Home
Life & the Universal
Mariposa- Community of Butterflies
The Blues
Do Not Be Ashamed
The Tree
A Child's Journey
Suffering
Trinity Church
The People's Prayer
Analysis of Bias
Intolerance & the Christian Right
A Time To Break Silence
A Personal Message
An Open Letter to the Religious Community
Bhagavad-gita
Poetry of Xu Yun
Atlantis
The Rainbow Bridge
Imagine
Ending of Relationships
BeliefNet News
The following is the mission
statement of Soulforce,
an interfaith movement committed to ending spiritual violence
perpetuated by religious policies and teachings against gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. As a gay man,
I am proud and particularly sensitive to the work Soulforce does
in fighting prejudice and bigotry and defending the rights of
sexual minorities.
"Spiritual Violence: Spiritual violence is the misuse of
religion to sanction the condemnation and rejection of any of
God’s children. Misusing religion and/or God to support
society’s bias against sexual and gender minorities also
inappropriately justifies psychological, legal and physical
violence against them. Some zealots blatantly articulate
spiritual violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual and trangender
people when they scream “God Hates Fags.” Mainline churches may
be less blatant and more sophisticated, but they are no less
guilty of spiritual violence. It is just as violent spiritually
when pastors and parents—quoting scripture—condemn and reject
members of their congregation and their family. When this
happens, God’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender children
also feel condemned and rejected by their Creator as well." |
Evolution and the
Teaching of Creation
Evolve- start with the 'l' and spell in reverse...love...Elohim...to
love is to remember..it cannot be detroyed...
"The creation story unfurling within the scientific enterprise
provides the fundamental context, the fundamental arena of
meaning, for all the peoples of the Earth. For the first time in
human history, we can agree on the basic story of the galaxies,
the stars, the planets, minerals, life forms, and human cultures.
This story does not diminish the spiritual traditions of the
classical or tribal periods of human history. Rather, the story
provides the proper setting for the teachings of all traditions,
showing the true magnitude of their central truths." —Brain
Swimme, The Universe is a Green Dragon, 1984.
"We have a new story of the universe. Our own
presence to the universe depends on our human identity with the
entire cosmic process. In its human expression, the universe and
the entire range of earthly and heavenly phenomena celebrate
themselves and the ultimate mystery of their existence in a
special exaltation. Science has given us a new revelatory
experience. It is now giving us a new intimacy with the Earth." -Thomas
Berry, The Dream of the Earth, 1988.
"The new naturalism does a superior job of
telling everybody's story. It is more durable than metaphysical
perspectives precisely because it rejects claims to finality,
inviting upon itself scrutiny and falsification. And it gives us
what is to date the most reliable and satisfying account of where
came from, what our nature is, and how we should live."-
Loyal D. Rue, Everybody's Story, 2000.
"There is science now to construct the story
of the journey we have made on this Earth, the story that connects
us with all beings. Right now we need to remember that story, to
harvest it and taste it. For we are in a hard time. And it is the
knowledge of the bigger story that is going to carry us through."
-
Robert Bateman, Thinking Like a Mountain, 1988.
"It is a century now since Darwin gave us the
first glimpse of the origin of species. We know now what was
unknown to all the preceding caravan of generations: that [people]
are only fellow voyagers with other creatures in the odyssey of
evolution. This new knowledge should have given us, by this time,
a sense of kinship with fellow creatures; a wish to live and let
live; a sense of wonder over the magnitude and duration of the
biotic enterprise." -
Aldo Leopold & Charles Swartz, A Sand County Almanac, 1989.
"Tell me a creation story more wondrous than the miracle of a
living cell forged from the residue of an exploding star! Tell me
a story of transformation more magical than that of a fish hauling
out onto land and becoming amphibian, or a reptile taking to the
sky and becoming bird, or a bear slipping back into the sea and
becoming walrus! If this science-based culture, of all cultures,
cannot find meaning and cause for celebration in its very own
cosmic creation story, then we are sorely impoverished indeed." -
Connie Barlow, Green Space Green Time, 1997.
"There can be no better laboratory for the elaboration of thoughts
on man's orientation in a complex world than a flowering meadow,
or a noisy brook, or a spiral galaxy. For the green leaves are
sucklings of a star's radiation. The rapids in a brook, responding
to universal gravitation, perform erosions of a sort that have
worn down to oblivion the lofty pre-Alps and the primitive
Appalachians. The hundred-ton maple tree that calmly dreams
through the decades is in the same universe as the Andromeda
Galaxy with its billions of seething stars." —
Harlow Shapley, Of Stars and Men, 1984.
"Both education and religion need to ground themselves within the
story of the universe as we now understand this story through
empirical knowledge. Within this functional cosmology we can
overcome our alienation and begin the renewal of life on a
sustainable basis. This story is a numinous, revelatory story that
could evoke the vision and energy required to bring not only
ourselves but the entire planet into a new order of magnificence."
-
Thomas Berry, Dream of the Earth, 1988
The above quotations were taken from the web site of Michael Dowde
& Connie Barlow, The
Greatest Story. Quoting from from their web site:
"On April 25, 2002, Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd embarked on an
itinerant ministry of sharing "the Great News of the Great Story
and Foster the Great Work." We shed most of our possessions, and
now travel in a van as at-large inhabitants of North America and
ambassadors of the grand sacred story of cosmos, Earth, life, and
humanity. We are teaching (Connie has a science writing
background) and preaching (Michael was a United Church of Christ
pastor) "the marriage of science and religion for personal and
planetary wellbeing." |
We
are resolved to follow our national dream.
