling Santa, and he's not coming this year. You said 'Damn' to your mother so I'm telling Jesus, and it's going straight in the book. I don't think it works that way, but I can certainly see how it could come to seem like that to some.

I have always respected that you can see people of faith and not think of them as mindless sheep. That's what makes this kind of discussion so difficult. Some people who believe seem to feel the need to condemn the other side eternal damnation, while some people that don't believe in a higher power feel the need to blast believers as delusional. I think there's room for respect on both sides. While we disagree on this, I've never felt anything but respect from you about my beliefs or seen anything from you but respect for the beliefs of others. I hope you've felt that from me too.

For what it's worth, the Jesus I believe in would want you to try to follow his teachings if you think they will help you be a better person, a better parent, a more charitable person, or live a happier life. Whether you believe he was a prophet, or a Rabbi, or a Jewish carpenter, or even the Son of God. We're all just doing the best we can. For some, faith is a feeling, and they feel the presence of God in their lives, and I'm sure that's wonderful. It's got to be a comfort for them. For others of us, faith is an act of will. We choose to act righteously and faithfully or at least the best we can. That's what I do. I choose everyday to continue to be faithful, and in acting in a faithful way, I have faith. I do basically what you said you do. I try to live my life according to the teachings of Jesus. Who cares why we do it??

You can do it in the name of trying to do be the best person you can, and I'll do it in the name of trying to be the best Christian I can, and we'll meet in the middle.