text: does anyone read the bible or believe anything that is in it?  do you believe that jesus died for your sins? jus want to know, i see so many questions about religions, and so much negative talk about god or doubt.  i find it hard to believe that people can still be this hateful, i am a recovering addict, and i got high and still knew that god was the way to go, i just wanted to do what i wanted, and i did not want to hurt--people that do not get high or have never gotten high-i just wonder what is their problem with god i guess that people who hate god have never really known him.  i was a full blown son of satan, though i had been raised as a believer, i too wanted to sex drugs rock and roll and rejected my parents and their teaching.  i didn't want to be like them.  anyhow, i was listening to handel's messiah and was interested in the words...  isa 53:1  who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the lord revealed?  isa 53:2  for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.  isa 53:3  he is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  isa 53:4  surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of god, and afflicted.  isa 53:5  but he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  isa 53:6  all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  isa 53:7  he was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.  isa 53:8  he was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.  isa 53:9  and he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.  isa 53:10  yet it pleased the lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the lord shall prosper in his hand.  isa 53:11  he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.  isa 53:12  therefore will i divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.   well, it made my heart burn to even think of it.  i knew it was him in me.  so i repented, believing the scriptures were from him, and he has rewarded me every step of the way.  i was as good as buried in a federal prison (i did 30 years)and he picked me up, way up to ride upon his shoulders (like the josh groban song "you raise me up"...http://www.goldinc.com/~lizzie/momscd/) from the bottom of a solitary cell behing locked doors and barbed wire fences and armed guards.  he taught me obedience to him means obedience to the authorities.  i stopped dope because he showed me it as a terrible bondage.  it's been great; a little tough, growing up finally, but it's still great.  what's people's problem with god?  i dunno.  i guess they're angry about some of their hurts and blame god...  happy you're whole now, keep on being thankful for it all.  loved your question.