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If god , why did he invent sin to trick us and then hold our sins against us?

Why are there so od created the world and wants us to be Christian?

Why does god allow people to fight wars over him?

What if you were born in a different culture and never even heard of Jesus Christ--would god send you to hell for not being Christian? And if so, do you believe that’s fair?

Why are men always the leaders in your church? Aren’t wo too? Isn’t such a patriarchal systee?

Why do so many babies die?

Why are there so many poor people in the world?

Did Jesus visit any other planets in distant unknown universes?

Stuff like that

The next ti afternoon and she earing these shorts with pockets on the sides and I couldn’t stop looking at her creahs, which were perfect In front of the subway station, she was all s for you! God’s givenour friendship I knoill be for a reason"

But the hout the suot, and the less I enjoyed studying her various exposed body parts

It was like she thought I was beating her doith my words when all I really wanted to do--besides look at her wonderful body--was understand and have an honest conversation

Lauren never really answered my questions, unfortunately She just quoted Bible verses and repeated things her father had told her, but I got the sense that she didn’t really believe the things she was saying soto those answers because she didn’t have any other answers andno answers

I don’t really know, but the more questions I asked, the more she started to hate 49 She also started to notice that I was checking her out, which got kind of aard, especially when she started wearing these really baggy longer shorts, which ruined the view and sent e

The last tio When I walked up to her at the train station, she frowned and said, "If you want answers to your questions, you’re going to have to speak with erous and should be answered by a church elder"

That depressed the hell out ofsuits flocked by in a depressing, emotionless rush "No more questions I realize thatto harass you anymore, but can I ask you just one favor?"

"It depends," she said, lookingor could have been leave me alone It was hard to tell "What do you want?"

"Will you keep praying for ot wide for a second--like she was really excited that I asked her to do that--but then her eyes shrunk into little black peas, and she said, "Don’tto all of your weird, endless questions, I don’t think you really believe in prayer, Leonard" Her voice was harsh, and reminded me of Linda’s when she’s "reached the end of her rope"51 with h stuff I haven’t told anyone about and it would really help if I thought you were praying for me," I said "You can even lie if you want, but if you’d just say you’d continue to pray for h this bad stuff, because at least I’d know one person was pulling for me in her own special way"

Lauren looked ather, but then--withoutthe femme-fatale cat face--she said, "Okay I’ll pray for you Every day And I don’t lie Ever"

I se herelse that would convincefor me every day helped a lot at first; it really did

But then after a week or so, it stopped working--I know because I started to feel like I really wanted to kill Asher Beal again--which , and then as my desire to kill amplified, I convinced myself she definitely had

TWENTY-THREE

Just like I’d hoped, after school today, when I arrive at our town’s subway station, I find Lauren handing out tracts, or rather holding the tracts out to everyone who passes by and doesn’t say a word to her or even give her a glance

I wonder what crazy bit of propaganda she’s peddling today and what scary pictures are inside--hell flaore

I didn’t coue with her about religion or logic or ask for favors or anything else

I just cas that hang out under the hoot on A little curtain of blond shields her forehead The hat’s so hoain sofor me

It’s like she’s not even aware that she’s so horribly out of fashion She’s not wearing the hat in any ironic way, like soh school would And Lauren’s also got on this off-white jacket that goes down to her knees anda robe froel a child would draw

God, she looks perfect

And no one is paying her any attention buther, I’d say at least thirty people have passed and she’s extended her le one and yet no one has even glanced at her