(ir)religious stuff

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Malaclypse

Active Member
Oct 18, 2001
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well, i have been thinking about digging up the good ol' bible again and actually read it from front to back, which i haven't done so far. but along the way, it might as well be interesting to get busy with some other religious movements as well, like bhuddism, satanism, paganism, whatever. i just feel i know next to nothing about all this.
question: any book recommendations to get started in one way or the other? nothing too fancy, since i'm no big fan of religions generally, i just want to get a wider point of view than the one i got right now (knowing a little about christian beliefs, very very little about muslim beliefs and nothing else).

hints much appreciated,

vc
 
You could use some time to just sit and think and wonder and create meaning of things.. create some order of all you see, think, or experience, and try to generate some answers for yourself; and even if you don't, having put things to question and rational thought is a great and healthy thing to do.
 
heh, i've done that for 24 years now and i am quite sure where i stand amidst all this mess. but still i'd like to expand my limited pov, which i see limited as i was born and raised in a western culture and because of this don't have the slightest idea about anything else.
all in all i'm a very scientific person, but that doesn't hinder me to approach different solutions to questions. i may disagree after i have heard them.
 
VC - If you're looking to get a good knowledge base on christianity, I wouldn't read the bible first. Most of the old testament will either bore you to the point that you won't finish it, or you'll give up because a lot of it serves no purpose unless you actually study the stuff (the meaning behind stories and all that). Then there's the new testament, which isn't best read front to back. For instance, I think the majority of Christ's birth is described in Luke (the third book), even though that marks the beginning of the new testament.
Its all too much for someone new to this stuff imo. Unfortunately I can't really recommend many books either, as I have no idea whats good and whats not. 'Mere Christianity' by CS Lewis might be a good starting point for Christianity, especially if you're into science and all. He actually tries to 'prove' that God exists. But I know nothing about the other religions :erk:
 
Siren said:
Yeah you should read eastern stuff. I especially recommend "Kama Sutra".



Siren (j/k :p)
Click to expand...

Actually, it contains a lot of ..philosophical stuff, and a way of life. :err:
I'd suggest Tao, or Wu Wei.. At least, if its the same as in that Pratchett book, the Thief of Time (L) Lol, I think it is. The East is more in balance, thats the point..

Let me write it down:

The universe is, instant by instant, recreated anew. (...) There is in thruth no past, only a memory of the past. Blink your eyes, and the world you see next did not exist when you closed them. Therefore, the only appropriate state of mind is surprise. The only appropriate state of the heart is joy. The sky you see now, you have never seen before. The perfect moment is now. Be glad of it.
 
@ gums and the others:
well the bible is quite an exception since i was raised in a catholic household and therefore might at least read the new testament.
but as for the others, i didn't actually want to read huge books about every single variety of religion. what i lack is merely an overview: what are the general beliefs, the structure of the universe, maybe rites and traditions, and so on of certain religious movements. i don't want to buy into anything, i just want to know more. so if anyone could recommend a good summary book about any religion, that would quite help.
 
@MagSec: Ah no, unfortunatelly i'm just a beginner, but i can still marvel at the Truth that it reveals. :worship: :p

@Wazoo: i had read some paragraphs off it (not thief of time :p), and i remember it had some very nice approaches about relationships and so on, for example how the man should treat the woman (and not just in bed). I vaguely remember disagreeing with some points, but i guess that's to be expected with a book written in a different time and culture.
 
@VC: I've been reading "The Illustrated Book of Sacred Scriptures" by Timothy Freke. It does a good job at pointing out the similarities of many religions, by comparing different religious concepts. I actually think its very enlightening. The title makes it sound like it's a picture book or something :p , but its not. It just uses excerpts from many different religious books for examples.

EDIT: And I noticed that you said you don't want any huge books. This one would be perfect then, because its only about 170 pages, and everything is very spaced out. It looks at everything from a mystical perspective too, so it is potentially a rewarding book to read.
 
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