Religion, etc.
Dear Tarik,
Like you, I was raised as a Christian. I found the religion to be completely based on "Fard". They are not called the "Ten Suggestions", but the "Ten Commandments". The Catholic religion would send you straight to hell for the mortal sin of not going to Mass on Sunday. Telling a small lie would get you sent to purgatory, where you would burn sort of like a temporary Hell until the "sin" was burned away. Everything had a law and everything was punishable. Besides the Ten Commandments, there were also the 7 Deadly Sins and dozens of other rules and laws. If you ate meat on Friday terrible things could happen to you in the afterlife.
I am in complete agreement with you in the matter of whether or not the Christian religion "suggests" as opposed to commanding. From the New Testament, one can only be saved and get to heaven if they believe Jesus died for their sins and that they themselves have no access to God except for through Jesus. The rest of us will rot in Hell, I guess.
Regards,
A'isha
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