I Was An Atheist By Third Grade

[MadameButterfly]

67. If you are making your decision about whether God exists

based on Fundamentalist Christian or Republican Right wing use of it in their nefarious schemes, then of course any compassionate, rational, freedom-loving person will say no. But please don't make a handful of people authorities on God just because they are good at acting or singing.

I call myself "spiritual" instead of "religious" because of all the damage that has been done in the name of religion. i didn't start out "spiritual". Challenges I faced in my life forced me to look at things differently. If I'd been a famous and rich from a young age movie star, I doubt I'd have gone on the journey that changed my mind. I'd have been happy to celebrate my success as earned by my well-deserved superior qualities. So, the quotes from the movie stars, I'll take a pass on.

Here's my experience. I see miracles unfolding every day. We might differ on our definition of a miracle. If you don't believe in miracles, you won't see any. So there will be no evidence. I still struggle with why bad things happen to good people and why life on the physical plane must be so hard. I look forward to understanding someday (probably after I die) the why of it all.

i don't need you to believe what I do, I just have trouble leaving a string of "of course there's no God" unchallenged as if that's the only Democratic point of view.