Joshua

I question everything I know to question, and still I haven't received my beer or porn. Am I doing something wrong? Do I get the beer and porn in this life or the next? Is this the work of Jessica Simpson? I admit that sometimes her stupidity makes my head hurt and so I try not to think at all, much less question things. How do my fellow jim_darwinists overcome such difficulties?

Or have you only considered the religion you are part of now? If you're an atheist, did the study of religion contribute to your decision to be an atheist, or have you always believed that there are no gods?

If you are a pagan or neopagan (I'm not quite sure which term is preferable or if it matters), what most influenced your choice to become a pagan? What made you think "This is the right choice for me"? Was it a person? A book or website? A divine revelation? Something else entirely?

Other than ancient Gnostic texts, do you have any book recommendations for someone looking to learn more about Gnosticism?

I know that translations of the Qur'an aren't considered the actual Qur'an, but even if a person learns Arabic, are they able to truly understand it if Arabic isn't their first language?

For example, I'm American and my first language is English. Even if I learn Arabic, when I read the Qur'an, in my mind, I'll be thinking, "Well, this is what it means in English." Any thoughts?