What do YOU want out of the Religion & Spirituality board?

[Joseph_F]

This board has been very slow the last couple months, and so I was hoping to get some sense from people who post in or even just lurk this board what kind of things they'd like to see here. Would you like more books to discuss? More scripture discussions like we did for Genesis? More straight religious discussion?

And if there is something you want to see from the board, then don't just mention it in this thread. Why not create a quick thread about the topic you wanted to discuss? I want you guys to make this board the kind of board that you want to post in.

Alright, comments? Feedback?

[Nelsmom]

Joseph,

I think it has been slow on almost all the boards with the problems people have had with the software changes and so until they are solved I think it will be slow.

Toni

[TiggerBear]

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Nelsmom wrote:

Joseph,

I think it has been slow on almost all the boards with the problems people have had with the software changes and so until they are solved I think it will be slow.

Toni

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A mix of that.

The summer drop off.

As well as all of are being very careful with each other here. So I don't know about you,; but I tend to read a post, go away and think before comeing back and replying. It takes time.

[Joseph_F]

I certainly understand the technical problems. I've had some problems getting signed on myself. But it still seems unusually quiet and I'd love to find some things you guys would be interested in discussing

[Choisya]

Yes it has been slow all round - perhaps some wintry weather will improve viewing figures

I prefer discussions about the 'holy' books or beliefs of different faiths as I am more interested in comparative religion than in religion itself.   We've looked a bit at the Hebrew bible, how about a look at The Koran, the Gnostic Bible or the Bahai Faith?  (BTW the excellent Dummies series has a Comparative Religion for Dummies explaining the 3 monotheistic faiths.)

A comparison of different  proverbs might also be interesting - do they all reflect the same concerns and beliefs throughout the ages?

[Peppermill]

Joseph -- quite honestly, I am finding it difficult to define what I might like out of a Religion and Spirituality board. 

I think I am sort of sitting back and observing to see where it goes and then whether it is something in which I want to participate.   I would like something that generated a fair span of interest, but I don't know what to suggest that might draw such a group of participants.

I satisfy my R&S reading interests largely though a small face-to-face group that meets bimonthly and spends typically six to eight sessions on a given book.  Right now we are slugging our way through Neiburhr's first volume of The Nature of Man.  Fascinating topic, but parts are dated and the book certainly is not conducive to a broad-based on-line discussion, at least in my best guess.

[Melissa_W Moderator]

I mostly lurk...

But I'm more intersted in "nuts and bolts" reading - like comparative religion books or things like the Gnostic gospels, etc.  (no bickering tho )

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Joseph_F wrote:

This board has been very slow the last couple months, and so I was hoping to get some sense from people who post in or even just lurk this board what kind of things they'd like to see here. Would you like more books to discuss? More scripture discussions like we did for Genesis? More straight religious discussion?

And if there is something you want to see from the board, then don't just mention it in this thread. Why not create a quick thread about the topic you wanted to discuss? I want you guys to make this board the kind of board that you want to post in.

Alright, comments? Feedback?

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[TiggerBear]

I had an idea. How about a book each month about a different religion?

[Peppermill]

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TiggerBear wrote:

I had an idea. How about a book each month about a different religion?

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Don't know how to choose the books, but I like that concept!  (Maybe a book every two months?)

[Nadine]

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TiggerBear wrote:

I had an idea. How about a book each month about a different religion?

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A good idea and it should be religions that members of the board are not familiar with. Things often get a bit sticky on this board when you start discussing people's personal religion.

[Peppermill]

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Nadine wrote:

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TiggerBear wrote:

I had an idea. How about a book each month about a different religion?

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A good idea and it should be religions that members of the board are not familiar with. Things often get a bit sticky on this board when you start discussing people's personal religion.

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You may be right about "sticky", Nadine, but I should be sorry if we had to exclude possibly every religion with significant numbers of adherents. 

[TiggerBear]

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Peppermill wrote:

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Nadine wrote:

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TiggerBear wrote:

I had an idea. How about a book each month about a different religion?

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A good idea and it should be religions that members of the board are not familiar with. Things often get a bit sticky on this board when you start discussing people's personal religion.

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You may be right about "sticky", Nadine, but I should be sorry if we had to exclude possibly every religion with significant numbers of adherents. 

