The Agnostic's Prayer
Insofar as I may be heard by anything, which may or may not care what I say, I ask, if it matters, that you be forgiven for anything you may have done or failed to do which requires forgiveness. Conversely, if not forgiveness but something else may be required to insure any possible benefit for which you may be eligible after the destruction of your body, I ask that this, whatever it may be, be granted or withheld, as the case may be, in such a manner as to insure your receiving said benefit. I ask this in my capacity as your elected intermediary between yourself and that which may not be yourself, but which may have an interest in the matter of your receiving as much as it is possible for you to receive of this thing, and which may in some way be influenced by this ceremony. Amen.
Roger Zelazny, Creatures of Light and Darkness, © 1969
2 comments:
The reasoning of the Abrahamic religions is tortured and convoluted since the basis of the whole shebang is irrational at best and; if one reads the good book, in particular the Old Testament, the whole process starts to resemble psychosis. Hence derivative form such as atheist rebellion and agnostic indifference also inherit the kind of twisted irrationality even when they are fighting it. Theravada Buddhists have the whole thing licked as there is no deity, essentially their religion is a psychology that addresses the delusional propensities of the human mind. Likewise pagans of the "grass skirt" variety or of the Viking sort don't fool with theology or other such grandiose attempts at cramming the universe into a nice soda pop can that can easily be consumed by the mentally impaired. In the West we have to explain everything and in order to do it the first thing we ignore is the universe herself.
You said a mouthful.
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