I'm most certain that how any of us perceive god / religion is directly related to our early (childhood) experiences therewith ...

If a child grows up in a home where they are being horribly traumatized and abused, and their abusers are utilizing god / religion as a reason and excuse, then that child is probably going to grow up afraid of god and thinking god has it in for them ... IF they can even believe at all ...

If a child grows up in a home where they are being loved, nurtured, and properly disciplined (not abused), while being exposed to god / religion in a positive way, then they will more than likely grow up believing that god is good and benevolent ...

At any rate, it saddens me to see those who believe as well as those who don't to continue to abuse one another while trying to sort it all out ... quite possibly, I might add, to the point of retraumatizing one another in the process ...

Nothing good (or healing) will ever come from any of that ... Absolutely Nothing ...

Sincerely,
BrokenCloud