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That's just it. I think it would be VERY beneficial for all of us to get a good look at religions we probably not familiar with. This board needs to be stretched beyond our tight little groups.

[Peppermill]

So, suggestions of which or what religions? 

(I'm not sure how much I know about major religions, let alone obscure ones.)

(Joseph tried Voodoo on us.)

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TiggerBear wrote:   I had an idea. How about a book each month about a different religion?

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 Nadine wrote:    A good idea and it should be religions that members of the board are not familiar with. Things often get a bit sticky on this board when you start discussing people's personal religion.

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Peppermill wrote:  You may be right about "sticky", Nadine, but I should be sorry if we had to exclude possibly every religion with significant numbers of adherents.

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TiggerBear wrote:  That's just it. I think it would be VERY beneficial for all of us to get a good look at religions we probably not familiar with. This board needs to be stretched beyond our tight little groups.

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[TiggerBear]

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Peppermill wrote:

So, suggestions of which or what religions? 

(I'm not sure how much I know about major religions, let alone obscure ones.  I find there is a lot to learn about even my own Protestant faith.)

(Joseph tried Voodoo on us.)

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TiggerBear wrote:

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Peppermill wrote:

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  Nadine wrote:

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TiggerBear wrote:

I had an idea. How about a book each month about a different religion?

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A good idea and it should be religions that members of the board are not familiar with. Things often get a bit sticky on this board when you start discussing people's personal religion.

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You may be right about "sticky", Nadine, but I should be sorry if we had to exclude possibly every religion with significant numbers of adherents.

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That's just it. I think it would be VERY beneficial for all of us to get a good look at religions we probably not familiar with. This board needs to be stretched beyond our tight little groups.

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 Hmm that book wasn't really about Voodoo from a religious perspective. One of the reasons why it irked me.

I'm not talking necessarily (though I wouldn't mind) obscure ones, just ones beyond the North American majority perspective.

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[Joseph_F]

Well, I feel that it was about Voodoo from a religious perspective in certain ways. It's true that it was at first a mostly biological exploration, but the chemistry of the plants they use are intimately connected to their religious life, as is the sociology he discusses in the second half. His point was that it was all intertwined into a well organized system suited for Haitian society.

And I'm certainly not opposed to talking about a different religion each month, although I know certain ones better than others so I may need someone else to lead the charge sometimes

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TiggerBear wrote:

 Hmm that book wasn't really about Voodoo from a religious perspective. One of the reasons why it irked me.

I'm not talking necessarily (though I wouldn't mind) obscure ones, just ones beyond the North American majority perspective.

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[mary_jessie]

I think a comparative discussion would be a great place to start since "Religion and Spirituality" is such a wide subject. As of Proverbs, I'll admit, I have trouble reading them. I don't exactly know why but when I read I never really choose proverbs although many say they are simple and should be read. But comparing the religions is great, many don't realize the similarities between them. Most only see the irreligious "extremists" that make the news.

 P.s- I think the cold weather will bring more people to discussions!!

[Choisya]

To suggest a start to discussing comparative religion:  Would people be willing to buy/borrow a copy of Dawood's Koran this month so that we could discuss its similarities to the Old Testament next month? It is the copy I have and one of the recommended English versions, even though the authors omits some of the many repetitions. Dawood's footnotes are also helpful.  It is quite short and Dawood tries to capture the poetry of it. (It is also online.)

Koran

[Nadine]

Sorry about the post folks. I put together a very long response to this question and the system wiped me out and destroyed the post and I cannot retrieve it. I will return later when I have cooled off. @#$% -- I guess I shouldn't say that on a religious board!

[Peppermill]

LOL -- but lots of empathy!  (I looked at my profile tonight and realized I never did go back and re-enter a 2008 list for similar reasons.  I hope you will be up to the re-creation!)

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Nadine wrote:

Sorry about the post folks. I put together a very long response to this question and the system wiped me out and destroyed the post and I cannot retrieve it. I will return later when I have cooled off. @#$% -- I guess I shouldn't say that on a religious board!

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[Choisya]

PS:  I thought I ought to make clear that I wasn't suggesting that I led a discussion on the Koran.  I hoped that Joseph might run with the idea if others agreed.  I am always in favour of a Moderator leading the discussion.