Reply #32: I couldn't stop crying after reading this speech [View All]

[europegirl4jfk]

I have to confess that I was reluctant to read it because I was afraid that I wouldn't like it. I was raised as a German Lutheran Protestant but I lost my faith more and more over the years over all the evil and abuse of faith that is happening in the world. People like Bush and Bin Laden made me think that the world would be better without religions that can be used to fanaticize and brainwash the masses, to generate hatred and war.

Then I read Kerry's speech last night and couldn't stop crying. I think if someone could give me my faith back it's people like him. He shows us what religion really means: a call to service for the greater good of mankind. Kerry's faith isn't aggressive against others (hi doesn't want to force people to believe what he believes) but it's in a positive way aggressive against himself (it pushed him to serve and share his values with others). He certainly is one of the most tolerant people who never would discriminate people with other believes. He lives his faith through the work he is doing and this is much more an example and much more inspiring than all the empty words of the hypocrite so called religious leaders. It makes me think of St. Francis of Assisi and how close he came to be branded as a heretic by the Church. By the way, that's what happened to Kerry when the now-pope and then-cardinal Ratzinger ordered the Communion ban on Kerry because he supports legal abortion. I still have a lot of trouble with the "institution" Church, be it Catholic or Protestant of whatever, but people living and breathing their faith like John Kerry does it are a great inspiration and give us hope.