previous post afterthought: Carl Sagan IV
I feel I should thank Carl Sagan for the influence he had on me, as I realize that there is an aspect to my approach to religion and spirituality that relies on an inquiry akin to the scientific method, and not on a blind leap of faith or a superficial attraction to some unknown.

But that's what religion is – faith! And that's true, ultimately we're dealing with intangibles and unprovables that require a leap of faith. But while I do believe in an ultimate dimension that is the source of religious thought, I also think that it's important to consider the cultural, social, and political contexts of the creation and manifestations of any given religion in human societies. After all, they are applied in a cultural, social, and political context.

So it stands to reason that the background – the cultural, social, and political motivations of a religion – ought to be critically examined to contribute why it resonates and why it makes sense. If the doctrine of a certain faith resonates, fine, it's a starting point, but God gave us the power of analytical, critical thinking for a reason.

And with something as important as the foundational belief system on which we base our entire view of the universe, I think it's fair that every little concept, story, belief, teaching, etc. be scrutinized. Of course, even all this isn't infallible, as there are undoubtedly people who do this, or think they do this, and come to the conclusion that the final truth is the belief they started out with and it is immutable and applies to everyone else.