The last I want to do is offend people. That being said hear me out.

I don't really understand how anyone can be an atheist, before I go further maybe I should discuss my own religious beliefs a bit.

-I was raised Catholic (complete with all the bells and whistles).
-I have since become a "heretic", and view myself as a non denominational Christian
-I despise all "churches" as a means for men(or women) to gain power by putting themselves between their congregations and God. I don't think anyone needs to have a "middle man" between themselves and divinity.
-I don't believe in the popular conception of Hell, rather I believe it to be a separation from God.
-I don't believe in the popular conception of Heaven either, instead I believe it to be a state of closeness to God.
-I believe in the holy trinity. But not in the conventional sense. I believe in God the Creator, I believe Jesus Christ was the human incarnation of God the creator, And I believe in the Holy Spirit but only so far as it is God the Creators power to be witnessed or vested in some individuals.
-I believe anything is possible and there is no way for me to know the mind of God.
-I believe Science and Religion are 100% compatible.
-I believe God takes an active role in all our lives if we decide to let him.
-I believe God has no gender, I don't think hes male or female but rather some kind of neutral "it".(and I only refer to him as a he for ease of conversation)
-I believe everything you need to build a relationship with the almighty is inside yourself. He gave the tools to get to know him at birth and no books, guides, or signposts are needed.(though you may find them helpful)
-I believe the bible has been corrupted by man. And while it may make for interesting reading, it is not 100%(or even 60%) infallible.

Now that being said. I don't understand atheists... I have felt God's thumb on my back, and while it is awe inspiring it is also the most frightening thing Ive ever had to face.

Now Ill admit it wasn't like I just said, "OK, God...I believe in you, now lets see some action!". More like after years of prayer and building my relationship with God he decided there was stuff I needed to do, And while I didnt want to do it, I did anyway. With the hair on my neck standing strait up and my palms sweating, a knot in my gut and an acidic taste in my mouth.

Im not a religious zealot. And I don't mean to judge anyone who isn't as sure as I am in my beliefs.

But I do think that if people don't ever seek then they will never find. And if they never find then they will miss out on some of the most amazing, gratifying and terrifying events a human can experience. And that to me seems like a real shame.

I wouldn't want anyone to miss it.

And I hope I didn't offend anyone.

AMEN