I have had good friends who are buddhist and I am roman catholic and believe deeply in God but I am non-practicing.

I actually was trained by Benedictine Monks in school, so I have a deep respect for the true religious (of all variants and kinds mind you).

Those that truly follow religious practices have managed to keep the balance between good and evil, light and dark and all that as they learn to be able to let the pleasure and pain and love and hate flow through them and learn to figure out when and what to keep in their memories and when to let goal.

I agree with you, all of this was created by a higher power bigger than us, and each has it's meaning and component.

As in life, to much of a substance that is good for you turns into a poison. Just like infinite pleasure eventually turns into torture and pain.

A great older TV example was shown on the Twilight Zone. It was a gangster that was killed in a shoot out. He woke up in the perfect casino where he could drink as much as he wanted, could be with whomever he wanted, and would win every time at the tables.

It bothered him, and the look of horror on his face when he realized he was in hell ... #priceless

You are absolutely correct. Intent matters 110%.