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god of suffering

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From:	Navin	2004-03-24 12:03:20
Subject:	Excellent article!
Comment:	I am from India, and have recently become an atheist after struggling to understand Hinduism for the most part of my life. My thanks to Mr. Sherman for sharing such an inspirational story.
From:	Shelby Sherman	2004-04-06 17:00:50
Subject:	Deconversion
Comment:	N., thanks so much for taking the time to read my story. I am flattered that someone from around the world would take the time to read it. We are from different cultures, but all humans share the common problem of breaking away from harmful superstition and tradition. Regards, SS
From:	Maylene	2004-04-17 23:04:20
Subject:	Similar experiences
Comment:	I lost my daughter by steps to a neurological condition.She was eight years of age.I loved this child inmensely,and she loved me also. However much I would like to be able to deceive myself,I cannot.She is gone,soon enough I will follow.To nothingness,from where we came. Even if only for a second in eternity,we are able to glimpse the greatness of the Universe..that in itself is joyful,there is no need to elaborate. I saw my thoughts reflected in your article.Even as a girl,I would read the N.T. over and over.Even then I couldn't make peace with the absurdity of the whole proposal. I thought I was alone in the whole world..with my wicked doubts and 'shameful' lack of faith. Then I was able to buy a computer...and it was good. M.D
From:	SpiritHunter	2004-11-16 10:58:39
Subject:	the widower's conversion
Comment:	Religions teach not only their own dogma but also that all other views of God are wrong.When a believer finds that his dogma is wrong,he still adheres to the other part of religion that he was taught.He therefore strongly thinks that he has proven there is no god.It is in this way that religions create atheists! Religion is a system of beliefs held to with ardor and,as such,atheism is just another religion.Bibles,Jesus,etc have everything to do with religion;they may have nothing to do with god.To find truth about god requires discarding the lazy thinking of religions and searching with an open mind attached to no fixed beliefs.Few seem willing to do this.
From:	D.C	2005-03-25 21:57:45
Subject:	Response
Comment:	I have been where you are. I was raised in a fundamentalist Christian house. I then after looking into the matter for myself at age 21 started to doubt, by 23 I was an agnostic/atheist. But I always had the feeling there had to be more. I knew that religion did not have the answer so I looked else where. To make a long story short I found a Cosmology that satisfied my mind and my heart. If you are interested in a read, it may be what you are looking for. If not, all the best to you. http://www.rosicrucian.com/rcc/rcceng00.htm#contents
From:	BDS	2005-05-05 16:27:16
Subject:	Well written and poignant
Comment:	Good work on this, Shelby! I will copy it and post it in CvsA. I hope to see some comments on it condusive to the morals of those who post. Good luck to you, a good man!
From:	JB Bryant	2005-08-18 15:40:22
Subject:	Faith in nature
Comment:	I just want to register my respect for Shelby and vouch for his sincerity. In the early 1990's, Shelby and I knew each other well through a BBS Echo he ran called 'ThumpIt' and we met in person a couple of times. I was then and am now a committed Christian. Shelby and I very actively debated the issues. We have always disagreed on nearly every part of the theism/atheism debate. Yet I have a genuine respect for Shelby. He is a good man, has a brilliant mind, and (unlike many theists and atheists both) he strives hard to live consistently with his convictions. Shelby, I stumbled upon this article today. I had never read the details of your spiritual/material pilgrimage. Nor did I know about your wife passing in 2003, as you and I haven't written since 1998. I believe you know enough of me to know that had I known about it and had we still lived near each other, I would have done anything I could for you without an agenda. Anyway, I just wanted to pop in here and say 'Hello' -- and to pray for you as you continue evangelizing your faith in probability and the material world <wink>. :-) Take care, my friend. JB Bryant
From:	Brittany	2007-07-13 06:06:17
Subject:	Another take
Comment:	Well written essay and compelling due to all his anecdotes and heart felt search for truth. Sounds like Shelby has worked out an explanation regarding God that he feels comfortable with after all these years. I just feel bad for him because he is mistaken---he had some bad experiences with christians and christianity (not uncommon unfortunately), but that does not negate TRUTH. It doesn't matter what humans have done to distort it (due to sin, christian or not), what matters is what is TRUE- I just encourage you all to stop congratulating each other on your attempts to prove that there is no God, and reconsider things. What do you have to lose? Take a walk outside, look at the stars--the heavens, and reconsider what you are suggesting. I'm not going to give you any 'Christianese' lingo, because I have a feeling it would fall on deaf ears. But please, I have no motive, no church to invite you to, no hidden agenda, but I do know what is True, I Do feel God's presence in my life-- its what compels me to write this and post this note in the hopes that you might read it. We all know how easy it is to take something good, and distort it. Well it can happen with God's truth as well. But what he intended, it is perfect, and that is what we have to keep our eyes on. Read the Bible. Its no sham, not at all. This should be good news to you all. Anyway, I hope someone reads this someday. For now I'm off to bed.