Isn't it refreshing to see that the majority of the world is now Atheistic in thinking?

[Ryan]

Well, there's actually a pretty simple answer to your questions, as they're all very similar and they deal with the question of if God is perfect and good, why is there suffering (which is a very good question, by the way). I'm sure at some point among your ruminations with your friends or on the internet or whatever that you've stumbled on the truth that if happiness was all you had, you wouldn't be happy. There's your answer. If God took away our free will and all we had was happy, would it be happy? Life experience tell us now. Also, the fact that we are "corruptible" is in God's image; He has freewill; if He wanted to, He could do bad things just like us (remember, omnipotence). And about religion being created by rich man for their gain, the example of Christianity tells a very different story. For 350 years, before the Edict of Milan, Christians were persecuted and killed for their beliefs. Early Christians weren't rich; most were normal people. Even today, priests are overworked and underpayed. Not to mention the "sacrifices" of every sensual hedonistic pleasure, such as alchoholism, anger, casual sex, you name it. Christianity is a struggle and a sacrifice, and anyone who says otherwise is trying to sell you something.