it was given nonetheless

Figuring Out Religion : The Research
The Questioning

" All I'm saying is,
It is not necessary to deceive yourself .
You can live a more insightful life
with no strings attached . "

Apparently, God is not necessarily exactly who I thought he was . On LOST, Ben said " Two days after I find out I have a tumor on my spine that will kill me, a spinal surgeon falls out of the sky . If that's not proof of God, I don't know what is . " However, I disagree . How is that proof of God in the slightest ? It could be proof of luck, proof of karma, proof of a higher force . But then I thought, maybe that is what he meant by God . Maybe he thinks of God not as an omnipotent being, but as some sort of higher power .. And lo and behold, Wiktionary states that God can be " an impersonal and universal spiritual presence or force . " In this case then, I do believe in God . But do not quote me on that, because in any other context I would deny it . I do not believe in God . [ Around this point, my foot accid3ntally knocked off the power to the computer, and I lost just about everything due to : not saving because I didn't suppose it would be necessary, but silly me, as I should have dubbed it obvious that this darned old computer would fail me sooner or later .. So be aware that my original words have escaped me, and everything before this mark is only a rough remembrance of my true thought . As it were, continue on . ] I do not believe in God . I believe in omnipotent forces, which apparently some people think of as God . In fact, I have thought of writing a book entitled The Forces . I already have the beginning . Yes, forces with an S . I believe, more logically, in Mother Nature, Father Time, Lady Luck, and Karma, and all their little buddies . But I normally leave out their titles so as not to be seksist . Oh, and omnipotent is a word I just learned, which is quite a nice one in fact, and means " having unlimited power, force, or authority . " Now, before I begin learning about other religions, I believe it is necessary to know just what religion I am exactly . Some while ago, I decided that perhaps agnostic is not the best adjective to describe my religion . There must be something better, more precise . So I turned to my trusty old friend Wikipedia, and I paused for a moment to discern what I was looking for, as I often do when I feel I must take a moment to discern what I am looking for . Going back to the definition of agnosticism on Wiktionary, it is either " the view that the existence of any god is unknown at present, " " the view that any god's existence is unknowable, " or " the view that theism is incoherent, " as seen in ignosticism . The first two are practically the same, aside from one key factor : the first says only at present . The second implies that it can never be known . But I never say never, my dear Watson . The first one is more ME . I am open-minded . And there is a striking difference between unknown, and unknowable . I do not believe in the unknowable . I think that if I really try, I can know it . It just happens to be unknown at present . The third definition contains a few more difficult words . Theism is " belief in the existence of God, especially by or through revelation . " Incoherent means " disorderly (?), illogical, or inconsistent . " Just as agnostic means not knowing, ignostic means ignorant knowing . It means not necessarily that the ignostic one is ignorant, although this is highly possible, but that the ignostic one thinks the theist ones ignorant . I changed my mind . Agnostic is me . ( It should be noted that quite a large part of this is skeptic . )

Need more of my bio ?
Try this :
" I have one want which I have never yet been able to satisfy; and the absence of the object of which I now feel as a most severe evil . I have no friend : when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavour to sustain me in dejection . I shall commit my thoughts to paper, it is true; but ... I desire the company of a [wo]man who could sympathise with me; whose eyes would reply to mine . You may deem me romantic, but I bitterly feel the want of a friend . I have no one near me, gentle yet courageous, possessed of a ivated as well as of a capacious mind, whose tastes are like my own, to approve or amend my plans . "
~ Shelley 7 ~
" With all my ardour, I am capable of a more intense application, and am more deeply smitten with the thirst for knowledge .... I delight in investigating their causes . The world is to me a secret which I desire to divine . Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as they were unfolded to me, are among the earliest sensations I can remember .... My temper is sometimes violent, and my passions vehement; but by some law in my temperature they are turned, not towards childish pursuits, but to an eager desire to learn, and not to learn all things indiscriminately . I confess that neither the structure of languages, nor the code of governments, nor the politics of various states, possesses attractions for me . It is the secrets of heaven and earth that I desire to learn; and whether it is the outward substance of things, or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupies me, still my inquiries are directed to the metaphysical, or, in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world . "
~ Shelley 27-8 ~

I changed my mind about EveryStudent.com . Although I may eventually get to it, I prefer to hear not what people think of themselves, but what people think of others . Which is what I will be getting to next time . You also may want to take a look at the certainty series on Wikipedia .. and do notice that all of the quotes they have chosen are from agnostics . Quite simply, because we are the smartest . No offense ?

= 701 words,
more or less .

In conclusion,
" I ask for no forgiveness,
for I have not sinned .
" I did not ask for the life I was given,
but it was given nonetheless .
And with it, I did my best . "
~ LOST ! ~

[ I started this a week ago,
and got knocked off last night
before I could post it ]