Why should I respect G-D when his religion condemns desires

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(I typed "G-D" because this isn't PPR, but it's a strong emotional venting anyway)

I know a lot of atheists are on WP, but I hope I get hugs or support, besides I'm not preaching nothin'.

For ten years, I struggled with faith and resentment that driven up my frustration and anxieties. I have so many problems accepting God's will for on Earth and in eternity, I have almost walked completely away. I feel so disillusioned and shaken by it.

It's the one natural desire that I may never get to have, even for eternity. A complete experience with the opposite sex...any sexual intimacy, physical closeness, etc. Why is wanting to look at other women or having desire "evil" (presumably, especially for guys) in God's eyes? Why has he betrayed my heart by saying that once I get to Heaven when I die, I will be only spirit and have no desire to do anything other than only praising God for eternity? I also don't like hearing that Paul in the Bible had lamented about marriage being only for the week.

Why did I feel shattered if God's "love" is supposed to be so strong? Why can't Christians understand or be more open minded to people's struggles, like being lonely for me?

Why should I show a God that was supposed to create me even the slightest bit of RESPECT? I'm angry of all the years I was taught that certain things were because I needed to "have faith"?

Its a dark reality,

If you can't experience intimacy in this life? Why should you expect it in the next, if being only a spirit bothers you, why not consider those that are killed before ever making it to adult hood. God doesn't hate those less fortunate then others, there is no promise to limit pain in this current reality, only in the next. You don't get to make decisions such as what the afterlife will be just as you are limited in what decisions you can make down here. I would not expect things to get better, the universe (religion aside) operates with a balance. "Good" and "evil' exist merely to give contrast to the other. If you never have a chance to have intimacy, that is fate. Some people die in prison for minor crimes. Your not in control, hate to be the bearer of bad news. I didn't much like it when I heard it either.

Life goes on,

I was very religious growing up. I've not been since I was 19 (I'm now 25). I'm going to emphasize that while I might hold certain beliefs they shouldn't affect yours unless you want them to, so don't think I'm trying to push this on you because I'm not.

I struggled with the question of 'why' for a while. I wanted concrete and tangible answers. Eventually, I realized that I couldn't believe anything where I didn't have those answers, so I decided to accept the fact that I personally just couldn't believe it. I stopped struggling with it after I accepted that. I (AGAIN emphasis on me) became a much nicer and open person.

It's not evil. Wanting to be close to another adult is natural for animals, and it is unhealthy to think it is evil. It's also my personal opinion that people in general SHOULD have sex before a marriage otherwise you don't know what you're getting into. Doing so or thinking about doing so shouldn't cause you to lose sleep or feel bad about it. If you are truly lonely it is my opinion that you should be allowed to want to be with someone. It's also my opinion that you should be allowed to be intimate (emotionally and physically) with your partner because we no longer live in the days where women were married off at puberty.

I wasn't allowed to date in high school. I consequently had zero experience with the opposite sex. My now-best-friend is female and my age and I was completely infatuated for years. She helped me through some very difficult times in my life but now I've realized that if I had had experience with relationships in the past I'd have seen that we would make a terrible couple. What if it worked like the old days where I asked her out to dinner and without having sex or being truly intimate and she said yes? What if I then asked her to marry me? We'd have divorced. Even without the experience, if we'd have been in a relationship (with intimacy) I'd have realized we fundamentally aren't compatible romantically and that's pretty necessary. A lot of people still mess that up but I feel like as long as you use protection it's a good way to further relationships and determine if you're actually compatible.

ALL OF THAT SAID: If you do wind up continuing to believe in Christianity, what you should know is that your beliefs are between you and God. Don't let me or anyone else make them for you.

I can't see where you're from based on your profile, but I'm going to guess somewhere in the US. In the UK, alot of American churches are seen as a bit cultish (e.g. Mormonism), so I'm not sure what kind of answer you might get from my suggestion. However, I think that, if you haven't already, it might be worthwhile asking your local priest/vicar. I imagine that they have been asked this, or similar questions many times and (should) be happy to help answer your question or, at the very least, give you some guidance about what you might be able to do (they were young once too, and when it comes down to it, they're only human after all).

Of course, if he/she immediately directs you to the book of Job (and then uses it in a literal sense to indicate that you need only worship God to achieve happiness/enlightenment -- "It'll all work out in the end."), or -worse- asks you to stand in front of the congregation to repeat your qualms.... If the priest/vicar is strong in their faith they would have no need to do something like this, as it indicates, in my opinion, only that they do not have an answer.

NB: I'm largely an atheist, but I haven't personally met a priest/vicar who hasn't been a nice and/or very thoughtful person (regardless of the fire and brimstone which might be included in their services). I'm also no expert on Christianity or the bible, so I apologise for any inaccuracies.

K_Kelly, maybe you should become a Muslim because Muslims get to have quite a lot of sex when they get to Muslim Heaven.

Seriously, you don't have to respect God. No force in Heaven or Earth can make you respect God against your will.