Weird!  I just watched an incredible show on National Geographic called “Lost Cities of the Bible.” It’s a side-by-side comparison of the Bible stories of Sodom and Gomorrah and Jericho with archeological discoveries.  I loved it so much that I took notes to write a post about it.  Here’s a link to the show - http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/lost-cities-of-the-bible-2567/Overview.  It looks like they’re showing it again on Mon the 9th.  Very enlightening and intersting.

Mu mom was raised Pentecost (think snakes and talking in tongues)so she refused to force any particular religion on me.  She introduced me to different religions and left the decision to me.  Out of mere curiosity I took religion and mythology courses in college but like you, I’m still searching for answers.  I can’t abide a religion whose basic tenets require you to believe that anyone who believes differently is wrong and going to hell or some such nonsense.

I dated a Jewish man for five years so I learned quite a bit about Judaism.  It’s in my top 5:  they don’t believe in hell, they don’t judge other religions, and family and education are priority one.  I’m also fond of Eastern religions.

If we lived closer to one another we could take religion courses and go drink and smoke after class!

By Gwen on 2008 06 04

I’ve wondered if I might be Jewish at heart, myself. I’ve also wanted to take religion classes, but not at a religious college- I want a class that explores a variety of beliefs and treats them all as plausable.

Thanks for such a well written and well thought out comment! I’m going to try and catch that show Monday night.

By liz on 2008 06 04

Check your local community college for religion courses.  Just make sure it’s a discussion, not dogma.  You might even be able to simply “audit” the class for a lower price per hour.  Let me know what you think of the show.

By Gwen on 2008 06 04

I don’t believe in organized religion. However, I do believe in reading about all different kinds of beliefs and pilfering what I like and leaving the rest. I’m just not a structure girl.

By churlita on 2008 06 05

liz, you aren’t going all madonna on us, are you?

(i think it is cool that you are checking this stuff out)

By hello haha narf on 2008 06 05

I still say you should worship me.

By killer on 2008 06 06

Worshiping Killer to me would be to much like praying to a pawn shop. I am sure in his church somewhere there would be reference to 3 golden balls.

As an atheist, I always get happy when people decide to at least take an active decision in questioning what they believe and why they believe it. If that leads you to another religion, hooray, if it leads you to atheism, hooray. At least you took an active role in where you ended up with intelligence instead of blind devotion to dogma.

I grew up in Canada in a small town that was pretty diverse for it’s size. I wanted to know more about religion when I was about 12 so I went to the different churches in town and talked to the clergy themselves. Greek Orthodox, United, Catholic, Presbyterian, Jewish, and Pentecostal clergy all took the request of a 12 year old boy to learn more about their faith seriously and treated me with respect and didn’t talk down to me at all.

And I escaped miraculously unscathed.

By dave on 2008 06 06

You sound agnostic to me. Welcome! We’ll start a club. There’s you, and me, and, um, you. That’s all the agnostics I know so far....  :(

By rebturtle on 2008 06 09