I think feelings are running a bit high here . . . while we are expressing our opinions, please can we try to keep civil. This goes for everyone.

Tracy, when I suggested you might benefit from counselling, I was not suggesting that this would make your medical problems go away. I was not suggesting that meditation would make them go away either. There are coping mechanisms that could be employed. Things that could help you deal with all the things on your plate, now or in the future. I've seen counsellors and it helps me personally to talk to people like that. I have had some CBT and it's been useful. My own medical problems are still there, but a lot can be said for how we deal with what we face. BTW it if often a part of a psychiatrist's training to undergo therapy with another psychiatrist. It involves admitting that you are human, and not perfect, and that someone else coming from another perspective might help you develop and grow in some ways. Sure there are good therapists and bad therapists. I would give a lot to have the chance to talk to a really good one right now.

Bex, I'm aware that Christianity has been around for 2000 years. It has been interpreted differently by different people over time. Medieval Christianity is fascinating. I've visited a lot of old churches here in England. Look at the iconography, I think it says a lot about the mindset of the time. And people who wrote their thoughts down, like St. Augustine or Thomas Aquinas. People have changed over 2000 years and you can't expect their religion not to change with them. This is one problem with the Catholic church, its leaders want to anchor it in the past while the world moves on.

Pwcca, bright blessings. I'd love to hear more from you. My best friend in the US is a Wiccan but my own path doesn't seem to lead quite in that direction. It still fascinates me though.

In fact, I love philosophical and religious discussions and it's been fascinating reading the posts here. I've seen some wonderful ideas. I'm glad someone brought up the concept of duality, which tends to be a Buddhist or Taoist idea, but it was placed here in a Christian context. I've said elsewhere that now I know what it's like to be full of hopelessness and despair, it's going to have a whole new depth of meaning to me when I experience moments of joy. Life has been transformed.

Please, let's hear more. But not get too personal?

Linda.