I was raised by Christian parents (my mother more serious than my father) and went to a Methodist church and Sunday school in my youth.

In my late teens, after the sudden death of my mother, I attended an Evangelical Covenant church attracted there by a girl I had the hots for. During that time I got my first exposure to "born again" people and got to see how people's minds could be overcome by wishful thinking and emotion to completely override their logic. Began studying the history of religions and the evolution of the Bible and saw that it was often nothing more than a huge manipulation by some humans for power and control of others. I also got to experience the alienation of someone that wanted to question things and saw how self-propagating the entire system was. Even the most innocuous sect was cult-like in that manner.

I am equally put off by any religion that attempts to elevate their set of believers above all others and Christianity just is a more ready target in this country. Were I in a Muslim country my questioning and defiance of the norm would get me killed.

Art