Sorry, Everald, you can't get your God off the hook that easily. According to the official credo of your religion, God made the very first human beings in the full and complete knowledge of every single thing that they and their descendants would do from that moment until the end of time: every massacre, every witch-burning, every Crusade, every suicide bomb in every crowded marketplace. And not only did he know this, but he could have prevented it, then or at any time in the future. Had he wanted things otherwise, he could have made it so.

Now, if you want to renounce the official version and claim that your God is NOT omnipotent and/or NOT omniscient, that's fine: just resign from your church and spend the rest of your days explaining just how powerful and how knowing your God actually is, and how you come to be possessed of this information. But as long as you carry an official banner for an all-knowing, all-powerful God then you'll have to wear the consequences of that belief, as unpalatable as they may be to a modern enlightened mind.

It's called the Problem of Evil, and ignoring it doesn't make it go away.

Everald, your God, if He, She or It existed, would bless you.

I loved your words: "and I find that, when you cut away all the heavy theology that smothers any faith, you can get down to the very essence of them all. You discover the irrefutable fact that they are all religions of love and peace and justice."

Everald, the things that our world is most short of are love and peace and justice. This is in spite of the fact that religion affects the lives of most of the world's people. Obviously there is a serious disconnect between religious belief and human nature.

I wish that we could get rid of all religions. I don't think it is a good thing to indoctrinate little kids with fears about ancient myths and superstitions.

Religion divides people, confuses them, and deranges them. It would be better to accept life as it is, base our lives on reality and the here and now, and try to make every day worthwhile by helping other people and sharing what we have with them. That should bring its own rewards.

The Big Lotto Win in the Sky is a nonsense, a massive con.

It's gone on for long enough!

Yep and now secularist murder the unborn by the millions in the name of no God just like Pol Pot, Stalin and Mao.

ps watch out for those fundamentalist salvos this Christmas as they look after the down and outs.

Everald. Thanks for giving us an insight into your own personal journey. With more people like you, I venture to suggest that the world would be a better place. Given your interest in the two "r"s, railways and religion, you may be interested in two op-eds that I have posted on both topics. Links below. Regards, Jim Page.

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=12895
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=15784

Runner, how much will the Salvos commit to the "Down and Outs" this Christmas, from the billions of cash they have !
That equal to a pinch of salt, is what they will give !!
In the UK the Salvos commit only 14% annually, of what they receive in donations towards those who need help.
Your mate Jesus would not be happy with this lot.

'Runner, how much will the Salvos commit to the "Down and Outs" this Christmas, from the billions of cash they have !
That equal to a pinch of salt, is what they will give !!

funny enough Kipp the officers I know in the salvation receive a pittance compared to the officers on the tax funded gw religion gravy train. You certainly have a warped view on things.