The Orchard House Speech of Doris "Granny D" Haddock
The following excerpt is from a speech made at
Orchard House, Home of the Alcotts, in Concord,
Massachusetts on October 6, 2005.
"...The desperate attitude of the far right toward not
only the unborn baby but even brain-dead people on life
support reveals something about their true religion:
they have little. There is nothing in their actions that
reveals a belief that life is eternal, that there is no
death except as a doorway to something better. Their
brand of Christianity simply does not relate to the
teachings of Christ. The worst of the hate-mongers who
misuse the Bible to make million-dollar church incomes
and push a political agenda of male domination and hate
are easy to spot, for they cherry-pick Bible passages to
suit their purposes. They disregard any turning of
cheeks, they disregard the fact that Jesus never
mentioned the homosexuality that they so fear. They seem
not to fear that, as very rich men, they themselves
might have a hard time driving their Hummers through the
eye of the needle into heaven. They claim that every
word of the Bible must be followed, but if they really
believed that they would have stoned themselves to death
years ago, as they are as sexually frisky and full of
covetous looks as anybody else. They forgive themselves
freely, of course, even when they promote the murder of
foreign leaders." See also:
Intolerance & the Christian Right. |
Action
Institute for the Study of
Religion & Liberty
Seeks to articulate a vision of society
that is both free & virtuous, the end of
which is human flourishing.
Adherents.com
Collection of adherent statistics & religious
geography citations -- references to published
membership/adherent statistics &
congregation statistics for over 4,200 religions,
churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith
groups, tribes, cultures, movements,
ultimate concerns, etc.
Affirmation:
Gay & Lesbian Mormons
Serves the needs
of gay, lesbian, bisexual,
& transgender Mormons & their
supportive
family & friends through social &
educational activities.
Affirm
United / S'Affirmer Ensemble
An organization of persons working through
education & social integration for the
welcoming of diverse peoples, especially the
inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender
persons in the life & work of the church. AU / AE
is composed of people of all sexual orientations
& gender identities and so it is open to all people
within the United Church of Canada who
support these goals.
Aleph: Alliance
for Jewish Renewal
American
Buddhist Center
American Friends
Service Committee
Quaker organization that includes people
of various faiths who are committed to social justice,
peace, and humanitarian service.
American Jewish Committee
Anti-Defamation League
The Art of
Peace, Morihei Ueshiba
Association for Research &
Enlightenment-Edgar Cayce
Autobiography of a Yogi |
Whispers
from Eternity
From the Beginning of "Autobiography of a Yogi,"
by Paramhansa Yogananda...
The characteristic features of Indian culture have
long been a search for ultimate verities and the
concomitant disciple-guru relationship. My own
path led me to a Christlike sage whose beautiful
life was chiseled for the ages. He was one of the
great masters who are India's sole remaining wealth.
Emerging in every generation, they have bulwarked
their land against the fate of Babylon and Egypt."
Bahá'í World
Balanced
Weight Management
"It is rare to have someone tell you that you
are overweight due to many different choices
that you make on a moment-to-moment basis.
It is your environment, lifestyle & personal
conditioning, genetics, & habits that keep you
overweight. As you learn about your choices &
the patterns they form, make small changes &
learn new skills, day-by-day, overtime, you form
new habits. These new patterns gradually bring
to you NEW RESULTS (being thinner, healthier
& happier). KEEPING OUR LIVES IN BALANCE
is an essential practice that will allow you to
apply the other indispensable areas of self-care."
Beliefnet
A multi-faith e-community.
BibleGateway
| The Unbound Bible
Searchable bibles
Biodynamics
Bishop
John Shelby Spong
Unofficial Fan Web Site
The British
Humanist Association
Exists to support and represent people
who seek to live good & responsible
lives without religious beliefs.
The Bruce Lee
Educational Foundation
Bruderhof Communities
|
Peacemaking Guide
| Peacebarn
Network of faith-based communities that
began in Europe in the aftermath of World War I
& now has branches in New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, England, Germany, & Australia.
The Peacemakers Guide was created to
inspire & empower people to work for peace,
& to arm people with living proof of the power
of nonviolence to effect change and resolve conflicts.
The Bruderhof Peace Barn is a project of the 5th-
8th grade students of the Spring Valley Bruderhof
School in Farmington, PA. Two days after
9/11/2001 these students wanted to do something
for peace. So they decided to convert an old barn
into a museum for peace and a memorial for the
victims of terrorism and war. In addition they have
handcrafted memorial benches for each passenger
and crew member of Flight 93, which are at the
crash site in Shanksville, PA. Tourists from all
over the United States and the world stop by
the Peace Barn every day.
BuddhaNet
A View on
Buddhism
Buddhist Studies Virtual Library
C.G. Jung Page
Catholic.net
Catholic
Worker
"The aim of the Catholic Worker movement
is to live in accordance with the justice
& charity of Jesus Christ... When we examine
our society, which is generally called
capitalist (because of its methods of producing
& controlling wealth) and is bourgeois (because
of prevailing concern for acquisition & material
interests, and its emphasis on respectability
& mediocrity), we find it far from God's justice.
