Thanks for sharing that. As a Christian, I'm encouraged by your thought process.

The main thing I wish atheists would see is that it's not just some big brainwashed cult... it's a historical religion with solid philosophical and historical arguments, that has inspired billions for over two thousands years.

Also, the idea that religion is the root of repression and violence is very much overblown. One merely has to look at the damage done by atheist philosophies in the last century. It's our human natures that lead us to oppress and do violence to each other, we often merely use ideology as an excuse.