The Pageless Book

Photo above by Diego Avila. Artwork below by Roy Blumenthal.

The last post I wrote was three days ago, on Thursday. I wanted to write a “Friday Vibes” article, but due to technical difficulties, I would have had to post it on Saturday. I decided there wasn’t much sense in doing that. So here I am today, Monday, still contemplating the events of last week, wanting to talk about it, even though it has already been discussed to death. Woe is me…

I really shouldn’t be too disappointed, seeing as last week I nominated for the UU Blog Awards. However, sporadic posting and constant whining about your blog on your blog isn’t necessarily a good way to win a blog award. Cutting back on articles posted per week and dropping one of your most popular series isn’t a good way to muscle in those votes, either. And admitting that you’ve made several mistakes in the past week to turn off your readers? Well, at least I can still say I’m honest. But the most sure fire way to ensure that I *not* win the Blog Awards that I’ve been nominated for, would be to promote my competition instead of myself. It would be rather foolish for me to do that…

Have I mentioned that Shelby from Looking For Faith has been nominated for “Best Religious Writing or Theological Commentary - Best of Class?” Yes, the same Shelby that I keep mentioning over and over again. She is one of the first people to actually welcome me to the UU blogging community, and I’ve been showering her with link-love ever since. She also recently picked up the torch for promoting social media in the UU blogging community. I will, of course, be voting for her.

Jules from UU Deist in Texas got a nod for “Best New Blog”. I really enjoy his writing style, his choice of subject matters, and the new look of his blog is impressive. I know this is wrong of me, but every time I read something written by Julian, I have a habit of imagining his speaking it in a Texas twang. Although to be fair, he may very well be reading this post to himself thinking I sound like Link Larken from Hairspray, me being from Baltimore and all.

PeaceBang’s Beauty Tips for Ministers has been nominated for “Best Design or Use of Visuals.” I have to admit, I don’t read this particular blog; I’m naturally gorgeous and have no need for beauty tips. Although the visuals *are* rather nice, and PeaceBang is spiffy-cool enough to vote for, so I suppose I could make an exception and vote for Beauty Tips.

Finally, there is the “Best Seminarian Blog” award. There is The Pageless Book, which is okay I guess, but I really prefer Elizabeth’s Little Blog. I haven’t been following it for long, but her blog covers some interesting topics and is worth reading. One article, on why “The Secret is Total Bunk,” has even been nominated for one of the single-article awards. I’ll be keeping my eye on this blog for the future.

In all seriousness, I wish everyone best of luck in snagging a few Blog Awards. Despite recent set-backs, The Pageless Book will continue to grow and be will be even more worthy of a Blog Award next year. I’m just honored to have been nominated along side such talent.

“Humor distorts nothing, and only false gods are laughed off their earthly pedestals.”
- Agnes Repplier (1855 - 1950)

Psst. Hey pal. Yes, you! … Do you have a sense of humor? Are you sure? Not everyone has the chutzpah to laugh about religion. Even fewer are the brave men and women who make laughing about religion into a religion. I’m not just talking about a parody of a religion, but a religion that is a parody of a religion of a parody of a real religion. So would that be a real religion, you ask? Well, if you don’t know, then you are already apart of the joke.

As of right now, there are three religious parody religions in existence; Discordianism, The Church of The SubGenius, and Pastafarianism. Each of these three religions have several important similarities. First, it is important to note that all three religions hold a great debt to Al Gore, whom you all know created the series of tubes otherwise called the internets; Gore is cut a check every second Tuesday of the month for his contribution. Second is the fact that each of these religions get proportionately funnier as the jokes age, unlike stale 80’s comedies, which were probably never funny having all been written by Chevy Chase and Steve Martin - but I digress. Finally, there is the astonishing coincidence that all three religious parody religions existed at the time this article was written, which of course is the hallmark of any true religion. Any other religious parody religions are false, heretical, and probably not as funny as the before mentioned three.

Discordianism, the oldest of these three religions, originated in the early 1970’s and was first popularized by the late Robert Anton Wilson when he wrote about it in his Illuminatus trilogy. The Principia Discordia, the holy book of this religion, has been described as a postmodern treaties on Zen Buddhism, a revival of an ancient Greek Chaos mystery cult, and ‘the hell if I know, now leave me alone.’ It is written by the prophet Malaclypse the Younger in the 1950’s, after having been exposed to an exploding chimpanzee at a all-night bowling alley frozen in time/space. He and his fellow prophet, Omar Ravenhurst, founded this religion based upon the worship of Eris, the Goddess of Discord, which would later grow to become the hidden power behind every U.S. Presidency since Benjamin Harrison, fnord.

