Wossname:
I tend to agree with mostly everything you said but I don't intend on pointing out the ones I don't agree with.

Yes, some christmas's sucked. But as a kid all we cared about was the gifts; now that i'm older I see it in a whole new light. I'm 20 now and I've dated more women than I care to count, each was worth every drop of me I gave and yet always a kid in the nads...So I definetly like that; although my current girlfriend is great and we shared our 1 year anniversery yesterday.

My dads side of the family...Hard to put it, I think my dads mom is where the religion in that generation cuts off. My dads mom used to give pretty much everything she had to the church to an extend where the way of the life she had was poor even though she made alot; the outcome of all that giving to the church was nothing anyone wanted to see happen to her, and the last few years have showed god is not on her side at all. I won't discuss what.
My moms side has no religious ties.

Personally I think religion is a means of controlling people, confusing people, and ultimetly starting wars for a cause which by all means goes against the religions either side is fighting for. Trust me, if you look back on history try and find a war which was not either started by religion, related to religion or being faught with the excuse of religion.
So my stance on religion is that it pushes people to follow a way of life which cannot stand up to the needs of everyone or bet met so everyone tries so hard to follow this way of life that they end up screwing theirselves out of what THEY could have become.
A good example would be fanatics.

The only religion is good for is the belief that someone out there cares for you and everyone. That is all people deeply seek is a belief of something more. Something unattainable by anyone yet we are all in a common bond together attempting to achieve the said religion. The ability to ask a good 'god' for help, that gives you the belief you will get help, which psycosomatic as we all are will push us subconsciously to do better.

I for one was never christianed. My girlfriend has dragged me to church 3 times, the only three times I have ever gone. But I have beliefs; not just one, but I do enjoy the ideas of buhdism minus the no possession thing. More-a-less fantasy is my religion...Video games are my bible.