I want to share why I believe what I believe. Why I remain in my beliefs even though I had a two years of "freedom?" (don't take wrong the quotation marks).

My very first memories of childhood are of me and my mom on our knees praying before bedtime. She taught me that God is a Father. If any of you have seen any of my posts I start prayers saying: "Dear Daddy from Heaven." Those are words that my mom taught me ever since.
Then I was educated in a Catholic school for 13 years. When we got to secondary education (what in American means Middle and High school) is when the problems started.
We need to understand that the priests who ran my school were old italian (actually italian born) priest, educated before the Concile Vatican II (where finally the Church had to open to the world).
Therefore, for them everything in the world was sinful and evil. A current of thought which the Church does not have anymore.
So through six years of secondary education my head was banged that everything i did was a sin, and that i was going to hell.
Thanks God for my mom, because she at home had the grace to show me things is a different way. That is way since early teenages i was always involved in church activities. Specially serving the poors. I have always thought that this is one of the most important functions of the Church serve those who smallest in the Kingdom.
After graduation I was so stressed out by this priests that I decided it was not worth it, and I start to be "free" as most people say.
Yet this freedom never satisfied me. I always had the urgency to serve.
Until I have a very good confession with a priest who made me understand that even though sin is unvoidable that is what we need to focus.
We need to focus in that we are able to grow beyond son. The feelings of guilt that sin brings are the ones which does not allow us to grow as human beings.
Since then the thoughts of sin, hell, condemnation, etc don't mark my life as a christian.
For me the message of my Lord is a message of salvation through His resurrection sin is relegated as a second category issue. It's still there but is not the most important thing.
The main thing that makes me believe what I believe is the knowledge is that my Daddy from Heaven is with me everyday.
I don't need to see great miracles or have him actually talking to me. I grew beyond those concepts.
As a matter of fact I'm very skeptical when people comes out and talk about miraculous sights or talkings. Or those who say that the Holy Ghost touched them, and etc.
I find God in more simple and every day things.
I don't need the dead sea to be open for me to believe in God.
I believe in God simply because He is in me, as I am in Him, and I feel His presence everyday and every minute.

TLW

Thank you for sharing (((Miguel)))

Me too M. For me it is nature- how beautiful is the world. I am glad you feel god near you.

Peace and joy to you my friend.

That’s the way I feel too Miguel.

I just don’t feel a need to associate those feelings with any particular historical doctrine is all.

Thanks for sharing your story.

It's pretty funny how close you are to the people on "this side of the line".

I would say you described me pretty well to in that if God exists then why would I need miracles. Isn't our existence miracle enough.

Peace

yes, every birth is a miracle.

I also believe in other miracles, truly.

I deeply admire Pope John Paul II. If people make a little research about his public ministry people would see how he was trying to find the similarities between the Church and several other belief systems.
John Paul II marked me as a catholic. I believe that we need to unite instead of divide.
I firmly believe that my Lord is the only way to the Father (my personal view not proselytizing), and the Holy Ghost is the energy or combustible that I need to reach my final end which is going back to my Creator.
Following the example of the holy father I always try to find similarities from which unite instead of divide.
All this maintaining the essence which I expressed in a paregraph above.