Be fearless and empty your mind of all superstitions and beliefs about God. Accept every tiny bit on the basis of objectivity and verifiability. Doubt and reject everything unless proved truthful, until you are convinced about the facts. But remember there are methods beyond those prescribed by physical sciences. The Books and the Scriptures, the saints and the prophets come to preach religion that dispels ignorance; however, it requires the proof - a scientific parameter - for its acceptance as true.

Start without God and end without God; but in this journey get the broadness of heart that would encompass every being on the earth. If this is done, even to a minor extent, you have become religious; if not, you still need to reject God with greater vehemence, for it is compartmentalizing your being into narrowness of sects and races, nations and boundaries.

Discriminate between the real and the unreal, true and false, permanent and transient, and reject that is discriminated as unreal, false, and transient. Stick to real, howsoever troublesome this world would try to make it for you, stick to truth howsoever difficult your emotions, feelings and attachments would try to make it for you; then only you can know. Knowledge is power; knowledge is bliss. Knowledge is the goal, and not happiness. Senses give pleasure but end in suffocation; knowledge initially is awe-inspiring but ultimately frees you from ignorance. Therefore, cultivate Jnana Tapas - austerities related to 'seeking knowledge'. Be rational and stick to 'reason', for the knowledge is based on these scientific foundations. Never reject 'reason', for the intuitive truth also accepts it first, only to transcend it in course of further quest. (Continues)