The Center
of Concern
Explores & analyzes global issues
& social structures from an ethical
perspective based on Catholic
Social Teaching.
Center for Paleo Orthodoxy
Chabad-Lubavitch in Cyberspace
Christian
Classic Ethereal Library
The Church at Matthew's House
"I was tired of the church, as I knew it.
It was an event, a building, a program…
I wanted to be the church; I wanted my
“un-churched” friends to be the church,
not become churched." -Jason Evans
Circle of Living Earth
Providing healing & instruction in the
shamanic tradition.
Corrymeela
People of all ages & Christian traditions,
who, individually and together are
committed to the healing of Social,
Religious & Political divisions that exist
in Northern Ireland and throughout
the World.
CrossCurrents
Global network for people of faith &
intelligence who are committed to
connecting the wisdom of the heart &
the life of the mind.
Cultural
Creatives
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Death of an Innocent: How
Christopher McCandless lost
his way in the wilds by Jon
Krakauer, 1/1993
Dignity USA
"Envisions and works for a time when Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgendered
Catholics are affirmed and experience
dignity
through the integration of their spirituality with
their
sexuality, and as beloved persons of God
participate fully in all
aspects of life within
the Church and Society."
don Miguel
Ruiz
The Four Agreements:
-Be Impeccable with Your Word
-Don't Take Anything Personally
-Don't Make Assumptions
-Always Do Your Best
Dvaita Home Page
Earth Vision
It is the premise of EARTH VISION
that in order for humanity to cherish nature,
humanity must first recognize nature
as a reflection of the very soul of its
own being.
Eckankar
The Enneagram
Institute
"The Ennegram Institute is dedicated to
the work of human liberation & transformation.
Don Riso has defined the Enneagram as "a
geometric figure that delineates the nine basic
personality types of human nature and their
complex interrelationships." While the Enneagram
suggests that there are
nine basic personality
types of human nature, there are, of course,
many subtypes and variations within the nine
fundamental categories. Nevertheless, the
assertion of Enneagram theory is that these
nine adequately map out the territory of
"personality types.""
The Episcopal
Church of Visual Arts
Esalen Institute
An alternative educational center devoted to
the exploration of what Aldous Huxley called
the "human potential," the world of unrealized
human capacities that lies beyond the imagination.
Esalen soon became known for its blend of
East/West philosophies, its experiential/didactic
workshops, the steady influx of philosophers,
psychologists, artists, and religious thinkers,
and its breathtaking grounds blessed with natural
hot springs.
Esoteric School of Shamanism & Magic
Exploring Plato's Dialogues
Fatima Network
| Third
Secret of Fatima
FollowingAncestors- EarthWisdom
"Today we consider it a great honor to carry on
the role of helping people like yourself in
reconnecting to the spirit of Esonknhsendehi -
the great Changing Mother earth- and sharing
the beauty of earth ways from around the world.
Our goal is to nurture a spirit of harmony within
Humanity's interactions with other humans,
nature and All Our Relations. Our work is
designed to be an antidote to all that is excessive,
formal, artificial or contrived. By focusing on the
essence of evolution, we hope to offer you a
welcomed lifestyle in tune with the spirit of All That Is.
Foundation for Shamanic
Studies
Offers international learners rigorous courses
in core shamanism- universal or near-universal
principles & practices of shamanism not
bound to any specific cultural group or perspective.
Frequency Keepers
"The dimensional shift has begun & we are being
called to our highest destiny, to consciously utilize
the full harmonic power of our voices to open our
hearts to our multi-dimensional selves & transform
the frequencies, our planet, & its inhabitants by
manifesting a new harmony of unconditional love."
The
Gentle Survivalist
Gothic Dreams
Gnosis Archive
Harmonicvisions
Karyn Armstrong is a Shamanic Healing Arts
Practitioner, Minister, Certified Tantra Educator,
Director of Harmonic Visions, and Proprietor of
Body, Mind & Spirit…A Wholeness Center for
Integrative Wellness based on CAM therapies.
Teaching personal growth and transformation
through the practice of shamanism. Authentic,
innovative and creative instruction on shamanic
journeying through drumming, soul retrieval,
shamanic extraction, death and dying, and
energy healing with spiritual light.
Hindu
Resources Online
The Holy See
House Church Central
The house church movement is an
attempt to get away from the institutional
church, seeking instead to return to the
small gatherings of peoples that
constituted all of the churches of
the New Testament era.
The Human Development Institute/
Laibl Wolf's Web Site
Indigos In The
Flow
"The Highly Sensitive And Highly Aware:
Something amazing is happening on planet Earth.
Over the last century, several successive cohorts
of individuals have been born who are highly
sensitive, highly aware, spiritual and purpose-driven.
They think outside the box, run high levels of
energy and experience a greater spectrum of reality
than many of those who have come in before.
In some ways this is nothing new. Indigos are in
fact “old souls” and if you look into their eyes you
will see depths of human history and experience.
People who fit this description have been present
throughout the life of the Earth, providing the
catalyst for our growth and expansion. What is
new are the numbers. There are many, many of
the highly sensitive and highly aware among us.
And perhaps there is also something new about
our bodies and minds – evolving to better
accommodate these evolutionary changes. Those
who have seen and recognized this pattern have
sometimes called it the “Indigo” phenomenon.
