I have to admit I always kind of brushed off the whole idea

[BlueKota]

16. I always had the feeling that what they taught in the school

and the priests said in their sermons contradicted the gospels. Christ's actual message seemed to me to be about love, and forgiveness, and not judging others, while their messages always seemed to be , you're all nothing but pieces of trash, who don't deserve the breath God gave you, so you should live a life filled of suffering, and guilt, and maybe just maybe you might earn his forgiveness. I don't know whether all parishes taught this way, but ours sure did.

In college I had a friend studying to be a priest who told me and others that he thought the New Testament was like a codicle to a will. That it was meant to be accepted not as an addition or continuation of the old Testament, but an entirely new reality and a new path to our destination to the divine.

A part of me believes he's right, but the self doubt that was drilled into me as a child is stubbornly always trying to break back out.