Day 17 → A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.

I love to read. I could spend hours sitting on my couch with my face buried in a book instead of laying around watching tv. If I find a book I really love, I will blow through it and finish it in a matter of hours. I'll read anything - fiction, biographies, autobiographies, cheesy romance novels, self help - I've tried them all.

I was raised Catholic. I attended Catholic school for 9 years. I have my own spin on my faith now. I believe some of it, and I don't believe much of it. It's a matter of one's own perception. I've read several books that are based off true historical facts about the Catholic church. Several of them are what has made me do my own research, and take the time to figure out what I truly believe and what parts I think are simply stories that were made up when the Bible was written to scare people into believing what the church wanted you to believe.

I'm currently reading a book that has me reassessing everything I once thought to be true yet again. I sat here last night reading, and now think that a lot of what I've been raised to believe has been based upon lies and things that the church never wants their parishoners to hear or see. They sugar coat things, to make them more friendly and not as harsh as its true historical roots are. The Catholic church has much to hide, and apparently if you really dig you find out a lot of things you now aren't sure you ever wanted to hear or read.

Religion is such a hot toic as it is. It causes wars, it causes fights. It causes outrages and sometimes I think it does more harm than good. I'm still Catholic, I still believe what *I* believe. I just wish it was more open and honest, and that I could still attend church and love it as much as I did as a child.