It was once said that men are the sum total of all their experiences. I say we're smaller than that; we are not the total, but the average of our experiences. Namely, we are the total of our experiences and all that we were taught, divided by the number of experiences and lessons given to us. Whether through our own thoughtlessness or by other's haughtiness.

I, personally, was taught to believe that our life was nothing greater than a test. A test, given to us by that almighty power, the all knowing God. This test we were given, is for God to see and judge if we are worthy of returning to his presence, from whence we were sent forth into the test. But as I grew older and developed a mind of my own, one that separated church from state, I began to realize, through no fault of my religious teacher all of whom I love dearly, that life is not what they say it is, but is in fact, meaningless. I do not wish to express this in a negative light, nor do I wish to offend any religion, though doubtlessly I will. I merely wish to offer my views on that great question that has had philosophers stumped since before Plato and Aristotle. There is no meaning to life. We are simply here through the endless repetitions of the universe, not because some Devine being had a plan for us.

Again I say, I do not wish to rob anyone of their beliefs, for two reasons. First, it goes against my fundamental belief that everyone should choose their own beliefs based on what they know, and be willing to change that belief when what they know changes. Indeed if I had had that opportunity I might be on a very different path right now. Second, I'd like you to think of the possibility that if I am wrong, I will be subject to the wrath of that almighty immortal of which I have undoubtedly offended and in which you all believe, even if you won't admit them all one and the same. I merely wish to express my thoughts, thoughts that disagree with what has been taught in your meetings for countless centuries, and take the consequences of those thoughts.

I do not believe in a God, might as well start with that. I love to study them, especially the older Greek and Roman ones, but I do not believe in or owe fealty to any specific immortal, for if I did I would also have to believe a set definition of Right and Wrong. I do not believe that such definitions do or can exist, but rather, that everything is relative. Good and Bad are not opposite poles of this earth, they are its core. They are molten ideas much closer than anyone ever thought they could be. They flow in and out of each other without boundaries. And every individual must take those ideas, those molten thoughts, and form them as a blacksmith would form a sword. No two swords will ever be the same; each sword will be individually crafted to suit the bearer.

And who's to say one's sword is better than another? A humble God that we must bow to whilst his head never touches the ground, sitting on his throne, judging us? That does not sit well with me. I do not wish to be compared to another or their ideals, for if that were the case I would never measure up, or I would far exceed. And then what of the poor soul that couldn't measure to my standards? What of the soul that far surpasses them? Are they to be cast out and stoned like poor Tessie Hutchinson? (“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson)

No. I do not believe in a ‘perfect' God that would compare us ‘impure' mortals to Himself and then cast us out. I do not believe life is a test. Life as I know it is simply the search for your individual definition of Good and Evil, simply the search for you sword. And we must find these ever elusive standards before that never-ending cycle of repetitions, the cycle of Birth and Death, decides it is our turn to be repeated.