[TomSmedley]

You said, "I was once an ardent Catholic altarboy. I stopped believing in God in my early 20's, and the loss of God and eternity has been staggering. If I could have one wish, it would be that a loving God exists. "

I appreciate this "confession of non-faith." It reminds me of something sensible the "Aryan Christ" (Carl Jung, Hiterl's favorite shrink) pointed out: disillusioned Protestants merely find a different denomination. Disillusioned Catholics often become atheists.

This is one former Catholic, current calvinist, who sincerely wishes you well in your continued pilgrimage.

[yendu bwam]

You said, "I was once an ardent Catholic altarboy. I stopped believing in God in my early 20's, and the loss of God and eternity has been staggering. If I could have one wish, it would be that a loving God exists. "

So strange - it was the opposite for me. I was an atheist, through and through. I had no religious upbringing. I read a book on the world's religions at age 18 and was inspired to read the Book of Matthew from the New Testament. I saw there in a giant flash the absolute and overwhelming power, grace and beauty of Christ's and God's love for us. I was floored. The truth of God's love came flooding into my mind and has never receded. Churches themsevles (run by humans) do some really stupid and sometimes evil things (like my own Catholic Church) - but the message of Christ stays the same. I have many, many reasons for believing in a loving God. One powerful one is that when I read Christ's words, I knew that no ordinary human being could have said all of them, so perfectly, so well, so amazingly lovingly. The message is revolutionary and radical in the direction of pure good and love.