[MENTION=13260]Rasofy[/MENTION]... no, I never killed anyone but I betrayed a lot of trust and took advantage of a lot of people and I pushed people away who I shouldn't have, which are all pretty horrible
I've changed my ways pretty dramatically, but it doesn't set things right and a lot of those people can never be apologized to... moving forward is necessary, but forgiving yourself is necessary in order to keep living with yourself
[MENTION=12103]_Poki_[/MENTION] and why isn't it a fun boat with jolly rogers and gangplanks and such?
[MENTION=8543]Nerd Girl[/MENTION] the problem there is the fact that no matter what I've tried I just don't believe... in which case any god who would condemn me for that is an asshole who I don't believe is worth having any faith in
[MENTION=9811]Coriolis[/MENTION] I've learned, I've changed, I've apologized to those who I could apologize to but it can't change the past... I grew up in the rural midwest and have seen some spectacular abuses of religion by people almost akin to the mob bosses on tv who go to confession and consider themselves to be good people because they said a few prayers about the fact that they had someone killed... I still feel guilty though
[MENTION=5489]shortnsweet[/MENTION] I will cut him
[MENTION=7]Jennifer[/MENTION] it's funny how universal the human experience is... religious people and non religious people can fall on either side of the guilt divide... despite popular belief religion has no monopoly on guilt or forgiveness I suppose
it shouldn't effect so many aspects of life if humans are meant to keep sane though should it? how do people even get through the time period after pulling things together from being a bad person?
[MENTION=7280]Lark[/MENTION] perhaps believing things even may have a biological basis in a way?
the idea that a deity would forgive you if you were genuinely sorry seems to give people some feeling of relief though, which seems unfair
[MENTION=994]kelric[/MENTION] if I knew what was best for me I wouldn't be in such a quandary!
[MENTION=15136]EvidenceOfRedemption[/MENTION] believing just doesn't click with me despite being raised within a religion...
I think there's a "God shaped hole" Whatever but I think that cultural distortion is enough that people are alienated by the very idea.