Since the recent Friday Five is so popular, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. 1. Were you raised in a particular religious faith? Nope. I was raised an atheist. My mother believes in the one God but can't/won't abide with the laws, and my father is a silent communist (of the utopical kind). 2. Do you still practice that faith? Why or why not? I dislike organized religion because it invariably gets involved with politics and economics, thus becoming powerful and corrupt. I believe people should have something to guide them. If they choose "it" to be a belief in a higher power, afterlife, creationism or whatever - it's their choice, as long as their beliefs don't make them hurt people (including themselves). I also believe that whatever it is - it should be practiced in private. 3. What do you think happens after death? If all goes well - you get buried and rot. 4. What is your favorite religious ritual (participating in or just observing)? Zazen sounds cool. 5. Do you believe people are basically good? I do not believe in absolute good and evil. I do believe in evolution. People who survive are those who fight to survive. This means that the population becomes increasingly greedy, which is the single most powerful common human trait. Some are willing to be nice and share, thus enriching themselves and others, while the less enlightened want to keep it all to themselves. Us nice people must be able to not only relax, talk and think, but also kick butt when the other party is not yet ready for communication.