Hi Kevin,
I'm pretty new here too, and I don't know a lot of the members here yet. I'm glad to meet you, and I hope that you find what you are looking for here. Do you know what you are looking for?
I appreciate your respect and willingness to give us a chance (you said you are curious to see how you will be received here). I do sense a lot of anger in your post, and I wonder what it is that you are angry about. Everybody has more to their story than we will be able to see here. You don't have to answer that, of course, but I just wonder what has you feeling the way you do, and what brings you here. I'm just thinking out loud. And I am sorry for all the hurt that you must have felt sometime and somewhere. I guess that any of us could potentially find ourselves in the same place. If I'm misreading something, I'm sorry for that too.
I have always said that I believe there is truth to be found in all religions. I respect those who believe differently than I do, and I am interested in learning about what you have found. I might not agree with all of it, but that's okay. You don't have to agree with my beliefs either. I am particularly interested in your post because I had a friend who left the church, and she got so mad at me each time that our conversations turned to religion, because I could always find a way to fit her new beliefs alongside mine and for me it all made sense and any areas of conflict there didn't seem to me to be unsurmountable. She told me essentially that she felt I was bad for not giving up my beliefs. She doesn't talk to me anymore. I am still trying to make sense of it, as I never intended to be or thought that I was ever anything but accepting of her. You may not even have much in common with her, other than leaving the church, so maybe my perception of you is colored by my experience with my friend.
Anyway, welcome. I hope that I get the chance to learn more from you and about you.
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