TheWiseOldFart

When I was a very young man, my grandfather taught me that religion is a personal choice and not to be an issue in any conversation. He was a helluva lot smarter than every right-wing politician in America. He believed in the First Amendment: professional politicians do not. I was raised Catholic and considered entering the priesthood until I learned that Catholic priests are not allowed to marry. I didn’t understand. Other children I knew who were protestant or Jewish told me their ministers and rabbis had normal lives. I liked girls. By the time I was a sophomore in high school, I had begun to move away from all organized religion. I studied the effect of organized religion on its followers, and understood to some degree the need for many people to seek guidance. I view organized religion in two very different ways. First, I see it is a way for men to control other men and become very wealthy doing so. The other side is more of a sincere desire to help other people survive difficult