The word Indigo refers to a deep, rich color of
purple/blue that has been associated with higher
level of consciousness, of finer, more exquisite
energies. It is associated with the third eye chakra,
the energy center which orchestrates our ability to
transcend physical realities, grow toward
enlightenment, and manifest what is important
in life. " - Linda Kardos, a Licensed Professional
Counselor who practices in Portland, Oregon. She
uses mind-body-spirit techniques & works with
clients who desire life transformations & spiritual
expansion.
Independent Church of
Australia
Indigenous
Peoples Survival Foundation
Non-profit, humanitarian organization with the
primary mission of promoting understanding
between ancient traditional peoples and modern
civil society. Secondary mission is to utilize
indigenous knowledge and global resources to
promote economic prosperity for needy people
worldwide; while at the same time protecting the
environment out of respect for our mother Earth.
An Inquiry into the Existence of Angels
The Interfaith
Alliance
Clergy-led grassroots organization
dedicated to promoting the positive,
healing role of faith in civic life &
challenging intolerance and extremism.
International
Association for Near-Death
Studies
International
Association of Sufism
International Network on
Personal Meaning
Dedicated to the advancement of knowledge
on the vital role of meaning in mental/physical
health, spiritual development, & peace-making.
Combines an appreciation for the importance of
research with a strong emphasis on the need
for public education and community service.
International Society for
Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy
Multi- and interdisciplinary organization
dedicated to encouraging and advancing
research and education in existential
psychology and psychotherapy. The dominant
thrust behind all their work is a commitment
to understanding the central role that
meaning plays in our lives.
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
The Internet Scared
Text Archive
Archive of electronic texts about
religion, mythology, legends &
folklore, & occult and esoteric topics.
IslamOnline.net
Islamic
Studies
Islamic
Supreme Council of America
Islam: The
Modern Religion
Jade Wah’oo Grigori
Jade Wah’oo Grigori is a caretaker of
‘the Ways’, an authentic Shamanic lineage.
Raised in a Shamanic family of Mongolian
heritage, his paternal grandparents being
from the Seven Villages of the Csango
People, descendants of the Mongol
Golden Horde, in the Carpathian Mountains.
Jewish Theological Seminary
Jewish
Virtual Library
Online Jewish encyclopedia covering
topics, such as: History, Women, The
Holocaust, Travel, Israel & The States,
Maps, Politics,
Biography, Israel, Religion,
Judaic Treasures
of the Library of
Congress, Vital Statistics
& Reference.
Judaica Collection
Kabbalah
Home Page
Karmic Astrology
"Karmic Astrology differs greatly from conventional
astrology. Where conventional astrology tells you
what you are, Karmic Astrology answers the question:
Why? Often issues appearing in an individual's life
right now are the catalyst for the person's inquiry, and
s/he has the maturity to realize that. The answer to
that question, "Why?", lies in what we bring into our
present life from our past lives. Karmic Astrology
assumes you already know what sort of person
you are but are now wondering how that came to happen
and what can be done about it. Rookies don't ask those
sorts of things. Karmic Astrology assumes that your
current life is not just some random existential blip in a
void, but instead is a part of a grand sweep of cosmic
evolution which has been going on for who knows how
many eons over who knows how many lifetimes. We're
talking about the Big Picture here, the view from the top
of the mountain, the answer to the question, "Why am I
here?" We're talking about taking a look at the next step
on the path the person's soul chose before returning to
an Earth incarnation."
Kriya Yoga
"The sincere spiritual seeker who follows
the path of Kriya Yoga with desire for spiritual
growth, love, and devotion can attain Self-
realization — even within one lifetime. This
powerful yoga stems from many yogas
described in the Bhagavad Gita; but, primarily, from:
Karma Yoga- actions of the soul which
means both outer actions in the world and, more
importantly, inner actions of the mind & detachment
from the fruits of these actions
Jnana Yoga- intellect discipline which leads
to wisdom gained from the experience of spiritual
knowledge that gives freedom & inner detachment from
the fruits of actions
Bhakti Yoga — unconditional love, awakened by
gratitude and joy experienced from oneness with all
creation and cosmic consciousness
Kriya Yoga is non-sectarian. Its simplified techniques
cause no hardships or austerities & were developed
for aspiring householders as well as for monks. From
Karma Yoga, Kriya Yoga teaches any action, ‘kri’, is
done by ‘ya’, the indwelling soul; work is worship.
Constant awareness of the power of the indwelling
soul inhaling leads to mind control and liberation..."
Labyrinth:
Medieval Studies
The Lorian Association
Incarnational Spirituality is the foundation for all of
Lorian’s work. It is an affirmation of the spirit innate
within our world, our humanity, our physicality, and our
personal lives. It sees each person as a source of
spiritual power and radiance. |
Lost
Valley Intentional Community
and Educational Center
Lost Valley Educational Center is an
intentional community & nonprofit educational
center dedicated to learning, living, & teaching
sustainable, ecologically-based culture.
MAZON: A Jewish Response to
Hunger
Mediation in
Action
Medical
Humanities
"This site, established in 1994 at New York
University School of Medicine, is dedicated to
providing a resource for scholars, educators,
students, patients, and others who are
interested in the work of medical humanities.
We define the term "medical humanities"
broadly to include an interdisciplinary field of
humanities (literature, philosophy, ethics,
history and religion), social science
(anthropology, cultural studies, psychology,
sociology), and the arts (literature, theater,
film, and visual arts) and their application to
medical education and practice.