The Church of the SubGenius is considered to be an off-shoot of Discordianism and is centered around the worship of J.R. “Bob” Dobbs as well as the acquisition of slack. Currently headed up by it’s founder, Rev. Ivan Stang, the Church is seems to be lampoon of fundamentalist Christianity and Scientology drowned in copious amounts of 1950’s kitch. Don’t let the appearances fool you - The Church of the SubGenius is a genuine religion, complete with extensive tithing, alien space ships, and a mail order ministry ordination. Get your slack while it’s still hot.

The newest of these three religious parody religions is Pastafarianism, which emerged in 2005. Also known as the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Pastafarians believe that the ultimate creator of the universe is a… Flying Spaghetti Monster. They also believe strongly that global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters are directly related to the falling number of pirates since the 1800’s. This is due to the fact that the Flying Spaghetti Monster is angered that pirates are going extinct and is exacting revenge on earth for the falling number of his chosen people.

Regardless of which of these three religions you adhere to, you can rest assured that your beliefs will not be scoffed or laughed at by those who can’t take a joke… Then again, they don’t laugh at much of anything, so these greyfaces deserve the slackless, stale-beer hell that’s reserved for them. RAmen.

DNA rendering by Ynse

I believe that there is no contradiction between science and spirituality; both speak of different truths. Science speaks in regards to the verifiable truth of empirical research, while spirituality speaks in regards to the truth of the human condition which we can only know in our hearts. Yet many people find the two incompatible, based upon literal interpretation of religious scripture or practice, and it’s conflict with scientific discoveries.Like myself, Dr. Francis S. Collins sees no contradiction between science and spirituality and attempts to show those on both sides of the argument why. Unlike myself, Dr. Collins has an advantage in that he himself is a former atheist who converted to Christianity and was the head of the Human Genome Project. With having been on both sides of the argument, as well as being one of the world’s most prestigious scientists, one would think that his reasoning would be sound and solid. Unfortunately, I found this not to be so in his book The Language of God.

While I liked The Language of God, I found it lacking in several areas. Most important of these, as it is central to the book’s theme, is his use of apologetics to explain his belief in God. The very first chapter of the book, which attempts to show the reason he came to believing in God, argues that altruism could not be the result of evolution and so must be considered evidence of God’s Moral Law inherent within humanity. However, this argument is based upon what I would call soft logic - that is logic that has no basis in concrete physical reality.

Altruistic behavior has to be defined and quantified, observed and studied in order for even the suggestion to be taken seriously. What you might define as altruistic may not be strictly without evolutionary benefit. Those examples of altruism that cannot be explained as being evolutionary could possibly be explained as psychological anomalies or the result of social conditioning. There are simply too many variables to make that claim; if I were an atheist, I wouldn’t accept this argument.

The failure of Dr. Collins’s “Moral Law” argument puts a large dent in his other arguments, as he repeatedly refers back to this throughout the book. In addition to that issue, Dr. Collins relies far too much on C.S. Lewis and not enough on his own understanding or experiences to promote his views. I hate to say it, but if I wanted to read C.S. Lewis, I would have picked a book authored by him. I did say that I like this book, didn’t I?

I do like The Language of God… but not for it’s intended purpose. His personal stories and explanation of the current struggle between science and religion is where this book truly shines. His disarming demeanor serves him well in bringing a better understanding of science to the religious community, which all too often looks upon the scientific community with suspicion. As it is the religious community that is instigating the argument over evolution, his goal of ending the disagreement would better be served by concentrating his efforts on that audience.

So while I feel that The Language of God is worth reading, the chances of an atheist reading this book and having doubts over their non-belief in God is very slim indeed. If you are going to read this book, read it for one man’s story from atheism to Christianity, his growth as a human being, and to understand the science behind the controversies. Don’t look here for irrefutable proof of God’s existence - you won’t find it.

