VERY OT !!! RCTN member seeking religious knowledge

"Anne " wrote in news:1118199079.113023.95010
@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

intelligent people. Where can I obtain reliable materials about such
things? There's soooo much available but a lot of it is BS. I don't
want to waste valuable brain cells sorting through crap. I'm quite
interested in learning about the ancient teachings in the gnostic
gospels and other such things. I have NO interest in getting on a
soapbox and preaching about *I'm right and everyone else is

If you are interested in religions in general the following is a good
place to start with regards to the Vedic system known as Hinduism:
http://www.bvml.org/books/index.html

Here you will find a particularly approachable translation of the
Bhagavad-gita.

A friend of mine is the webmaster. I should caution you that the
viewpoint of these texts is from the Vaisnava sect.


--
Keith Barber

"I am the housing fairy."

I would second the recommendation of Elaine Pagel's work on Gnostic texts.
If you are interested in something about how the Roman Catholic church was
shaped, from a scholarly but definitely unofficial perspective, Hans Kung's
book is quite readable (if a bit repetitive).
Dawne

"Alison"

"Help from other`s" ???

Trouble is that every perishing newsgroup I`m on has been bombarded with
religious nutters in the past few days. Are we sure that this isn`t just
another of them? Surely there are enough groups for God botherers without
putting it on here in any case?

Pat P

1. Anne has been on the group for some time, I recognize her email
address.
2. Why would you think that a request for information on different
religions= your annoying phrase "God botherers"?
3. Never mind answering, I know why.

Alison

Why do you think? Are you just making assumptions?

Pat P

Anne wrote:
Hi RCTNer's!
I've always been fascinated with the history of religions,
religious ideas and such. I need help from other's so I can expand my
knowledge. Although I was born and raised Roman Catholic I've always
been aware there's a lot more knowledge out there than what I was
taught. I've read a lot over the years and have had some very
interesting discussions with others who are more knowledgable than me.
So, I've come now to our group, which is comprised of MANY interesting,
intelligent people. Where can I obtain reliable materials about such
things? There's soooo much available but a lot of it is BS. I don't
want to waste valuable brain cells sorting through crap. I'm quite
interested in learning about the ancient teachings in the gnostic
gospels and other such things. I have NO interest in getting on a
soapbox and preaching about *I'm right and everyone else is wrong*....I
just want to learn more things for my own personal knowledge. Thanks
for any help you can send my way.....

Anne


So, really, you are more interested in learning about Western thought
and religion over the wider variety of religions from around the world.
I've found learning about some of the religions practiced elsewhere in
the world to be very interesting, but to each their own.

Try contacting some universities/colleges, see which textbooks are used
in their Religious History classes. You are less likely to find "BS",
as you put it, in a textbook used by a reputable college than in books
found in popular bookstore chains.

Caryn

Bourne Identity ...
Can you please Elaborate on this enigmatic expression ?
basically atheist religions,
And for that matter it would have been nicer to read this from an
existing and open identity.
Religions are not Aetheist, they can be Monotheisy or have more than
one deity... But Atheist Religion ?????????
Anyway than you give us a whole cahpter about Budihism ....this is a
Missionary post, advertising a religion , just like the Christian
missionary did with his `saving` post .
This is not the place.
Good bye ....mirjam

Mirjam Bruck-Cohen wrote:
Bourne Identity ...
Can you please Elaborate on this enigmatic expression ?
basically atheist religions,


I think whoever that was elaborated quite a bit.

However, Buddhism does not revolve around the worship of a greater
being, a god, but around trying to improve one's own soul trying to
achieve perfection over the course of many lifetimes.

Thus it is atheist.

Caryn

Bourne Identity wrote:
to see is Firehouse Angel is alive. I've about given up on it all.

Meredith has her and is working on her. At least one other person is
keeping tabs on her. We just had a discussion. Things are moving
along. We knew from the outset that it would be a time-consuming
process. You, yourself, have said [paraphrased] that she's done when
she's done . . . no hurry. She'll get finished.

In fact, it's almost to the point where we should rehash how we're going
to finish her. :-) That ought to create a nice stirring of the pot.
I'd like to see her simply framed, with a brass plaque. We also haven't
agreed on where she is to go.

There was, at one juncture, conversations about signing a piece of paper
with the names of all who were involved in the project. I'd like to
include copies of the "history" pages.

Dianne
--
"The Journal of Needlework" - The E-zine for All Needleworkers
http://journal.heritageshoppe.com

It would be nice - PLEASE - PRETTY PLEASE - if those really interested could
now just deal with it in Email. Again we`re getting on the recognisedly
"taboo" subjects of religion (money ... etc.)

Pat P

"Bourne Identity" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 04:17:40 GMT, (Mirjam Bruck-Cohen)
opined:

Bourne Identity ...
Can you please Elaborate on this enigmatic expression ?
basically atheist religions,
And for that matter it would have been nicer to read this from an
existing and open identity.
Religions are not Aetheist, they can be Monotheisy or have more than
one deity... But Atheist Religion ?????????
Anyway than you give us a whole cahpter about Budihism ....this is a
Missionary post, advertising a religion , just like the Christian
missionary did with his `saving` post .
This is not the place.
Good bye ....mirjam

Very OT, please don't read it then.
Atheist in that we don't believe in creation or creator. Actually,
Buddhism is
not actually a religion, in my opinion.

Pat EAXStitch wrote:
It would be nice - PLEASE - PRETTY PLEASE - if those really interested could
now just deal with it in Email. Again we`re getting on the recognisedly
"taboo" subjects of religion (money ... etc.)

Pat P



Don't forget politics! ROFL

R&D&H

Caryn

On an after thought , maybe if you ???? hadn`t burnt or buries you
`identity ` , there would be no need for you to
Go to a foreign to you culture to study about yourself and the nature
of your mind ,,, this text reads as having been writen by a Western
Person trying to think like an Eastern ,,,,,
Why can`t people just be themselves ,,,, and why these Missionary
stuff ... ??? mirjam
Budihism is a religion and not Atheistic at all , at least not to all
it`s sections,,,,
mirjam