I read a letter the other day which was self-acclaimed as enlightened, moral, and objective. That may have been the intent but there were certainly some apparent lack of control in places.

The person who wrote the letter claims to have been a Christian and went "to university" (he didn't specify which kind) where he had the means to reason everything out and come to the conclusions that there is no god, we don't need God, we don't need to be ignorant, and the Bible and all religion is a tool to control the masses and is useless.

There were a few points on which he was correct but not for the reasons he proclaimed. For example, his stance that everything that is wrong with religion and with mankind is God's fault. After all, we know He makes us do all these bad things, right?

He starts by lifting up humanity saying that we have so much potential to learn and understand the world through science and philosophy but are ignorant and are taught at a young age to be that way. He argues that we shouldn't teach them anything at all about religion until they are old enough to apply logic and reasoning to all the things we didn't teach them.

Apparently he doesn't understand how society works. Every moment of a child's life with its parents should be used to teach them how to mature properly and to grasp basic skills and basic knowledge about how to live in an acceptable manner. His argument that waiting until they mature into properly ascertaining the difference between facts and fiction does not leave any room for teaching children to have respect for their Creator and for other human beings. Public schools, if he hasn't noticed, do not teach this sort of thing. And that university he went to is not likely a stronghold on those subjects. Throughout history cultures have taught their children the difference between right and wrong and the proper way to live. So, no, not teaching your children what you believe is not rational thinking and certainly not beneficial to society.

The potential he speaks of can also be invested in the purposes of religion - having a relationship with one's Creator and having a proper relationship with one's fellow human. I have noticed sites on the Internet that whose only existence is to try to persuade people that religion is bad and their way is good. Those sites of which I am speaking use all sorts of facts, events, etc, to try to disprove religion that I use to try to understand God. It's all in the intention. All things can be used for good purposes or bad ones. The irony is that their side constantly screams for us to leave them alone while they attack us.

This man argues that man's mind can be better occupied on science and that religion is a waste of our limited brain space. I don't understand that because I like science and I believe there was a Creator. I can consider both arguments to see how they fit together while he can only provide space for one or the other. He makes the claim that there is no proof for many religious beliefs. I disagree. One thing he complains about is relying on ancient manuscripts. Guess what? the more manuscripts and the older, the more we can learn. Apparently history was not one of his favorite subjects other than to find bad things people did and blame it on God.

He says that religion relies on fear mongering for survival. Excuse me, sir, but I believe you are stereotyping. You are claiming that everyone who believes in God does so out of fear. The only fear I have comes from your side. It is true that fear mongering (which actually means to sell fear) has been, is being, and will always be used to promote certain belief systems. That is not God's fault. That is not the fault of the concept of religion. That is not my fault. People are people and some of them are evil. They will seek a means to get an advantage over society's rules by any means possible, including infiltrating and controlling religion. How far they get depends on how good of liars they are. That's not religion's fault. That's like saying that you have money in your pocket and when I attack you to take it, that it's your fault. Pointing out how many have been brainwashed and how many have been murdered, tortured, banished, or imprisoned doesn't change what I just stated one iota. The Arab world is going through the same thing Christianity went through during the Crusades. Does that make Islam and the common Muslim evil? Of course not. It's like the gun argument. Guns don't kill. People kill.

You say the religious person demands you prove there is no God. You say the onus is on them to prove there is. There's just one problem with that argument. It has boundaries outside which it doesn't apply.

Try to use that open mind you brag about having and think about this. In the Judeo-Christian tradition God created everything that exists. It doesn't say whether He created it from something or from nothing. The language seems to me to imply that He shaped everything out of something. What was that something? Before God created the universe, Mr. Deep Thinker, what was there? What is God made of? You can't rely on the universe and what we know about it. We only know what we have been provided the means of using to understand the world. What might be beyond this universe is a mystery. You are assuming everything can be answered with your chart of the periodic table. What if there are things beyond that which we cannot perceive? And if this is the case, how can a Christian prove it and how can you disprove it? I am imagining that it is very difficult for you to think about at all because it isn't in your little box of pretend omniscience. Russell's teapot is out the window on this one. And how can you say that the Creator of the universe would be subject to what He created?

In fact, the argument about the existence of a Creator will never end because there is no way to find out what's outside the box. The means of knowledge, including our senses, that we have been given is simply not enough to understand all things. The ole boys club of science gets offended if you so much as consider the possibility of a Creator. Scientists who think so are often scoffed at and blacklisted. Any mention of the possibility brings taunts and threats from the doubters. Quite frankly, it reminds me of the Catholic church and Copernicus. And, quite frankly, I think the church is more open-minded than the scientists.

