The atheist delusion | Review | guardian.co.uk Books An atmosphere of moral panic surrounds religion. Viewed not so long ago as a relic of superstition whose role in society was steadily declining, it is now demonised as the cause of many of the world's worst evils. As a result, there has been a sudden explosion in the literature of proselytising atheism. A few years ago, it was difficult to persuade commercial publishers even to think of bringing out books on religion. Today, tracts against religion can be enormous money-spinners, with Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion and Christopher Hitchens's God Is Not Great selling in the hundreds of thousands. The abrupt shift in the perception of religion is only partly explained by terrorism. For Dawkins and Hitchens, Daniel Dennett and Martin Amis, Michel Onfray, Philip Pullman and others, religion in general is a poison that has fuelled violence and oppression throughout history, right up to the present day. As in the past, this is a type of atheism that mirrors the faith it rejects.
Terence McKenna American writer Terence Kemp McKenna (November 16, 1946 – April 3, 2000) was an American ethnobotanist and mystic who advocated the responsible use of naturally occurring psychedelic plants. He spoke and wrote about a variety of subjects, including psychedelic drugs, plant-based entheogens, shamanism, metaphysics, alchemy, language, philosophy, culture, technology, environmentalism, and the theoretical origins of human consciousness. He was called the "Timothy Leary of the '90s",[1][2] "one of the leading authorities on the ontological foundations of shamanism",[3] and the "intellectual voice of rave culture".[4] Biography Early life Terence McKenna was born and raised in Paonia, Colorado,[5][12][13][unreliable source?] McKenna developed a hobby of fossil-hunting in his youth and from this he acquired a deep scientific appreciation of nature. Studying and traveling In 1969, McKenna traveled to Nepal led by his interest in Tibetan painting and hallucinogenic shamanism. Mid- to later life
Evil Bible Home Page Timothy Leary American psychologist (1920–1996) Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and writer known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs.[2][3] Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. He was "a hero of American consciousness", according to Allen Ginsberg, and Tom Robbins called him a "brave neuronaut". As a clinical psychologist at Harvard University, Leary worked on the Harvard Psilocybin Project from 1960 to 1962. He tested the therapeutic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin, which were still legal in the United States at the time, in the Concord Prison Experiment and the Marsh Chapel Experiment. Leary believed that LSD showed potential for therapeutic use in psychiatry. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was arrested 36 times worldwide. Early life and education[edit] Leary was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, an only child[16] in an Irish Catholic household. Post-Millbrook[edit]
Philokalia Front cover of Volume 1 in English, published by Faber and Faber Ltd. The Philokalia is a collection of writings, mostly centering on practicing the virtues and spiritual living in a monastery. In recent decades it has become an important resource for Orthodox Christians, laity and clergy alike, in personal living and in some ways has achieved status as a major secondary spiritual written resource (after the primary one, Holy Scripture) along with St. History of the Compilation The Philokalia—Greek for "love of the beautiful/holy/exalted"—was first assembled at Mount Athos by Ss. Contents of the Philokalia This listing of texts is based on the English translation, started by Bishop Kallistos Ware, G.E.H. Volume 1 St. There is also an appendix entitled "On the Character of Men and on the Virtuous Life: 170 Texts." Volume 2 St. Volume 3 Volume 4 St. Guide to Reading the Philokalia Also, this work is not meant to be read all at once. Editions in English G. Studies References Fr.
The Infinite Way The Infinite Way is a spiritual movement and activity created by 20th century American healer, mystic and lecturer Joel S. Goldsmith (1892–1964). According to Goldsmith, the Message of the Infinite Way is a spiritual teaching consisting of principles which anyone may follow and practice, irrespective of their religious affiliation. The Infinite Way reveals the nature of God to be one infinite, eternal power, presence, intelligence, and love; the nature of the individual being to be one with God's qualities and character, expressed in infinite forms and variety; and the nature of the discords of this world to be a misconception of God's expression of Himself in His universe. History[edit] Goldsmith started teaching the lessons of the Infinite Way in 1940 and in 1947 published the book, The Infinite Way.[2] He began teaching and lecturing extensively that year, first in New England, then on the West Coast of the United States and finally in Hawaii. Framework[edit] See also[edit] Joel S.
Aetherius Society New religious movement founded by George King in the 1950s The Aetherius Society is a new religious movement founded by George King in the mid-1950s[1][2][3] as the result of what King claimed were contacts with extraterrestrial intelligences, to whom he referred as "Cosmic Masters".[4][5][6] The main goal of the believer is to cooperate with these Cosmic Masters to help humanity solve its current Earthly problems and advance into the New Age.[7][2][8] Overview[edit] History[edit] King claimed that in 1954, a voice told him "Prepare yourself! This version of events, however, is based solely on the Aetherius Society's hagiography, and not on external sources. According to the Aetherius Society, George King died in Santa Barbara, California, on July 12, 1997, at the age of 78.[42] His death was not reported in major newspapers. Belief and activities[edit] Probably the best known of these is the "Spiritual Energy Battery". Eschatology[edit] The Silence Group[edit] Theology[edit] Criticism[edit]
List of new religious movements A new religious movement (NRM) is a religious, ethical, or spiritual group or community with practices of relatively modern origins. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may exist on the fringes of a wider religion, in which case they will be distinct from pre-existing denominations. Academics identify a variety of characteristics which they employ in categorizing groups as new religious movements. The term is broad and inclusive, rather than sharply defined. A NRM may be one of a wide range of movements ranging from those with loose affiliations based on novel approaches to spirituality or religion to communitarian enterprises that demand a considerable amount of group conformity and a social identity that separates their adherents from mainstream society. List[edit] See also[edit] References[edit] Selected sources[edit] External links[edit]
New religious movement Religious community or spiritual group of modern origin A new religious movement (NRM), also known as alternative spirituality or a new religion, is a religious or spiritual group that has modern origins and is peripheral to its society's dominant religious culture. NRMs can be novel in origin or they can be part of a wider religion, in which case they are distinct from pre-existing denominations. Some NRMs deal with the challenges which the modernizing world poses to them by embracing individualism, while other NRMs deal with them by embracing tightly knit collective means. Scholars have estimated that NRMs number in the tens of thousands worldwide, with most of their members living in Asia and Africa. Most NRMs only have a few members, some of them have thousands of members, and a few of them have more than a million members.[2] There is no single, agreed-upon criterion for defining a "new religious movement". History[edit] In 2006 J. Beliefs and practices[edit] Scriptures[edit] J.