What Do Other Religions Believe?

[Principessa]

What Do Other Religions Believe? A New Website With Answers

The vast majority of Americans hold some religious affiliation, but we're often too polite — or maybe too shy — to ask friends and neighbors about the nuts and bolts of their beliefs, let alone sneak into a service in a house of worship that we're not thinking of joining. Enter a new website that sets out to explain the differences between religions as well as illuminate the areas of common ground. Patheos.com, which is launching on Tuesday, is a mash-up of path and theos, the Greek word for god. Its founders, husband and wife Leo and Cathie Brunnick, have created a library of the histories and belief systems of 50 (and counting) of the world's faiths, along with maps of their origins and videos of their religious services, so people can learn more about their own faith and explore others in a nonsectarian format. Each week experts will present a debate on a new topic, such as religion on the Web or abortion. Moreover, all the content on the streamlined, reader-friendly site is written and peer-reviewed by divinity scholars and other experts, including theologians at Harvard and the University of Southern California, where some undergrads will be using Patheos in introductory religion classes this fall.

He also notes a key difference between Beliefnet and Patheos: "We're multifaith, but for the most part, people use us to explain their own, rather than learn about other, religions," says Waldman. Which is why Patheos may be well supported among those whose religions have been broadly misunderstood. "Islam is this bogeyman," says Patheos contributor Jonathan A.C. Brown, a professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Washington, noting that people act as though "everyone has achieved some enlightenment, except for Muslims, who are stuck in the Dark Ages." For Muslims, he says, "to have a forum where their religion is going to be discussed seriously is important."

These problems were actually the impetus behind the founding of Patheos. The Brunnicks, who came from different Christian faiths, collectively have four small children from previous marriages, and when they wedded they struggled to find help integrating their beliefs. "Bringing our kids together, deciding what to teach them and how, and where to take them for Sunday school — we weren't taking this lightly," says Leo Brunnick. "In your 20s, it's easy to say, 'I'm spiritual, without specific tenets, whatever.' That feels great until you're staring into the eyes of a 2-year-old and realize you have to give them some moral compass."

Interesting website, it doesn't prosletyze. You click on a religion and it tells you the basic tenets of what that group actually believes without a bunch of 'we're better than so and so because mumbo-jumbo.'

 

[Drifterwood]

Very interesting. Apparently Pagans have the largest knobs.

 

[B_Hickboy]

It could be that having a large knob causes one to be attracted to Paganism.

 

[ZOS23xy]

Somewhat. In pagan circles I've seen the whole Bell curve, seeing cock from the tiniest to very large.

And women from the smallest to the most globular. Body shape, not just breasts.