I am glad that you have found happiness trusting in your own mind and isolated set of morals. (Society needs more than that; it needs for everyone to have the same set - otherwise, one man's right is another man's wrong.) I'm glad you have looked inside and are doing things that are moral. That, of course, doesn't mean it's the only way. And I'm glad you feel ethically obligated to yourself and to humanity. However, I also think you've turned your back on the most important One because you haven't studied as much as you should have to form your outspoken opinion. Unfortunately, you don't appear to me to know as much about religion as you claim you do. I have a friend that spouts out all your claims as well as you do and she doesn't know diddly about religion or the Bible.

It is my own personal philosophy that God chooses our paths. He may lead us to some places where it is difficult to understand that they are on the path to Him but it's not in our ability to understand why. I am pretty sure that that is what is happening to you. You seem to be very angry and only time and experience will resolve that as you unknowingly follow God's lead.

And, then, there are your claims of the church using condemnation, fictitious principles, stereotypes, and dogmas ... all of which I've seen in your own letter. Talk about hypocrisy. I do agree that if you suddenly discovered there is a Creator He wouldn't condemn you to Hell (if it even exists) but give you mercy. However, that mercy comes from love and He expects something in return - your love and your gratitude. It amazes me how ungrateful our society is for what it has. It's all about what we don't have. First of all, God gave you a life. Any moment of joy, any happy memory is his free gift to you. How can you not be grateful? And here in America the poor are rich. They just don't know it. And if they need things it is our job to take care of them, not to go around gloating of how we don't need God and how we have superior morals. In fact, nothing you have is really yours and what you have is owed to the next person who is needy. People need people. That's how we were designed.

Yes, Christians must serve God. They owe Him for their very lives. Yes, we need to trust Him. That takes a lot of practice. I no longer have that problem. I've experienced things your science cannot explain. Yes, we die for Him one way or another. I don't see that changing. After all, you owe God one life. And I don't think calling God the magic man in the sky is an insult that would ever come from my lips.

Atheists say funny things. One complains that God made man from dirt. The next says He wouldn't stoop so low as to care anything about us. Opposite ends of a spectrum. There is no arrogance in a sincere believer thinking God made everything for mankind. It is called humility.

The part about Jesus is something it does take faith to accept. We know he existed. We know he was a Jew by the words and actions in the text and he was probably of the Pharisaic party. We do not know much more than that. However, what would be the best way to relate to the creatures to whom you gave life other than to experience it yourself? His role was supposed to be the ultimate sacrifice. In other words, he's opening the door wider for us to come to God. He didn't make sin as you claimed but he gave us the choice to follow him or do what you're doing. He didn't arrange to have himself killed. That was also people's choice. Where is logic missing as you claimed? If the story of Jesus is true, there is no story that can top it.

Some people have experienced things which were unscientific. They feel a connection to their Creator. Your scientific explanations can't take that away from them. Why would anyone even write a letter like yours except to hurt people who don't fit into your religion of how the world should be? Where is your compassion for them? Where is your humanity? Why are you calling all religious people ignorant? Ignorant means that you don't know something. It could be that you would be ignorant of something. This is just more hypocrisy. And why are you painting all religion with a broad brush based only on arguments against Christianity?

As far as the "semi-literate desert dwellers" go, don't you think God could give wisdom to whomever He pleases? Lately we've been finding out that the ancients weren't quite as dumb as we supposed. They had technologies that enabled them to find out things many modern Americans don't even know. Yes, most Christians couldn't list the Ten Commandments but they probably know more about kindness and compassion and gratitude than you do.

No, religion was not made by man for the control of man (your words). Religion is the way to connect with the Creator. It is not some sort of magic or ritual. You just talk to Him and treat Him to the respect He deserves. Evil people are why religion is often used to control people. Do you think the leaders of the Middle East are really Muslims? Really? How about the Crusades? People are people. There are evil ones who will use any means necessary, even religion, to get what they want. They don't care about people. They don't care about God. They care about themselves. That is the doing of humanity, not God. By the way, God and religion are two different things but in your letter you sometimes can't tell them apart.

And, no, religion is not a crutch for those who seek God. Religion is a society - a gathering - in which many people can help each other seek Him as if they were a family. You haven't proved that God doesn't exist and I haven't proved He does. There is really no way we can have an intelligent discussion on the matter. We cannot see or sense God in any way other than by his choice because we simply aren't equipped. Perhaps God allowed Moses to see him, perhaps even the apostle John. Who really knows? It is my opinion that you should keep the door open to Him and the rest is up to Him. Be humble and follow the paths He leads you on and you won't have anything to worry about. I can claim that by experience.