Are there any beginner sites out there about religions of the world?

Question

Hi,

I am not a religious person and I am interested in learning what religions are out there and what they believe in;

Would you be kind enough to let me know what different religions there are out there and, if possible, point me in the right direction towards learning what they are about.l

I am supposed to be christian but I don;t belive in it as I am often told that I am disabled because I am being punished for crimes I committed in a previous life. Is this belief a part of the christian religion or part of any other religion?

Thanks for your help.

Please don't turn this into a slanging match

Answer 1

Well you can always just read 10000 pages of books. Start with whichever religion you like. The Bible for instance, if compressed right, only has around 1200 pages.

Answer 2

I am often told that I am disabled because I am being punished for crimes I committed in a previous life. Is this belief a part of the christian religion or part of any other religion?
______________________________________

First, let me apologize to you for whoever said that to you. I am sorry that you have been hurt like that.

Then, this is a Buddhist, Shinto, Taoist perspective. Karma and reincarnation are products of these religions, both of which feed the idea of payback in this life for previous sins.

I would recommend www.carm.org for a starting point. It is non-denominational, so you won't get Baptist (which I am), Catholic, Adventist, or anything but straight Bible stuff.

Then, if you want an on-line Bible or two, try http://www.audio-bible.com/blind.html which has very large fonts for people with sight problems, and will also give you one Bible chapter at a time as an audio file.

www.blueletterbible.com is another very useful Bible website, where you can either give a Bible book, chapter, and verse to look up, or you can search for a word or phrase and it will locate clickible links with the information as you asked for it.

If you specifically want information about creation science, I recommend www.creationscience.com

I hope you find the answer you are looking for.

Answer 3

There are lots of Bigot sites out there.
I dont know where this past life thing came from, Bhuddism possibly, but not the teachings of Jesus Chrst.
Do you believe in equality, womens rights, democracy, because that is Christianity, Jesus didn't teach us to go to church, no he said whenever 3 or more Christians are gathered together for a bite to eat remember him when you eat your bread and drink your wine, had he been a West country lad this wuld have been Cider, but thats what he said.

Answer 4

you have a lot of work in front of you.
Google the word "religion" and start your research there. There are many. I hope you find the right one. I did, after YEARS of research, only one made sense to me. Non-denominational bible Study. All denominations are out to prove something, except these, they only want to teach the Bible.

Being disabled is only a stumbling block or challenge, yes, probably given to you by God. Is this your FAULT because you're bad ? NO !!!!!!!!!! NO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Christians DO NOT believe in previous lies. That is a Buddhist belief. Reincarnation.
Take that stumbling block, and STEP UP on it !
Come to God and rely on Him, that's what He wants from you !

[e-mail]

Answer 5

www.beliefnet.com/
www.religioustolerance.org/
www.jewfaq.org/
www.catholic.com/
www.islam101.com/
www.goarch.org/
www.hindunet.org/
www.buddhanet.net/

There are different types of religions out there: monotheistic (belief in one God), polytheisic (belief in many gods), and deistic (God set the universe in motion, but does not play an active role in the universe). There are also different religious philosophies such as atheism (God(s) do not exist) and agnosticism (God's existence can neither be proven nor disproven.

Monotheistic religions, and denominations/sects, and subgroups:
-Christianity
--Roman Catholicism
---Latin-rite Catholicism
---Eastern-rite Catholicism
--Eastern Orthodoxy
---Greek Orthodox Church
---Russian Orthodox Church
---Oriental Orthodox Church
---Lithuanian Orthodox Church
--Protestantism
---Lutheranism
---Baptist Christianity
---Calvinism
---Presbyterianism
---Fundamentalism
---Anglican Church (Anglicans also could be grouped as Catholic)
---Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormonism)
---Assemblies of God
---Church of Christ
---Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Science)
-Judaism
--Orthodox Judaism
---Hasidic Judaism
---Karaite Judaism
--Reform Judaism
--Conservative
--Reconstructionist
---Society for Humanistic Judaism
-Islam
--Sunni Islam
--Shi'ite Islam
--Sufi Islam
-Baha'i
--Orthodox Baha'i

Basic beliefs:
Christianity - Jesus was crucified for the sins of mankind, and was Resurrected from the tomb. Jesus will make his second appearance in the near future. With the exception of Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Oneness Pentecostals, and other Oneness Christians, all other Christians believe God is a trinity, composed of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Judaism - One God, who is eternal and incorporeal (no body). Moses was the greatest of all the prophets. The messiah has not come yet in Judaism. When the Messiah comes, the righteous will be resurrected from the dead to live in the World to Come, which is like Utopia. God is not a Trinity, as in Christianity, but a unity, who none else is like.