MetaReligion
Religion, occultism & science.
Metropolitan
Community Church
Worldwide fellowship of Christian churches
with a special outreach to the world's gay,
lesbian, bisexual & transgender
communities.
Mithraism
"...It is reasonable that fundamental
aspects of the Christianity of the
second and third centuries if not
in spirit then at least in form were
adopted in part from this ancient
Mystery Religion [Mithraism]."
National
Council of Churches
Leading force for ecumenical cooperation
among Christians in the United States. It's
36 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox member
denominations include more than 50 million
persons in 140,000 local congregations in
communities across the nation.
National
Religious Partnership
for the Environment
New
Thought Movement
"New Thought is "the practice of the presence
of God," but unlike conventional mysticism,
which emphasizes contact or union with
God for its own sake, New Thought adds
to this the practice of the presence of God
for practical purposes. To those who object
that one should not use God, New Thought
replies that there is nothing but God to use,
and/or that God wants us to have the best in
all aspects of living, that God constantly offers
this to us, and that in accepting it we are living
as God wants us to live."
New
Renaissance Books
"Through New Renaissance we consciously
attune ourselves to the Divine and manifest
that vision as channels of God's Light.
We nurture the spiritual awakening of
truthseekers of all paths by attuning to the
highest needs of our customers and ourselves,
creating an uplifting environment of unconditional
love and acceptance, offering spiritual teachings
from East and West and providing healing
products and services. Our business serves as
an example reflecting the values of balance,
good health and abundance to promote a holistic,
spiritual and joyous lifestyle."
Next-wave.org
Mission is to bring together Christians
from all walks of life, including pastors,
church planters and leaders across
denominational and national borders,
who want to reach out to people in
postmodern culture, and who understand
that, in order to do so, significant changes
need to be made in the way we run &
organize our churches.
Neve
Shalom/Wahat al-Salam
Oasis of Peace- A village in Israel
established
jointly by Jews & Palestinian
Arabs of Israeli
citizenship and engaged in
educational work
for peace, equality
& understanding
between the two peoples.
Nick
Bostrom's Home Page
Work in philosophy of science, ethics,
transhumanism, the consequences of
artificial intelligence, foundations of
probability theory & a work of poetry.
Omega
Holistic education provider doing work
in holistic health, meditation, yoga,
transformational psychology, spirituality,
world music, and art.
Online Judaism
Ontario Centre for Religious
Tolerance
Oregon Friends of C.G. Jung
Group interested in learning more about
the work. Presents lectures & workshops
led by Jungian analysts from around
the world.
Pacific
Northwest Core Shamanic
Community
Here is where people with a strong root in
"Core Shamanism" as taught by the
Foundation for Shamanic Studies can find
communion, support and further training in
the Pacific Northwest area. This is also a
place to find healers local to the Pacific
Northwest stretching from Oregon, through
Seattle, Bellingham and up to Vancouver B.C.
Paradigm Shift
Pax Christi USA
National Catholic peace movement.
The
Philosophers Magazine
Philosophy
in Cyberspace
Indexes thousands of philosophy resources.
Places
of Peace & Power
The Sacred Site Pilgrimage of Martin
Gray
Portland Insight Mediation Community
The Portland Insight Meditation Community is
dedicated to the learning & practice of Insight
Meditation and the Eightfold Path of the Buddha.
PIMC's purpose is to improve the lives of
participants, their families & the greater community
through meditative practice and a lifestyle that
supports liberation from suffering, the awakening
of wisdom, & the manifestation of compassion.
Presbyterian
Church
The
Progressive National Convention
Association of Baptist churches throughout
the world committed to the mandate of making
disciples for Christ. The convention is founded
on the precepts of fellowship, service, progress
& peace, and seeks to affirm the "priesthood of
all believers.
ReligiousForums.com
Forums to discuss, compare, & debate
religions.
The
Religious Freedom Page
Concerned with issues of religious
freedom in the U.S. & around the world.
Rudolf Steiner Archive &
E.Lib
Rutgers Journal of Law & Religion
Dedicated to the interaction of church &
state on a global scale.
Sacha
Runa
"Sacha Runa is a living network of medicine
people, master plants, ceremonialists, shamans,
artists, healers, students and teachers of all
kinds. Our works and lives span through an
abundant diversity of mediums, techniques,
backgrounds, and species to compose a truly
dynamic ecology of souls. All of us are shaping
and being shaped by the visionary landscapes
of the emerging medicine culture. Aligned in the
seamless unity of nature, we are learning to
engage our collective roles as one with the
medicine itself."
Sanctuary of Enlightened Life
Enlightened Life Sanctuary is a spiritual
organization dedicated to the creation &
development of new & innovative expressions
for ancient spiritual practices of enlightenment,
& to providing practical support for everyone
to begin living the enlightened life today.
San Graal
School of Sacred Geometry
Self-Realization Fellowship
Aims and ideals as set forth by Paramahansa Yogananda,
Founder
"To disseminate among the nations a knowledge of
definite scientific techniques for attaining direct
personal experience of God.
To teach that the purpose of life is the evolution,
through self-effort of man's limited mortal
consciousness into God Consciousness; and to this end to
establish Self-Realization Fellowship temples for
God-communion throughout the world, and to encourage the
establishment of individual temples of God in the homes
and in the hearts of men.
