plantagent,

I know all that, learned it in school; how are you going on the Innocent till proven Guilty bit?

In Aussie parlance, it's known as "the fair go".

George Pell faces trial as a pedophile. Hardly a good example of Christianity in action.

I was shocked to see his essay in the Quadrant.

When pushing Pell forward as example for good Christian values, this point should be at the least addressed.

Faith has nothing to do with logic that suits us ? I believe that those designer religions are the principal reason for all those weird & wonderful happy-clapping outfits coming onto the scene like on a conveyor belt.
Jesus loves you no matter how silly you are or you'll get to lay 72 underaged girls if you can prove your gullibility.
Read a few lines in the Bible. Read how the Earth was described as a circle that is not supported 3000 years before the smarter ones started to realise the Earth was round & not flat.
Just don't take it All literally after all, it does require thought to get the gist of what's written.
If you believe or not is not really the be all & end all but do keep an open mind.
It only requires you to be a consumer to be part of mainstream but once you start thinking for yourself you will get a different outlook on it all.

Life is not a quiz!

Faith has nothing to do with whatever beliefs one happens to hold: you just don't get heavenly points for adopting this or that mental idea.

Rather, faith is being tested when one is called to sacrifice, at those times when rational analysis seems to indicate that doing some wrong act will [and is the only way to] fulfil your dreams; and at those times when it seems that doing something good would cause you an idiotic loss.

Others may laugh at you, but if you have faith then you will continue to do good and avoid evil regardless.

Keep thinking of God, day and night. How you think of Him and what stories you attribute to Him, is inconsequential: what matters is that when other thoughts tempt you and seem more interesting, more enticing, you tell them: "Get behind me, Satan" and heroically push them out while keeping focused on God alone - this is true faith!

I believe that there is life after death and I am 101% sure that I will never be disappointed.

Dear Is Mise,

Never be disappointed?

First disappointment comes when your head is forcefully squeezed as you fall off the nice warm water and struggle to breath, then someone hangs you upside down by the leg, hits your back and pricks you with needles. For about a year you would have no tools to rationalise your numerous pains, hunger, thirst and itching, how less so to communicate them and ask for help, only to lie on your back completely helpless.

Next will come a host of childhood maladies and injuries, then compulsory schooling, indoctrination and bullying. You may well also be born into poverty, famine, natural disasters, crippling diseases, war, crime, a tyrannical family and all other forms of child abuse. Next might come conscription and the accompanying horrors. Following will come many years of struggling to earn a living and the chances are that you would be forced to work in a demeaning job, or you may be kept at home, be beaten by your husband and made to labour many times and take care of his whims and numerous children, getting old and diseased before you can even begin to enjoy your life.

I wish there was no life after the death of our current bodies, that we need not suffer again and again, but the reality is that until and unless you reach God, this vicious cycle will ruthlessly continue.