Actually, I think it is quite impossible. From any interaction or knowledge, someone will come back with a bias or prejudice that will continue to affect the way they see the world.

But on the other extreme, I can not, for the life of me, understand how people can take, at face value, things that are told to them to be true. Isn't that one of the basic things about man that sets him apart from other animals? His continual quest for questions and answers?

Now, I suppose I have a level of respect for someone who says "I believe because I believe." and is willing to go walking forward into the firery pit, sacrificing themselves for their faith. But I still can't resolve the notion that when asked point blank; "Why?" the answer is usually "Because."

"Because?" I replied. "Because why?"

"It says so in the Bible and I have accepted that as the truth."

"Yes, but what about evolution, then?" I pressed.

"What about it?"

"Well, do you agree with evolution, and how would that fit into your belief in the Bible." I thought I might have it here. I was half-expecting a good creative 'out' like Genesis being a simplified analogy of the creation of the universe, not literal fact.

"I don't believe in evolution. The Bible says how God created the world."

I was slack-jawed, dumbfounded. This was an educated person. This was someone who went to the same type of public schools as I did. This was someone who I hung out with on a regular basis. Rational thought, or even a touch of critical thinking didn't seem to exist here.

Far be it from me to criticise someone's beliefs and tell them they are wrong. Ok, so I do end up criticizing people's beliefs. I don't tell them they are wrong, I just make sure they know what I think.

Is there a God? Hey, anything is possible. I'm just a small little human with a small little human brain with a small little mind in which to try to figure out the complexities of a life when I don't even understand how I came to be self-aware.

But, unless there is a real big global conspiracy placing dinasaur bones, cepholopod fossils, and distinct layers of crusted earth around the world, or some god put them there to keep us guessing (or to play some mindgame), I'd have to go with the evolution crowd.

I mean, regardless of this evolution thing, I think it's simply egocentric of religions that profess to believe in a supreme being to think that an actual supreme being would be content with concentrating only on one world in the universe. What about the rest of the universe? You're telling me that this supreme being created this huge and exansive universe and is limiting his 'life' experiment to us on this tiny little planet?

I mean, I can be lead to believe that there may be a supreme being, or some other type of 'force' (karma) that runs through the universe and the world. And this 'being' could be responsible for the bits and pieces that the scientific world can't explain; such as the first jump from 'non-life' to 'life'. And all these scriptures (that, running across religions end up sounding basically alike) are like the folk tales of old where they may be based on some fact, or be complete fiction, but were designed to be a teaching and guidance tool.

Basically, I am saying that I can't understand the blind acceptance of something that has so many holes behind it and the only answer to your questions are "Faith" and "God moves in mysterious ways."

And that has influenced how I view life and live my life. I've come up with my own theories on life. But they are bounded by the context of my experiences and education, and the ability of my own mind to imagine and reason.