To reveal the complete harmony and basic oneness of
original Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ and
original Yoga as taught by Bhagavan Krishna; and to show
that these principles of truth are the common scientific
foundation of all true religions.
To point out the one divine highway to which all paths
of true religious beliefs eventually lead: the highway
of daily, scientific, devotional meditation on God.
To liberate man from his threefold suffering: physical
disease, mental inharmonies, and spiritual ignorance.
To encourage "plain living and high thinking"; and to
spread a spirit of brotherhood among all peoples by
teaching the eternal basis of their unity: kinship with
God.
To demonstrate the superiority of mind over body, of
soul over mind.
To overcome evil by good, sorrow by joy, cruelty by
kindness, ignorance by wisdom.
To unite science and religion through realization of the
unity of their underlying principles.
To advocate cultural and spiritual understanding between
East and West, and the exchange of their finest
distinctive features.
To serve mankind as one's larger Self." |
Shaking Medicine
"Elders of indigenous traditions throughout the world
– including the Kalahari Bushmen, the Caribbean
Shakers of St. Vincent, the Guarani Indians of
the Amazon, and leaders of the Japanese healing
tradition of Seiki Jutsu – have embraced Keeney
as an elder and spokesperson for their ways of
ecstatic shamanism. Following an academic career
as a systems theorist and psychotherapist, he
spent over a decade traveling the globe, living
with spiritual teachers, shamans, healers, and
medicine people who trusted him to share their
words with others – modern cultures in need
of Elder wisdom."
Shambhala
International community of 165 meditation
centers led by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche.
Shamanic Astrology
"The foundational philosophical truth of Shamanic
Astrology (and arguably of everything) is from the
opening lines of the Emerald Tablets of Hermes,
"As Above, So Below, As Within, So Without."
This is considered to be literal, kinesthetic, organic
reality, not an intellectual or spiritual abstraction.
The patterns of the constellations and the cycles
of the Sun, Moon and planets are the same as the
patterns and cycles of the human psyche and the
seasons of our lives. The relationship is not cause
and effect. The practitioner of Shamanic Astrology
is at home with this magical and geomantic intuition.
SharedWisdom
Purpose is to create transpersonal
bridges to facilitate the emergence of a
new subculture in the Western world.
Share
International Media Service
Associated with the Department of
Public Information at the United Nations.
One of its primary goals is to synthesize the
ideas & events which are rapidly propelling
humanity toward a complete restructuring of
its global institutions as a result of the
energies of the New Age of Aquarius.
Shiva shakti mandalam
The inner wisdom of
the hindu
tantrik tradition
"Only when Shiva is united with Shakti does he have
the power to create - Saundaryalahari
Second-hand knowledge of the self gathered from
books or gurus can never emancipate a man until
its truth is rightly investigated and applied; only
direct realisation will do that. Realise yourself,
turning the mind inward. - Tripura Rahasya, 18: 89
Tantra, or more properly tantrika, is a diverse & rich
spiritual tradition of the Indian sub-continent.
Although in recent years, in the Western world, it has
become almost exclusively associated with sex, in
reality this is one aspect of what is a way of life.
In India itself, tantra is now, nearly always, associated
with spells and black deeds.
Neither of these views is correct, and each wildly
underestimates the wide-ranging nature of the
different traditions.."
Sikhism
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers
Sobonfu Somé
"In a relatively small village in West Africa, is a
tribe called the Dagara tribe, a people still striving
to live like their ancestors. Growing up in a Village
meant the child of the community. I was almost
six years old before I understood that I came out
as of one particular person's womb, and not all of
the women in the Village who had helped to
care for me.
Soulforce
Interfaith movement committed to ending
spiritual violence perpetuated by religious
policies and teachings against gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.
A
Sourcebook For Earth's
Community of Religions
An Interfaith Guide to Religion and Spirituality.
Spirituality Practice
"This website, created by Frederic & Mary Ann
Brussat, is devoted to resources for spiritual
journeys. The site's name reflects a basic
understanding: spirituality and practice are the
two places where all the world's religions &
spiritual paths come together. With respect
for the differences among them, we celebrate
what they have in common."
Sri
Kaleshwar
"All communities, all castes, all creeds are one. I
am teaching the Divine Tradition. It is not limited
to any one religion. I belong to the religion of
truth and love.”
The Divine Tradition, a path shown by Sri Kaleshwar,
is based on knowledge revealed in manuscripts
called palm leaf books. These manuscripts, some
of which are thousands of years old, were written by
India’s great sages, maharishis, who received the
information directly from the Divine. They reveal
sacred formulas––mantras, yantras and disciplines
–which give the soul direct channels to the Cosmic
energy. As these channels open, your healing energy
awakens as do the soul’s miraculous capabilities.
Sri Kaleshwar considers these practices the most
direct path to enlightenment. In addition, these
practices reveal the practical formulas for creating
a happy, successful, and purposeful life."
Sri
Vaishnavism Home Page
The Tao Info
Images & quotes of Lao Tzu as well
as explanations of Taoist philosophy.
Yin & yang, Feng Shui, Taoism, Zen
& traditional Chinese design
are also covered.
