Thomas [Ramey] hit another hard stretch when he was about age 16 and three people close to him died, including a friend of the family who had dementia. Thomas and his mother visited often, helping the man\u2019s wife care for him. \u201cFor weeks I prayed for God to kill this man so his wife wouldn\u2019t have to see him in pain anymore,\u201d he says. \u201cHe suffered and died in a terrible way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas is very compassionate,\u201d says Mrs. Ramey. He stops in twice a week to help an elderly neighbor empty her trash and works in a soup kitchen.<\/p>\n
Sometime after that, he quit praying. \u201cIf something bad is going to happen, it\u2019s going to happen,\u201d he says. \u201cDeal with it head on. I am not going to sit there and say to God \u2018Don\u2019t let this happen and don\u2019t let that happen.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas still believes in God. The earth and solar system are too complex and fragile not to have something influencing and connecting everything, he says. \u201cWhether whatever created us, loves us, is a different matter,\u201d he says. He doubts there is an afterlife and isn\u2019t troubled by that.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Teenage Spiritual Crisis #religion<\/a> #teens<\/a> #usa<\/a> #history<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/y2TYrFedqc<\/a><\/p>\n — Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) June 13, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n