Yet again, I find myself tagged for a blogging meme; the “One Book Meme.” This time, I was tagged by Jerome from Under A Violet Sun… which means I can get back at the person who tagged me last time, as well as annoy a few other folks who leave me comments! I’ll also take this opportunity to link those books to Amazon through my associates account. If my list inspires you to buy, please consider doing so through my website. Let’s get this party underway, shall we?

One book that changed my life.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Not only did this book introduce me to critical analysis of literature, but also opened my eyes to the depth of other religions. If it weren’t for this book, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

One book that I’ve read more than once.
The Spiral Dance by Starhawk. While criticized for being too political, I have to admit this book also had a positive impact on me. I like the poetic and social approach she has in regards to spirituality.

One book I’d want on a desert island.
SAS Survival Handbook by John Lofty Wiseman. No, I’ve never read this book. Yes, I’m being facetious.

One books that made me laugh.
Amphigorey by Edward Gorey. This was given to me by my brother-in-law for Christmas. We share the same, sick sense of humor. The humor isn’t always immediately obvious, and Edward Gorey’s style takes a some getting used to, but I find this book extremely rewarding.

One book that made me cry.
Nothing that I’ve read has ever really made me cry. That isn’t to say that I never read sad books, just that books don’t make me cry. I guess I’m a bit strange in that respect.

One book that I wish had been written.
My Eight Years by President Al Gore. I know I’m making a political statement in saying that, but it is the only thing that came to my mind. I think this country and the world would be a better place right now if he had taken the White House.

One book that I wish had never been written.
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. Do I really need to explain this one?

One books I’m currently reading.
The Language of God by Francis S. Collins. I plan on doing a review on this book, once I’m finished. I don’t agree with everything that Dr. Collins says in this book, but I am enjoying it.

One book I’ve been meaning to read.
The Christian Bible. If I’m going to be a Minister, I should at least read it once front to back. The problem is working up the will power to trudge through it. The genealogies and laws are probably the hardest part of the book to appreciate… they slow the whole narrative down.

Now I must tag five people: Cathy, Hafidha Sofia, Julian, Kelly, and Ms. Kitty.

Above photo by Faeryan.

Photo by William

Holy Moses on a pogo stick - I’ve been hit by the website traffic fairy! The visitors to my site have literally doubled in one day due to Rev. PeaceBang and her brief mention of my site. What a great way to start off the year, eh? I’ll have to return the favor in someway, of course; maybe I’ll have her as the first Minister Interview for my site, so I can grovel and sing her praise proper-like. Er, that is if it’s okay with her…

That isn’t the only thing that happened this week - there was of course New Years Eve. I had four shots of B52, four cape-cods, and a shot of moonshine. Not too bad for someone whose limit is two drinks. However, the masochistic abuse of my liver is not the central purpose of Friday Vibes; there were some great posts this week that didn’t mention me, and I’m more than happy to point them out to you.

Jules from A UU Deist In Texas as written a three part series about his New Years Eve resolutions. While I normally don’t go for the yearly resolutions thing, I found these articles to be inspirational. The first part is regarding aging and health concerns, the second part is about spiritual practice, and the final part muses on his love for music. As someone who’s creeping towards 30, having difficulty finding the time for my own spiritual practice, and grew up around musicians, this series really struck a cord with me… pun not intended.

I’ve mentioned that Rev. Dan Harper is pushing for a conversation on emergent spirituality within Unitarian Universalism. This was his alternative to the traditional end of year review - look forward rather than look behind. Although I’m not sure what I can bring to the table, in regards to the conversation, I feel pretty positive about this idea… which is why I don’t mind mentioning it twice.

Finally, I’d like to point out that The Wild Hunt has done a two part article on the Top Ten Pagan Stories of 2007. It’s an interesting read, and I encourage anyone who has a moment to look it over. Because neo-paganism is looked down upon by the majority of mainstream religious communities, it is often subject to discrimination and ridicule. Seeing the year through the lens of this religion is a real eye-opener as to the status of religious tolerance.

I don’t know about you, but I have had enough of writing about the holidays. For the next few weeks, you can expect me to avoid any mention of them… er, at least until Valentines day.

Photo by “SordidProphecy”

GodStillLovesUs.org is not your typical website. With it’s cryptic message, foreboding images, and viral-like advertising, most visitors aren’t quite sure what to expect from this website. The motif of a bio-hazard symbol next to the words “God Still Loves Us,” makes for a confusing symbol sparking conversation, controversy, and serious thought as to the nature of humanity.

