I know religion is messed up. I got some good things from religion growing up, but picked up some baggage as well, baggage I have been shedding over time.

Religion is not spirituality. Spirituality involves taking responsibility for our lives, our actions, our decisions. Spirituality is not a cop out. Many people think Christianity is a cop out system of spirituality because Christianity has been and still has been grossly misrepresented by false, ignorant, or judgmental Christians.

Do you know that regardless of whether a person believes in Jesus Christ or not, they are judged by the same Jesus Christ on basis of their choices, actions, decisions and character? Sounds like your definition of an atheist.

The only thing Jesus demands is acknowledgement we have difficulty loving, acceptance of what He has done to remedy our problem, and spending of the rest of our lives loving others. Jesus demands we take responsibility for our lives — how much we know of Him is a function of how much effort we put into it. Does not sound like armchair religion or magic to me.

Does all of this sound like sitting back and waiting for directions from God for living life?

I do not think so. The reason you think of it this way it seems to me is because you have been hearing either of the false, ignorant or judgmental Christian.

Why does it all sound so simple in reality? Because Christians have tended to spend so much time fighting turf wars the real essence of Christianity has been mired in confusion and arguments.

If we reject spirituality because religious people hurt us we throw the baby out with the bath water. I have experienced significant mistreatment within context of religion. I cannot even begin to itemize. It has been two years since I stopped attending church services because the services have been about anything but Jesus Christ. I refuse however to allow my cognitive evaluation of spiritual truth be determined by actions of those who profess but refuse to live up to what I believe and have come to experience to be cognitively sound truth.

Atheism is faith because there does not exist any proof God does not exist. But faith requires evidence else it is nothing but presumption or reaction. I would encourage you to put aside your hurts and look at the evidence for God, particularly evidence for the God of the Bible.

You just might be surprised at what you might find.

Thanks for taking the time to join in the discussion.