I think it is important to be gentle when talking about someone's religious beliefs.

And I think it is important to be careful not to dissuade someone's beliefs. Sometimes people grow away from their beliefs, or grow to incorporate their beliefs in a healthy way.

But that is their own journey.

Letting go of religion, or incorporating religious beliefs and influences can be very, very hard depending on what the person has been subjected to. My family are fairly moderate Christian in some ways. I've heard more strict Christian families say, "Your emotions are the Devil's whispers." HOLY SMOKES! How do you have any sort of healthy feelings of validation with that planted in your mind?

Whatever this poster's path is, I think we have to support them as they are, where they are, within the beliefs that they have.

Again, OP, please don't hate yourself for feeling something human. LIke I said.... There are Billions of us.... Only a couple of us arrived via immaculate conception. It's NORMAL to want human contact and interaction.

RDMercer