I appreciate the response. Personally, I can align myself with what you say.

I stopped going to church when I was very young because the adults could not answer my questions, and the man at the front of the room wearing the robes seemed clueless, too.

Eventually, I became an atheist because I did not believe the literal stories of the Bible or any other religious text. But I always said I would reconsider if I had some direct evidence for myself.

A few years ago, I had an experience that I could not explain without a supernatural element. Since then, I have been exploring religion more, especially Christianity. As an atheist, I learned much of what you are saying when it comes to the idea that some of the stories in the Bible may have been removed and/or altered. It makes sense to me. After all, how do we know that the men at the Council of Nicea got everything right? The Mormons think Joseph Smith got everything right, but non-Mormons would say that the Mormons got it wrong, but Constantine got it right. I question that.

The "idea" of good vs evil is clearly all around us. I also realize that all civilizations have had some sort of understanding of "Cause and Effect" in the Universe. Thomas Jefferson wrote, "... the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God," indicating to me a cause/effect relationship vis-a-vis the "Higher Law."

Anyway, I found your thoughts interesting, and thanks for the response.

I appreciate the response. Personally, I can align myself with what you say.

I stopped going to church when I was very young because the adults could not answer my questions, and the man at the front of the room wearing the robes seemed clueless, too.

Eventually, I became an atheist because I did not believe the literal stories of the Bible or any other religious text. But I always said I would reconsider if I had some direct evidence for myself.

A few years ago, I had an experience that I could not explain without a supernatural element. Since then, I have been exploring religion more, expecially Christianity. As an atheist, I learned much of what you are saying when it comes to the idea that some of the stories in the Bible may have been removed and/or altered. It makes sense to me. After all, how do we know that the men at the Council of Nicea got everything right? The Mormons think Joseph Smith got everything right, but non-Mormons would say that the Mormons got it wrong, but Constantine got it right. I question that.

The "idea" of good vs evil is clearly all around us. I also realize that all civilizations have had some sort of understanding of "Cause and Effect" in the Universe. Thomas Jefferson wrote, "... the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God," indicating to me a cause/effect relationship vis-a-vis the "Higher Law."

Anyway, I found your thoughts interesting, and thanks for the response.