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I forgot your second question. I consider myself a Christian but a very imperfect one. I have always believed in God and Christ. I became a Catholic back in 97 and my beleif in God and Christ was affirmed when my wife - already a brest cancer survivor - had another lump discovered in 98. She went back one week later and it was gone. Without a doubt, I believed that God removed that lump. And while my wife and I struggle with our faith, my wife has used her life since then to help other women with cancer by taking them to her doctor, improving their recovery chances, etc.

And I became a Catholic because while my wife was raised as a Catholic, she left the Church years ago. After being diagnosed with brest cancer, I saw that she was floundering, sometimes in despair and sadness. Talking with her, I told her that I would become a Catholic if it meant getting her back to God. She went to confession and I became a Catholic.

The 'born agains' are those people who have come back to God and Christ and their manner is so holier-than-thou because they act and behave in a manner that your belief will never be as strong as theirs. I see this even in the Catholic faith. If you read some of the replies to me in this thread, I am automatically assumed to be non-Christian because I dare to challenge or disagree with them. Concernign this thread, I have had some privately freepmail me and agree with me. They do this because they probably do not want the headache of being attacked by the born-agains.

I agree with you about born agains...in general. I can’t paint them all in one broad brush stroke. But If one must apply a stereotype it is this:

Born agains are people that were basically the least desirable of us for the first half of their life, then suddenly turned 180 degrees and went the opposite extreme. They then become hyper critical of us that never were the horrible people they once were and never became the religious extreme that they are now. I am not impressed with born agains. I am not impressed with alcoholics that join AA. I consider them 2 peas in a pod. I’m glad they finally found some sanity in their lives, but if they think they are better than me, they better think again.

But I gotta add the disclaimer at the end, naturally. There are plenty of life long church goers that are just as snobbish about religion. There are also lots of born agains that are not snobbish about religion. Many of them do find an "even keel" after awhile and then get off their soap box.