You wrote:

God is not a crutch for anyone because the Lord will not help those who do not help themselves therefore the Bible, which Christian or not is a great book for ethical guidance, teaches us to be people in action, to do something about being better within our selves.

Yes. I know that. That is what I believed as a Christian. That is what I was taught at church and school. Read again this passage that I wrote about trying out for a sports team:

“But then I remembered that I was a child of God! I knew that if it was his will for my life that he would help me make the team. With a new sense of peace and confidence I completed tryouts, giving it my very best, and leaving the rest in God’s hands.”

So it wasn’t that I believed God would grant my wish, but I knew that he had a plan for my life, so no matter what happened, whether I made the team or not, I would be alright. Believing God was looking out for me didn’t make me think that all of my dreams and wishes would come true without me putting in any effort, but it simply gave me inward peace.

Prayer is not a magic wish list. Every sports team as fans or players, praying to win on both sides and someone will always loose, every job applied for, every opening in a college, every spot on a team has been prayed for at one time or another and most have not gotten what they wanted, was that an unanswered prayer?

I never held such shallow beliefs.

I think prayer is something that should be done from deep within your soul, a prayer for peace within ones self, a prayer for someone else in their time of need. A prayer for guidance, hope, energy…

Yes. That is exactly how I treated prayer in this post. I prayed for inner peace and confidence, not for wishes to be granted.

lease know that I’m not trying to push my beliefs on you just simply offering another view point.

You’re offering the standard Christian viewpoint, which I something I am intimately familiar with. Remember, I was a Christian for the vast majority of my life. I was an honor student at a conservative Christian high school. You’re not giving me any new information. You’re not telling me something I haven’t heard a million times before. I’m not trying to be harsh here, I recognize your good intentions, but this is frustrating. Your comment would be appropriate if you were writing to a person who had never heard “the good news,” but it’s just redundant and useless when you’re speaking to a former Christian.

I had the success I did it on my own the roads were smooth I had my life and everything in it was just fine but deep down I knew something was missing.

Nothing is missing from my life. I am happy, fulfilled, complete.

Look, Jo, I know you’re trying to help and be friendly, but I can’t help but be offended by your comment for one simple reason: you have reduce me to an easy-to-deal-with parody.

It’s easier for you to deal with my loss of faith in God if you turn me into a shallow, silly sort of Christian — the sort of Christian who holds a grudge against God for not answering her prayer request, not helping them get an A on a test even though they didn’t study or allowing them to win the lottery, who treats prayer like toll-free request hotline. I never held that sort of view.

It teaches us acceptance of the fellow man for good or for bad, that it’s not our place to judge and that we can only change ourselves and how we view things and what we do to make our world better for ourselves and better for our fellow men. I’m not trying to preach here so I apologize if that’s how I am coming across it just makes me sad that so often through the “Church” Gods message is lost, so much so that people loose their faith because the focus of who God is has been lost.

Prayer is not a magic wish list. Every sports team as fans or players, praying to win on both sides and someone will always loose, every job applied for, every opening in a college, every spot on a team has been prayed for at one time or another and most have not gotten what they wanted, was that an unanswered prayer? Some may view it as that I believe it was a wasted prayer. I think prayer is something that should be done from deep within your soul, a prayer for peace within ones self, a prayer for someone else in their time of need. A prayer for guidance, hope, energy; I thank God for all that I have yes but I will also praise him at the times in life when I have nothing, and I’ve been there in the darkness not knowing where to turn or what to do and I know that I’ve worked hard for everything I have. I’ve done the work but in that I thank Him for making me, making me who I am not only as a follower of Christ but as a person.

My hope in writing this is that you may one day see the truth about God and His unwavering love for all of us. Please know that I’m not trying to push my beliefs on you just simply offering another view point. The possibility that God is a friend and a Father someone or something that loves each of us unconditionally even in the times when we’ve turned our back to him and lost all faith —and I’ve been there, it was empty. I had the success I did it on my own the roads were smooth I had my life and everything in it was just fine but deep down I knew something was missing. No matter if I’m on the top of the world with success or cold in the ally starving I’d rather be there with the love of God in my heart and on my lips. I pray for you, someone I’ve never met that you could simply be open to that possibility that God was not the feather in your cap, He’s the friend urging you to have faith within yourself. I hope my words have no offended in anyway, and I hope you know that it’s coming from the heart.

~ Your web neighbor Jo

Don’t think the problem of religion is specific to its flavor. I was a catholic. Religion, at least organized christian religions, are in place so we don’t need to think. They tell us what to believe and how to live and with very few exceptions, “loosing your faith” will cause your believing family and friends great angst because unless they can have everyone they know believe the way they do, their faith and their belief system is threatened. At least we don’t need to worry about the Inquisition and torture and being burned alive at a stake for being in league with the devil, who we must be if Jesus is no longer the end al and be all of own life style.

There are lots of us little ships, navigating all by ourselves in this sea of life.

Jim Klein

Every word of this comment screams to me, “Look at me! I have not read the article I am replying to!” You are doing your fellow believers a grave disservice by trolling around on the internet with such malice against those whose case you haven’t even considered. It does not give me much faith that you have researched your own position adequately.

Speaking of your evidence, should this child believe in your God? Or is he also going to Hell for not giving thanks for all your benevolent god has done for him? Just a thought…