Taoism
Information Page
Target Earth
"In an age of global environmental
demise, Christians are called to live with
excellence. To be those people who chart
their futures by what they can give to the
next generation-not by what they can
take from it. To be men and women whose
lives are defined by the courage &
compassion to make a difference on the
earth. Target Earth is a national movement
of Christians who reflect this commitment
to care. It's a movement of individuals,
churches, college fellowships & Christian
ministries motivated by the biblical call to
be faithful stewards of everything God
created-to love our neighbors as ourselves
& to care for the earth."
Theosophical Society
The word theosophy has been used in the
Occident for about 2,000 years to indicate
knowledge of divine things or knowledge derived
from insight and experience as well as intellectual
study. While the modern theosophical movement
can be traced back to Blavatsky and her
teachers, it is part of a spiritual movement as old
as thinking humanity. Its philosophy is a
contemporary presentation of a perennial wisdom
underlying the world's religions, sciences, &
philosophies. Theosophical concepts are not
dogmas; only the ideas that have value need be
accepted. Theosophical books are considered
neither as revelation nor final authority, but as guides
in the individual's search. However, there are some
basic concepts that theosophy brings to light.
Thinkonline.org
Online, interactive religious &
philosophical debating community.
Tibetian Book of
the Dead
Torah Fax in CyberSpace
Torah on the Information
Superhighway
Toronto Shariah
Program
Arabic language courses, online Arabic classes,
& Arabic intensive programs. Course aims to
provide and in-depth study of Islamic heritage.
Ummah.com
Islamic portal.
Unitarian Universalist Association
United Church of Christ
"A community of faith that seeks to respond
to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word & deed.
The UCC was founded in 1957 as the union of
several different Christian traditions: from the
beginning of our history, we were a church that
affirmed the ideal that Christians did not always
have to agree to live together in communion.
Our motto—"that they may all be one"—is
Jesus' prayer for the unity of the church. The
UCC is one of the most diverse Christian
churches in the United States."
United Church of
Religious Science
Religious Science is a spiritual philosophy for the
modern man & woman. It is based on the Truth
which arises in every culture in the form of
science, philosophy, and religion. Religious
Science views religion as a source of wisdom for
revealing the Truth about the seemingly unknown
forces that shape our universe. This enables us to
participate in our own life as a co-creator with the
Divine. Religious Science was founded by Dr.
Ernest Holmes, a self-taught philosopher who
rigorously studied all of the world's Spiritual paths
for most of his life. In 1927, he wrote
The Science
of Mind, which synthesized the truths that he
discerned were present throughout all of the world's
faiths. That book is the foundation of the principles
of Religious Science. He never intended to begin
a new faith, but was persuaded to allow a church to
be created to assure that the principles he
synthesized would outlive him.
United Methodist Church Ministries
Unity World
Virtual Jerusalem
Viruses
of the Mind |
The World of Richard
Dawkins
Vodou
Warriors of the Rainbow
"There would come a time when the
"keepers of the legend, stories, culture
rituals, and myths, and all the Ancient
Tribal Customs" would be needed to restore
us to health. They would be mankind's key
to survival, they were the "Warriors of the
Rainbow." There would come a day of
awakening when all the peoples of all the
tribes would form a New World of Justice,
Peace, Freedom and recognition of
the Great Spirit."- Lelanie Stone.
See also: Greenpeace's
SV
Rainbow Warrior
Web
of Creation
Interdenominational & interfaith
organization working to provide on-line
environmental resources for faith-based
communities. Believes religion is a
crucial factor in issues of ecology
& justice.
White Crane: A Journal of Gay
Men's
Spirituality
Explores gay spirituality to uncover the
variety of the manifestations of spiritual quest
among contemporary gay men & to reclaim
their place in the development of human
consciousness, committed to the intuition that
gay consciousness plays a special and important
role in the evolution of life on planet Earth.
The Wisdom Fund
Advances social justice & interfaith
understanding by presenting The Truth
About Islam, & by providing concise
statements of Islamic values, beliefs,
news, commentary, and resources for
concerned Muslims & activists.
Wise Earth
Monastery
The Wise Earth School of Ayurveda
Ltd. is a
non-profit organization for
the dissemination of the
Vedic sciences
& Ayurvedic health care education.
World Thirteen Moon
Calendar
Change Peace Movement
The World Thirteen Moon Calendar
Change Peace Movement is a planetary
organization committed to the
replacement of the irregular standard
of the the Gregorian calendar with the
regular standard of the thirteen moon,
28 day calendar.
Zaytuna
Institute
Zen Buddhist
Order of Hsu Yun
The Grim Reaper
Who is my Grim Reaper- what does he wear?
Turban and robes- a merchant behind the counter- trading the currency of life.
Once human- but no more.
He babbles a language I do not know- yet I do.
His eyes-filled with hate and resignation- glare with a sickening emerald green.
Stare at those averting eyes and you'll see what he truly wants.
Go Away!
And what is hell?
A neatly planned community in the middle of an arid desert, surrounded by walls and secure
from life. Dry heat, manicured lawns and a burning yellow sky.
It is not always easy living in many worlds at once.
![0617[1].jpg (11699 bytes)](_borders/06171.jpg)
Wheat Field
with Reaper and Sun,
Vincent Van Gogh
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The fruit of silence is prayer.
The fruit of prayer is faith.
The fruit of faith is love.
The fruit of love is service.
The fruit of service is peace.