As it turns out, there is an ulterior motive behind this website. Some of my readers may already know the purpose behind its message. Yet, I know if I divulge this information up front, those who are not “in the know” would be less likely to give deep thought to the meaning of this website and its meme.

The Structure of The Site

The initial page of this site is roughly divided into four areas. At the very top is displayed the original bio-hazard logo with five links - Witness, Testify, Evangelize, Redeem, and Forums. Just below this are four random pictures that has been submitted to the website and a brief YouTube video. You can click on any of the four images to see the complete image; notice that each image has “God Still Loves Us” located somewhere in the image. Beneath the pictures and the video are two columns; the left devoted to tragic news articles found elsewhere on the web, while the right column displays an abbreviated console for the forums.

The first place you should direct yourself to is the “Witness” link. There are eight pages worth of photos, each photo containing the logo shown at the top of the site. If you play the video after viewing all of the images that have been submitted, you’ll notice that the video just a compilation of these image. The “Testify” link allows you to sign up for the forums, while the “Evangelize” link provides a number of the different “God Still Loves Us” logos, as well as access to a Cafepress.com shop.

If you click on the “Redeem” link, you are connected to a page that promises a prize for one person who submits a photo. The official contest rules states that this needs to be a photo of the “God Still Loves Us” logo on a physical object. When I first saw this, I started to question the objectives of this GodStillLovesUs.org. As you delve further into this website, its true intention slowly becomes apparent…

You Will Think

I want to talk about the meaning behind the “God Still Loves Us” logo. To me, the purpose behind this online campaign revolves around this symbol and the discourse it sparks; any other hidden motives are secondary in my opinion. You may disagree, but before I divulge this motive I keep talking about, let me explain why.

This logo is something like a Rorschach Test. The symbol is just ambagious enough that the meaning you ascribe to it is influenced by your personal beliefs, while the subject of the symbol remains intact. Placing the bio-hazard symbol next to the words “God Still Loves Us” can imply several different things - for example:

• Self-destructive nature of humanity.
• The nature of our relationship with the Divine.
• Absence of the Divine.
• Absurdity of existence.
• The nature of suffering.
• Hope despite all odds.

How you respond to this symbol speaks volumes about your outlook on life and religion. I’m inclined to believe that the symbol is speaking about the self-destructive nature of humanity, and the sadness that invokes. It’s a fair indicator of what type of person I am and shows my concern for humanity as a whole. Someone who is more pessimistic might say this symbol is pointing out the absurdity of existence, while an absolute optimist would believe it means hope despite all odds.

This becomes even more interesting when you get a large number of people together to talk about the meaning they find within the logo. While they may ultimately disagree about the meaning behind the symbol, the site itself doesn’t offer anything to contradict or confirm a particular interpretation. The result is lively discussion regarding the state of the world, religion, and human existence. Discussion is what makes this website meaningful and the symbol serves as the subject. Even the photos are apart of the discussion.

I am Alpha and Omega.

GodStillLovesUs.org is a viral marketing site for I Am Legend, a screen adaptation of the book with the same name. When I realized this, my first reaction was disappointment; I was hoping that the truth would be more interesting. If you think about it, though, this site is a stroke of genius when it comes to marketing. The more I think about it, the less disappointed I become.

I Am Legend, starring Will Smith, is a remake of the movies The Last Man On Earth and The Omega Man - both of which were based upon the same book. The theme of the book has a number of different religious and philosophical overtones, which resonates strongly with the “God Still Loves Us” logo. As I am yet to see the movie, I think it would be better not to comment further on it. I will say that I am looking forward to watching it; the viral marketing campaign as done it’s job.

Photo by Todd Huffman

Did you notice the point at which Wicca became a world religion? There is a definite period when this religion started taking on adherents at a rapid rate. In the early 1990’s, this religion, which seemed destined to be little more than foot note in history, was suddenly exposed to a vast number of spiritual seekers. Wiccans kept their religion quiet in fear of persecution for forty years up to this point; the religion seemed to be waiting for the right time to make itself known.

The Dawn of the Internet

Then, the information age dawned, which changed everything for this small religion. The internet seemed tailor made for Wicca. It gave them anonymity so to avoid persecution, allowed them the freedom to reach spiritual seekers in large numbers, and gave new (and often solitary) practitioners access to a community. This is a religion that doesn’t proselytize - they don’t actively seek out new members. In ten short years, it went from virtually unknown to a growing world religion, all as a result of the internet.

