A letter to a friend I have not met.

 

Bob Johnson, my esteemed friend I have yet met;

 

Dear Sir: When I set out to write this email it was to ask for your assistance with a discussion about has God become persona non grata, on the linkedIn website, under Creative Designer and Writers an interesting place to find such a discussion. Link attached;

http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=236582978&gid=2215425&commentID=139770127&trk=view_disc&ut=2zUA-01cz2glM1

 

I guess I need to introduce myself, I am but a humble man confused about God as I was taught, I know I believe that there is a God, but I can no longer believe in religious confusions. I come from a small town in Utah, while my father and his father were LDS, my Mother would never claim it nor any church teachings, but she would simple say I believe there is a God and nothing more, I always thought that odd.   

 

As I grew and went about life, I had the luxury of traveling about the world; I spent almost six years in the Middle East and the holy land, not as a missionary but as an observer a photographer. The many images I captured during that time were of the people, and the devastation they lived. The views of such are notable only in the fact that the reasons for this devastation was that one of three main religion groups of Hebrew doctrine were involved in killing others in the name of God. I always thought that was not what God wanted, I could not see how a God would so develop a distaste for the very beings he created that the only answer was to kill them even unto a child.

 

Upon my return I became so upset that I began to depress and isolate away from as much of humanity as I could. My mother would on occasion attempt to reach me with kind words about God and why she believed the way she did. She told me of my heritage to this Nation and the many examples of my fore fathers. At the time it never really seemed to help, I still preferred to isolate away.

 

Life provides the best education through the eyes and hearts of a child.

 

As my chosen profession of that of the observer, I found that I had to be within society to observe as well as provide away in which to survive. I met a wonderful woman who until I pass shall forever remain at my side, her love and devotion to me and as time progressed to our children since their birth is unequaled in my opinion. It has been through that love and devotion, which I found a reason to look again at my beliefs in God. For like any father I want what is best for my children even if that means I have to explain how and why I am the way I am.

 

I have been for many years comfortable within my belief that there is a God, it is easily reflected in the wonder or laughter of any child, and becomes a very large voice when it is done by your own child.

 

In my many attempts on this forum of discussion, I have tried to explain the pain I seen, and feel inside about how messed up religion is if there is a belief that others are to this date still put to death by the name of a God of Hebrew descent. During the process of writing and attempting to explain I remembered Thomas Paine, how he so eloquently explained even with cantor to others his beliefs. It was in research of his writings that I found your website. There on your site was the letter to Samuel Adams dated the 30^th of November 1802, which I had looked for.

 

As I browsed the website, the many little examples of my heritage within this nation as spoken from a Mother to son became clearer. As well as why she believed as she does. You see it was my fore father who stood with Samuel Adams, Ben Franklyn, Thomas Paine and followed George Washington in this development of an idea of this nation, it was letters and writings that inspired him to stand and to teach of the reason why we became a nation to his children and them to me.

 

I wish I had clarity and the abilities of such men as them.

 

As this letter has become a larger task than I first conceived, it also settled the need for assistance. For it settled my under lying beliefs.  The first; being that this nation has a reason; That every one has a choice to belief as they will.  That the persecutions based on ones faith is still happening. That we as a product of God have a responsibility to point out what is not right, then provide way for the right to be herd.

 

It is with these reinforced beliefs that I write this letter, in hope that it may help even if just one. I am still only me and can only see that with which I seek, that another may find a belief, one that stands for what is right.

 

Your esteemed friend yet met.