Over at The Atlantic, Josh Kron writes about an evangelical group, the Emerging Church, which is influential in Africa and whose leading members are behind Invisible Children and Kony 2012. Kony’s creator, Jason Russell, was earlier in the good news for his viral video and later in the bad news for what appears to be [...]
Tags:Africa·Brian McLauren·Emerging Church·evangelical Christians·Gnostic·Jason Russell·Kony 2012·liberal Christianity·mysticism
One of my favorite books on Mormon history, much despised by Mormons, is Fawn Brodie’s No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith. Brodie writes with considerable panache about things Mormons would like to forget. Despite Smith’s many foibles and frauds, he comes off surprisingly well: it’s hard not to admire his audacious [...]
Tags:Abrahamic religions·Christianity·Fawn Brodie·Islam·Joseph Smith·Judaism·Mormon·Mormonism·Muhammad·prophecy·prophets·Revelations
Over at Slate Jessica Grose has posted an interview with Rolling Stone writer Janet Reitman and author of Inside Scientology. For those who have yet to learn how Xenu messed up the entire cosmos, Reitman’s article is essential reading.
These comments from Reitman caught my attention:
Scientology can be very expensive. If your goal is total spiritual [...]
Tags:axial age·Buddhism·Inside Scientology·Janet Reitman·Jessica Grose·Karl Jaspers·L. Ron Hubbard·Nirvana·Scientology·suffering·world rejection·Xenu
The BBC’s Jason Palmer breathlessly reports on a new study which suggests that “religion may go extinct” in nine nations (Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland). This is a classic case of what is known in accounting of “garbage in, garbage out” or GIGO.
The study authors relied on census [...]
Tags:atheism·Daniel Abrams·formal religion·informal religion·Jason Palmer·religiosity·religious affiliation·Rodney Stark·secularization thesis
Before the 2001 census was taken in Great Britain and several Commonwealth countries, someone suggested that the “Religious Affiliation” question be answered by professing belief in The Force and claiming to be a Jedi Knight. In Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, significant numbers of people did just this.
If you have ever attended a Star [...]
Tags:Buddhism·census·ecumenical·George Lucas·Jedi·Jedi Knights·Jedi religion·John Perlock·Obi Wan Kenobi·science fiction·Scientology·Star Wars·The Church of Jediism·The Force·theoretical physics·Yoda
Let’s start with the lengthy story of Oscar winning Apostate, Paul Haggis and his life in Scientology. It appears in The New Yorker and is yet another expose of Scientology that will leave you baffled. When science fiction becomes science religion would be a good title for it.
Next we have Neil Strauss’ humorous piece, God [...]
Tags:apostate·Billy Ray Cyrus·Buddhist Ecclesiastical Law·Christopher Beam·David Miscaviage·God at the Grammys·Miley Cyrus·Mormons·Neil Strauss·Paul Haggis·Rupert Murdoch·Satan·Scientology·South Park·Sri Lanka·Super Best Friends·Theravada·Tom Cruise·Wickrema Weerasooria
For evolutionary scholars of supernaturalism and religion, Scientology is the gift that keeps on giving. It is almost as if the purpose of Scientology is to prove that the human brain-mind is wired in such a way that belief in the supernatural is virtually assured — all it takes is some kind of cultural prime [...]
Tags:credulity·David Miscavige·Elspeth Reeve·evolutionary biology·L. Ron Hubbard·neurobiology·origin myth·origin story·Paul Haggis·Scientology·Sea Org·Teegeeack·thetans·Tom Cruise·wired for belief·Xenu
Until recently, I knew nothing about Dhammakaya Buddhism, which is considered to be part of the Theravada tradition. For over a decade, this Thai-based movement has been making waves for its alleged commercialization of Buddhism. Some observers attribute its considerable success to the dislocations brought on by Thai modernization. Whatever the attraction, Dhammakaya is fulfilling many [...]
Tags:Buddhism·Buddhist·Close Encounters of the Buddhist Kind·cult·David Koresh·Dhammakaya·Dhammakaya Foundation·ethics·evangelical·globalization·Jim Jones·Khun Yay Ubasika Chandra Khonnokyoong·Lebensraum·Leni Riefenstahl·Luke Duggleby·meditation·modernity·morality·Nazis·Nuremburg·Ron Gluckman·Thailand·Theravada·Wat Phra Dhammakaya
Over at the Salt Lake Tribune, Peggy Fletcher Stack has written a nice article on the fine and sometimes indistinguishable line between religious inspiration and madness. Because Stack’s audience in Utah is predominantly Mormon, she perforce tap-dances around some delicate issues (i.e., Joseph Smith’s mental health). But this portion of the article particularly caught my [...]
Tags:churches·CS Lewis·cults·DSM-IV·ecstasy·Jesus·Jim Jones·Joseph Smith·mania·manic depression·mental illness·messiahs·Mormons·Peggy Fletcher Stack·prophets·psychopath·Ralph Hood·schism·schizophrenia·sects·shamans·The Line Between Inspiration and Insanity
Sedona, Arizona is ground zero for New Age spiritual retreats and commercialization of all things New Age. For several thousand dollars, you can spend a long weekend in Sedona taking in the mystical charms of its four vortexes, all the while being shepherded in your quest by gurus such as Mark Amaru Pinkham, whose spectacular [...]
Tags:Angel Valley·Archangel Michael·Arizona·aura cleansings·chakras·commercialization·commoditization·crystals·four vortexes·gurus·Janelle Sparkman·Marc Lacey·Mark Amaru Pinkham·metaphysical·Michael Hamilton·New Age·North American Grand Prior of The International Order of Gnostic Templars·Sedona·Sedona Metaphysical Spiritual Association·spiritual consumption·spiritual retreats·Spiritual Warrior·sweat lodges·vortex·vortices