Today, there is a similar surge in Atheism. Again, they are using the internet as a vehicle to get their message out. I read a number of Atheist blogs, mostly because I enjoy debating with them, and have noticed that they have a vibrant growing community. Witnessing this, I have to ask why the liberal religious online community isn’t like that?

Marketing Liberal Religion

Recently, the answer was made clear to me through a fellow Universalist’s blog. Shelby, the webmaster of LookingForFaith.org, wrote an article regarding religious identity and marketing. She points out the trend among evangelicals to use product marketing techniques and asks if religious identity can be synonymous with brand identity. She poses the question as to whether or not liberal religions, such as Unitarian Universalism, should be marketing themselves through clothing, music, television shows, movies and other products. While I would argue against blatant consumerism, we should be marketing ourselves. When it comes to online communities, that means social media.

From what I’ve seen of our blogging community, I don’t think we are using social media services to promote ourselves. Perhaps some in our community do not even know what social media is or how it can it can improve traffic to your blog or to other blogs in our community. Social media is nothing less than another opportunity to share you opinion of what makes a good website with others.

Social Media is - ?

Social media sites essentially give you an up or down vote on content that is generated by other users. In many cases, the user generated content that is being judged are individual web pages. While your single vote may not seem like much, that one vote makes it far more likely that someone else will look at and vote for that web page. The effect is cumulative; the more up-votes a page receives, the more voters likely to read that page who will, if they believe the content is good, give another up-vote.

Now, I will be honest and admit that I don’t use social media as much as I should, either. But at the same time, I want to watch this community grow. So from now on, I will have a regular column on Sundays regarding my usage of different social media sites in my attempt to promote liberal religion blogs, other than my own. Each week, I will concentrate my efforts on one social media site and ask other bloggers to weigh in on it’s usefulness

The Grand Experiment

I encourage everyone to join me in this grand experiment; the more of us using social media, the more power we have as a community to bring in new readers. Why should you care? You have several very good reasons to care. Liberal religion needs to grow in order to survive; we need new petitioners. There are untold numbers of people who are fed-up with the politics of more conservative religions, but do not know that liberal religions such as ours exists. We need money in order to accomplish the good deeds on which we, as a denomination, set our sights. And if none of these reasons are enough to persuade you to participate in social media, than please consider this question: What good is your blog if nobody reads it?

I believe this endeavor is worth the time an effort, and I hope to see you here again next Sunday when I report on my use of StumbleUpon. Until then, I’ve included the following links on how to use StumbleUpon for your reading pleasure:

• How to use StumbleUpon like a Pro
• Building Your Blog with StumbleUpon
• A Comprehensive Guide to StumbleUpon

Namaste.

Photo by Javier Cruz Barranco

In the entire history of the world, there has not been a civilization as successful as Western Civilization - except maybe the Roman Empire, but please let’s over look that. And perhaps the Ottoman Empire… and can we ignore the Chinese Celestial Empire as well? Well, our society may not be unique in terms of successfulness, but there’s no arguing that our civilization is pretty spiffy, in the grand scheme of things, and worth the time and effort to understand.

For better or for worse, the origins of our civilization are rooted deeply into the historical soil of Christianity. By extension the religions that it has came from or have come from Christianity are also important us. Trying to understand the origins of this religion, as well as how this religion has evolved over time, gives us a better understanding of where we have been and where we are going. With this perspective upon our own history, we can better grasp our identity as a civilization, and come to terms with the problems facing us today.

Given this, I present to you a time line of holy texts that have been influential to, or influenced by, Western Civilization. By no means is this a complete list of texts. Although I have tried to include all the major influences on our culture, I may have left a few out. Nor can I claim that all the information is completely accurate. The information I present here is a brief summary and may miss important details. If you find that I have inadvertently excluded something that you believe to be important, feel free to let me know.

• The Zend Avesta - c. 1200 BCE.

This is the Holy Book of Zoroastrianism, the first prophetic and monotheistic religion. This religion became prominent between 560 BCE and 650 CE, and shares many similarities to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Like these religions, Zoroastrianism professes the existence of a heaven and hell, the belief in one God, and in the belief that this holy text is the word of God. You can find the text of The Zend Avesta here.