Love cannot remain by itself - it has
no meaning. Love has to be put into action and that action is service. Whatever form we
are, able or disabled, rich or poor, it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in
the doing; a lifelong sharing of love with others.
Mother Teresa,
See also: "The Tree"
Lord,
Make me an instrument
of your peace;
Where there is hatred let me sow love;
Where there is injury pardon;
Where there is doubt faith;
Where there is despair hope;
Where there is darkness light;
Where there is sadness joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I
may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love,
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Francis of Assisi, the "Poverello";
See also:
Canticle of Brother Sun
If you offer your compassion to the hungry
And satisfy the famished creature
Then shall your light shine in darkness
And your gloom shall be like noonday.
Isaiah 58:10,
See also:
Hunger Notes.
"Compassion is the elixir that overcomes the
rule of death. It is the inexhaustible treasure
that eliminates poverty in the world. It is the
supreme medicine that quells the world's
disease. It is the tree that shelters all beings
wandering and tired on the path of existence. It
is the universal bridge that leads to freedom
from unhappy lives. It is the dawning moon of
mind that dispels the torment of disturbing
thinking. It is the great sun that finally
removes the misty ignorance of the world. May
compassion arise in whom it has not arisen. May
it never decline where it has arisen but go on
increasing, further and further." -Shantideva
(8th century)
Every angel is terrible.
And still, alas knowing all that I serenade you
you almost deadly birds of the soul.
Where are the days of Tobias when one of these
brightest of creatures stood at the simple front
door disguised a little for the trip
and not so frightening (a young man like the one
who looked curiously out at him).
If the dangerous archangel took one step now
down toward us from behind the stars our
heartbeats rising like thunder would kill us.
Who are you? Creation's spoiled darlings
among the first to be perfect...pockets of
essence ecstasy shields tumultuous storms
of delightful feelings then suddenly separate
mirrors gathering the beauty that streamed away
from them back to their own faces again. -Rainer
Maria Rilke, translated by David Young (from
Duino Elegies, copyright 1978 by W. W.
Norton & Co., Inc.)
The Door Is Round
And Open
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don't go back to sleep.
With the first glimmers of awakening from the
sleep of ordinary life
New found clarity opens you to an exciting
current of impressions
That seem to be hidden away from all who remain
asleep.
Don't go back to sleep again and ignore all the
Deep secrets of life these lofty influences may
reveal.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don't go back to sleep.
If you really want to awaken from the sleep of
ordinary life,
You must ask, you must open yourself to the
enticing possibilities
Available to you and to all true lovers of
awakening.
Don't go back to sleep again and miss out on
this
Amazing opportunity to realize your soul's true
longing.
People are going back and forth across the
doorsill where the two worlds touch.
There are people crossing the doorsill in both
directions,
Those who are truly praying for this awakening
and
Those who have awakened, then chosen to return
and help,
Help us, you and me, cross over from this world
of sleep
Into the realm of those who are fully awake and
completely alive.
The door is round and open.
Don't go back to sleep.
As we ascend to greater and greater heights, our
horizon recedes and expands
Providing accommodation for our rising and
expanding sense of being.
An expanding circumference embraces more than
the perimeter of any
other form.
It invites and opens into an infinite, loving
expansion of our hearts
and minds.
Don't slip back into the darkness; please don't
go back to sleep again.
~ The Essential Rumi: Translations by Coleman
Barks with John Moyne ©
1995, With contemplations by Carl Siraj
al-Haqq Karasti© 2007
"Strange that so much suffering
is caused because of the misunderstandings of
God's true nature. God's heart is more gentle
than the Virgin's first kiss upon the Christ.
And God's forgiveness to all, to any thought or
act, is more certain than our own being."-
St Catherine of Siena
"I keep thinking that under the rituals of
religion there is a crucial wriggling
possibility for what we might someday be. It’s
the same possibility you see sometimes under
patriotism or sport or families; a humor and
mercy, a grace and mercy, a warmth beyond all
sense. Sometimes, for an instant, at a game, a
wedding, a park, you get a flash of connective
energy with your fellow beings — just a hint, a
shiver of inexplicable peace and joy."
"... But what if, as Peter also says? What if
our moral evolution ever caught up to our
physical evolution? What if we ever dropped the
dagger, plucked the beams from our eyes, and
finally grew up? What if?"-
Brian Doyle, editor of Portland Magazine.
"Quiet evening hours often brought one of my
guru's discourses, treasures against time. His
every utterance was measured and chiseled by
wisdom. A sublime self-assurance marked his mode
of expression: it was unique. He spoke as none
other in my experience ever spoke. His thoughts
were weighed in a delicate balance of
discrimination before he permitted them an
outward garb. The essence of truth,
all-pervasive with even a physiological aspect,
came from him like a fragrant exudation of the
soul. I was conscious always that I was in the
presence of a living manifestation of God. The
weight of his divinity automatically bowed my
head before him."- from
Autobiography of a Guru by Paramhansa Yogananda,
Chapter 12, p. 109
Ah, grasshoppers, Death's a
fierce meadowlark: but to die having made
Something more equal to the centuries
Than muscle and bone, is mostly to shed
weakness.
The mountains are dead stone, the people
Admire or hate their stature, their insolent
quietness, The mountains are not softened nor
troubled And a few dead men's thoughts have the
same temper.-
From Robinson Jeffers, "Wise Men in their Bad
Hours"
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