Islam - The statement made for conversion to Islam sums up Islam's most basic belief - "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammed is His messenger." Muhammed was the greatest of all prophets, which includes Moses (Musa), Abraham (Ibrahim), and Jesus (Isa). Qur'an is the Holy Scriptures. The Qur'an was revealed to Muhammed by the angel Gabriel. The Hadiths are also highly revered. They contain the sayings and doings of Muhammed. God (Allah) is not a Trinity, and is a Unity.

Answer 6

This cant be the christian faith, because in christianity you dont have a past life. You are born, you die and based on how you lived your life you are granted access to heaven or hell. Christ said, that in the eyes of God, no man is crippled, except in his soul in his lack of faith. Some of the other religions like hinduism and maybe buddhist believe in past lives.

Answer 7

don't believe it .... someone has told you that to make you feel bad about yourself and if you keep thinking about it then you will believe it and you will feel bad ...these religions are drummed and drummed into people ...go to a church and talk to the priest/vicor ... he will tell you everything ...type it up on the net to find out about it. there are numerous religions each wanting us all to join but you should be a free person free to choose what you want ...you don't have to 'be' any if you don't want ...it's your choice not anyone elses ...all wars are because of religion ..yet religouse people are supposed to be nice ...whats nice about a war or killing someone because they don't want to be the same as them ....we all have rights ....i think i would go for the ufo belief ...at least they don't go fighting everyone

Answer 8

this one has lovely non bias basic descriptions of most religions
http://www.religioustolerance.org/aboutus.htm

Christians do not believe in previous lives , so it wouldnt have been them that said such a thing
i am not sure of any who would say this
i do understand that some believe we chose a life with difficulties as lessons for spiritual progression ( i believe this and am spiritualist )
but not as a punishment xx

Answer 9

PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT CHRISTIANS DO NOT CINSIDER REINCARNATION TO BE A LEGITIMATE REASON TO EXPLAIN AWAY YOUR HARDSHIPS. THIS IS OUR FIRST LIFE. OUR TEMPORARY LIFE. AFTER HERE ITS HEAVEN OR HELL OUR PERMANENT LIFE. WHAT YOU DO AND ACCEPT HERE WILL DETERMINE WHICH OF THESE YOU QUALIFY FOR. IN HEAVEN WE RECEIVE A NEW BODY, ALL OF OUR PAINS, TEARS AND SORROWS ARE GONE FOREVER. SEE REV 7:17 PERSONALLY I'VE LIVED THRU A MURDERED MOTHER, AS A KID, AMURDERED SON, AN ALCOHOLIC FATHER AND A STEP-MOTHER STRAIT FROM THE BOWELS OF HELL. ABUSED EVERY WAY A CHILD COULD BE.
IVE CONFESSED MY SINS AND JESUS CHRIST IS MY LORD AND SAVIOUR, I STRIVE TO BE HOLY AS HE IS. I'VE WITHSTOOD THE ONSLAUGHT OF EVIL NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT I DID IN A PAST LIFETIME BUT BECAUSE THIS IS SATANS WORLD, HIS KINGDOM UNTIL THE END OF TRIBULATIONS. 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH WHERE THERE WILL BE COUNTLESS ATROCITIES. THEN HEAVEN ON EARTH FOR 1000 YEARS. IM ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE THAT REINCARNATION IS NOT THE CAUS OF OUR DISAPPOINTMENTS BUT I AM FULLY COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT GENERATIONAL BON DAGE IS A FACTOR. THE MEN OF OUR LIVES, PAST GENERATIONS, MUST HAVE LEFT ALOT TO BE DESIRED. NONE THE LESS I'LL PRAY FOR THEM SA WELL. FIND ANOTHER CHRISTIAN CHURCH, WHERE THEY DONT ALTER AND REDEFINE THE GOSPEL AND FEEL FREE TO ELAIL ME AT ANY TIME.
GOD BLESS

Answer 10

i am a Celtic Pagan Priest. and we believe in reincarnation, and we believe in the possibliity that punishment for crimes may carry over to several other lives.

feel free to e-mail me if you want to go into more detail.