• The Torah - c. 1200 BCE Authorship, c. 450 BCE Canonized.

Also called the Pentateuch, these five books are considered the word of God as written by Moses in traditional Judaism. The Torah itself has undergone several revisions throughout history. When Israel split from Judah, the two priesthoods began to support slightly different copies of the text. Originally, the Torah was four books, but would later became five books in c. 625 BCE, when the priesthood of Judah claimed to have discovered Deuteronomy. In c. 450 BCE after the exile in Babylon, these two text were combined with other versions of the Torah as well as Deuteronomy and finalized into the book we have today. You can find the text of The Torah here.

• The Tanakh - c. 1000 - 100 BCE Authorship, c. 75 CE Canonized.

Better known to Christian readers as the Old Testament, this holy text includes the Torah along with nineteen other texts which form the core of the Hebrew Religion. It includes the writings of prophets, the poetry of kings, and the histories of the Hebrew people. You can find the text of The Tanakh here.

• New Testament (KJV) - c. 50 - 75 CE Authorship, c. 400 CE Canonized.

Twenty seven books make up this text, and form the corner stone of the Christian faith. Although there are several inconsistencies in the text and mistakes made in the scribing of them, it is believed to be an historically accurate account of Jesus’s life and death. In 1611 CE, the most popular English Translation of the Bible, both New Testament and Old Testament, was published as The King James Bible. You can find the text of the Christian Bible here.

• The Gnostic Gospels - c. 75 - 150 CE.

The core of the Gnostic Gospels are the books found in the Nag Hammadi Library in 1945 CE. Gnosticism is one of the many minor off shoots of early Christianity that were suppressed and became extinct. Gnosticism became the foundation of Hermeticism, which then gave root to Occult practices in Medieval Europe. You can find some of the texts of The Gnostic Gospels here.

• The Kebra Negast - c. 300 CE.

This text was presented at the First Council of Nicaea for possible inclusion into the Christian Bible. It later became the Holy Book of the Rastafari movement, which began c. 1930 CE. The book is an account of the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Ethiopia. You can find the text of The Kebra Negast here.

• The Qur’an - c. 600 CE.

As the sacred book of Islam, the Qur’an is believed by Muslims to be the final revelation to humanity. The book was first written by followers of Muhammad as recited by Muhammad the prophet over the course of 23 years. The text itself is poetic in nature and often alludes to stories of the Tanakh and the New Testament. You can find the text of The Quran here.

• The Adi Granth - c. 1600 CE.

The Adi Granth is the holy book of the Sikh religion. The text itself is a collection of the poetry, spiritual insights, and songs of the first five Gurus of the Sikh religion. Because the Sikh religion is a blending of both Islam and Hinduism, it also recognizes and included information from a number of Muslim and Hindu saints. You can find the text of The Adi Granth here.

• The Book of Mormon - 1830 CE First Publication.

Found and allegedly translated from golden plates by Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon is the sacred text of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Copies are often given for free by missionaries, and who could probably give a better review of the text then I can here. You can find the text of The Book of Mormon here.

• The Kitab-i-Aqdas - c. 1840 CE.

Written by Bahá’u'lláh, the founder of the Bahai faith, this book claims to be the next revelation of the God of Abraham. The Kitab-i-Aqdas accepts of the account of Muhammad, Jesus, Buddha, and Abraham as revelations of God, and also asserts that there will be yet other messengers of God in the future. The Bahai faith is often described as a blended religion, combining the teachings of several earlier religions. You can find the text of The Kitab-i-Aqdas here.

• The Urantia Book - 1935 CE.

This text is a compilation of papers that were collected by a group known as the Forum. The members of this Forum claim that the papers materialized as a response to questions they have asked between 1925 and 1935. Although The Urantia Book shares several teachings that are similar to Christian beliefs, it also diverts from Christianity in regards to the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ. It also delves into the study of the universe, presenting several theories on the makeup of reality. Currently, no single religion is associated with this text, although it is popular in New Age circles. You can find the text of The Urantia Book here.

“Some find God at church on Sundays, but where does God bubble up in our lives the Other 6 days of the week?” - Other 6, Welcoming.

Photo by Jeff Kubina

Spirituality is a social experience for many. There is something uniquely spiritual about sharing your feelings with another person and having those feelings accepted. Other 6 is a website designed to facilitate that social aspect of spirituality, creating a online community geared towards shared hopes and joys.

