What if you could ask an interested, open hearted, scholarly cleric any question you wanted about Religion, Morality or Philosophy? Even Religion versus Science & Critical Thinking? No judgment. No guilt. No feelings of inferiority. Just suggestions and opinions, with your own being accepted with respect and encouragement. Might the first few answers be enough? Or would you find yourself delving deeper than you ever thought possible into concepts that mattered to you more than you knew? These pages document a 34 year journey through Origins and Doctrines and Theories in search of a viable, comfortable framework for a life. Mine. I first met Fr. Gene Lauer in an industrial strength faculty office at Pittsburgh's Duquesne University in September, 1979. From the outset, I found him relaxed and open. My questions were harsh, born of many years of religious frustration, but he fielded them very well, saying it was great just to be able to calmly exchange ideas together. That's when I embarked on a letter writing campaign that's still ongoing in 2013. Each time we'd agree to meet [2-3 times per year on average], I would write out my thoughts first, along with whatever readings my intuition - and his suggestions - told me were appropriate, and send them off in a letter. Both my notions and his responses had time to crystallize before the actual sit-down. Our time was used much more efficiently. And while the conclusions of all this study are still a work in progress, I can feel at home with the primacy of a well thought out life strategy, filled with love, friends, family, learning, helping & teaching. In this book are the letters, the steps I took, with the help of my friend. I hope they'll help you search too. Maybe you'll even find a Gene of your own.