Recurring Traditions and the Historical Christ | Discussion with Dr. Dale Allison Jr. 

Awesome! A poem about my quest!

As Nahoa's father. I really appreciated and enjoyed this poem.

That's dope... I don't find the Hypothesis of Indifference appealing, but I can appreciate this!

I was raised in a predominantly Catholic setting, largely influenced by my mother. While my father was indifferent to religion, my mother's beliefs were deeply rooted in her Catholic boarding school upbringing. As a result, she held some views that seemed, to me, to border on indoctrination. Then one day she surprised me when she said "I'm giving up my belief in God because I've spent my entire life praying and worshiping, attending services three times a week and yet not one thing has improved" As a child, I attended a Catholic elementary school, sang in the choir, and even considered becoming a priest. However, that changed when I transitioned to a public middle school due to the absence of a diocesan option. The diverse experiences and perspectives there were eye-opening, but my belief in God remained. Over the years, I grappled with the question of why suffering exists in the world. I explored various denominations, but none provided a satisfactory answer. Eventually, I found myself at a Buddhist temple. Over the next three years of study, I was introduced to a different worldview. I learned that the concept of a Supreme Being wasn't central to their beliefs. Instead, the cosmos, as a product of nature, became my focus. I began to see the importance of understanding, appreciating, and coexisting with the natural world and was able to throw off the shackles of religious indoctrination. I'm 77 now and have spent the last 50 years earning a Maters degree in Social Psychology, while studying philosophy, evolution and comparative religion. During that time I was able to attend events at some of the most despicable religious groups in California, such as Calvery Chaple, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Biola University, The Benny Hinn faith healing scam, the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. For some, religion is an important aspect of their lives, helping them deal with the fears and frustration of life. For me religion is a distraction from the reality of life; it is often used a divisive tool to manipulate societies into taking actions that benefit a few power hungry and greedy individuals while squeezing those that could least afford it.

I have great parents, I guess 😊