When you first enter this flash-based website, a burst of blue bubbles emerges from the center of the screen. Some of these bubbles are dark blue, while others are light blue; this is to determine what type of post the bubble represents. Darker bubbles are comments on where an individual poster had found God today - whether it was in a child’s smile, or in a friends laughter - while lighter bubbles are comments from individuals who feel a need for God to be in a particular aspect of their life. Move your cursor over one of the bubbles and a message box will appear, displaying the comment left by that bubble’s creator. Move to another bubble, a new comment will appear in place of the previous.

While it may be tempting to remain a voyeur, peaking in to see other people’s thoughts, the real purpose of the website is within the interaction. Double click on any one bubble, and a larger message box will appear on the right hand side of your screen and display a number of options. You can view comments left by other readers concerning that bubble or add your own comment.

When you get tired of reading the messages of the bubbles in front of you, there is an option just under the mass of bubbles that allows you to view a new set of messages. As you do this, you may notice that some bubbles are actually larger then others. This represents the number of comments left for that message. This tends to make the visitors gravitate towards the bubbles that have been commented on, so the website designers wisely chose to expose only messages that have not been commented on when you first enter the site.

If you want one of those message bubbles to be your own, you have a choice to make; do you want to talk about where you’ve found the Divine in your life, or do you need to express where you need the Divine in your life? By dividing the messages up into those two categories, the administrators of Other 6 can make sure that every visitor is exposed to a fair mix of both positive and negative. I think this is another good feature that deserves to be mentioned, because without it, you might be tempted to cycle through the bubbles until you only can see one type or another.

Other 6 also keeps your identity private; you only need to provide your city and state, as well as initials with which to identify yourself if you wish to post your own bubble. This allows for users to share deeper feeling and issues that you might not want to share publically. I find this to be a good feature as well; it’s hard to be truly spiritual when you have guard your words.

This website is the brain-child of Loyola Communications, a division of Loyola Press, which is the publishing arm of the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus (a.k.a the Jesuits). While this means that this site is Catholic owned and operated, Other 6 is not geared towards one particular religion or another. They claim to push no particular agenda and welcome all “who seek God with a sincere heart.” I’ve tested the limits of what that means myself and believe that their open invitation is honest. That being said, Other 6 is mainly Christian, and you will encounter a few messages and comments that reflect the site’s Christian leanings.

I find Other 6 to be a refreshingly simple web page that achieves what its purpose through thoughtful design. I hope you give it a try… and while you are there, see if you can find my bubbles.

Photo by Henri Bergius

Religions evolve. This has been true since the first time a human being prayed. The evolution of religion and how that evolution is taking place has been one of the more important messages I’ve been conveying on The Pageless Book since its inception. What I haven’t pointed out, is how important it is to understand the past in order to move forward into the future.

Because I am an Omnitheist and a Unitarian Universalist, I cannot limit myself to the history of just one religion. Doing so would be against my religion… Even though I pride myself on being a heretic’s heretic, there are some limits I must obey. I believe it to be important to read and understand all the holy texts of all religions. Yet, I have not even began making way in accomplishing this goal. Why not? To put it lightly, it is a time consuming endeavor.

I will, however, persist. It may be a daunting task, but have a few holy texts crossed off my list already. In order to help myself understand the evolution of these texts, I thought it would be interesting to write a time line on when these texts were written, who wrote them, and their significance. When I set out to do this, I thought it would be interesting to post my time line on The Pageless Book for your enjoyment. Then, I was knocked down by the shear weight of the material I had to wade through. This is not an easy project.

Yet, I had already mentioned this project in one of my earlier articles and I wasn’t about to let my readers down. I decided to break the time line into three sections: Western Civilization, Eastern Civilization, and Alternative Movements. Western Civilization includes such religions as Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Mormonism. Eastern Civilization includes such religions as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Shintoism. Alternative Movement would include Paganism, Gnosticism, Occultism, Theosophism, and New Age Spiritualities.

When I can, I will including link to the actual text in question so that it may be read. I will also include affiliate links to Amazon.com so that copies of the texts may be purchased. The next post in this series, Western Civilizations, will be up either tomorrow or the day after. Please tell me if there is anything missing from my time lines that you would like to see included, and I’ll see to it that it is included. My hope is that you find this information useful.

Thank you and Namaste.