No, but thanks for asking

got a message from someone I know today. It was one of those chain letter types that told me that God was testing me, and that if I forwarded it to 14 people, God would fix two big things tonight in my favor.

Most of the time, I just delete crap like that and move on. But today, for some reason, it struck a nerve. For just a heartbeat, I considered it. I can think of at least one big thing I'd like fixed. I'd like my relationship with my siblings to be healed. But even "God" can't fix that. So, after a minute, I just closed the message and walked away to fix dinner.

The people who know me really well know that I don't believe in a "God" with a capital G. I do sort of believe in a force greater than man, a superior intelligence but not a single omnipotent Being. And if I DID believe in such a Being, I certainly would not believe in one that "tests" people.

What really bothers me is that there are still people out there like that. People who are like sheep who believe whatever they're told, who don't think for themselves, who don't test and question and challenge. How can anyone believe that "God" will reward me for spamming my friends?

When I DID believe in a god, I prayed often and hard. I begged for help with sick parents and sick pets,  I prayed for my family's anger and hurt to be healed, I prayed for help with my own life.  I prayed over and over for the lives of children I didn't even know. And how many of those prayers were answered? Well, it all depends on how you look at it. I'm sure there are those who would say God answered my prayers, but the answer was no. Ha.

I have seen so much pain inflicted on the world in the name of one "God" or another. I have seen the most sanctimonious people in the world say the cruelest things, and I've got to tell you, if I could be God for a day, there'd be a whole lot of reckoning going on.

Is there a point to this? No, not really. Just venting. Thanks for listening.