Bibliography - Most of the following information was translated, or re-worded from THE WORLD'S GREAT SCRIPTURES, author Lewis Browne, copyright 1946, Macmillan Publishing Company, 5th edition. Lewis Browne had an idea in mind, that all religions share a basic concept or kinship with one another. He dedicated his writings to a deeply religious friend, Upton Sinclair, but his writings were viewed as no more than an author's compiliation of ethical fragments. I have taken Browne's ideas and added my own, taking this idea one step further in making it a new belief system. I have turned it into a religion, in its own right, which I will call Ethicism from here onward.
There is increasing wonder nowadays about religions other than our own, which is a good thing. It is good because such wonder is imperative if we are to begin fitting ourselves for this world we now live in. Bigotry was endurable in earlier times, for the planet was roomier then, so people could keep somewhat apart. But today our world is so shrunken that bigotry has become like cholera in a crowded camp. Our first need, therefore, is sanitation. Our minds must be opened, swept clean, and thoroughly aired. Bigotry is not born of ignorance, which is simply non-knowledge. It is a product of stupidity, which is wrong knowledge. The minds of bigots are worse than the bare of truth, because they are full of falsehoods. And that is why they are so grave a menace; being polluted, they cannot help but spread the disease. The trouble with the world aint that people don't know, but that they know what aint so. And unless that trouble is remedied, the world seems doomed. So we have a right to rejoice in the growing wonder concerning humankind's religions. It shows that we are tiring of stupidity in this field, and that we are striving to acquire at least ignorance. That my friends, is very good... ^_^
But only as a first step, for ignorance at best is a negative gain. Wonder must give way to questioning, just as uncertainty must give way to research. We must know what our neighbors and fellow nations believe. And to do that, obviously, we must go to their scriptures. Now once upon a time, that was impossible, for most of those scriptures were closed to us. They were sealed in strange languages, which were often meaningless even to the believers themselves. But that is no longer the case, and thanks to the great philologists of recent generations, all the seals have been broken, and translations exist now of virtually every important holy book and religion. The sacred literature of the entire world can now be read in English.
And it needs to be read. Not all of it, of course, for that would take too long, and prove to be too tedious. But the crucial portions, the truly basic scriptures, these certainly should be read. Without a knowledge of their contents, there can be no understanding our fellowmen. Therefore, this anthology. This is not a thread, but a book, which all of you can write in. Everyone here is an author, a commentator, a prophet or devil's advocate of this new religious ideal, which I'd like to call Ethicism for lack of a better word. Ethicism follows a bias, of course, but one which I trust is defensible. Seeing that I concede its presence, perhaps it should not be called bias at all, but rather a principle. It operates on two levels; first, among the various religions, and second, within each canon. Let me explain how and why. It will be observed, and no doubt complained, that whole sections have been devoted to dead religions, yet not a single page to a number of religions which are very much alive. This, however, was not due to caprice on my part. Space could not possibly be given to all the religions, so I favored those which seemed historically most important. I wanted to be objective, and therefore had to consider not the quality of each creed, but the extent of its influence in the world. By that standard, the dead religions of Babylon and Egypt, which produced the earliest of all scriptures, certainly outrank any minor living cult.
Again it will be observed, and perhaps even more sharply complained, that when I do give space to a religion, I lay almost all the stress on one of its aspects. But this, too, is done on principle. There are, I realized, at least three aspects to every great religion; faith, hope, and charity. Faith is the theology, hope is the ritual, and charity is the ethics or moral disciplines. In choosing my selection, however, I have deliberately concentrated on the third aspect, quoting very few passages of a strictly theological nature, and almost none at all that deal with ritual. The liturgical regulations, the sacrificial cults, the spells, thaumaturgies, and ceremonial systems have all been excluded here. The entire emphasis is on the ethical element in each religion, on the moral laws and social preachments around and across the entire globe of civilization.
Here is the reason. What we need is a keener awareness of the kinship between all religions, and nowhere is this kinship so evident as on the ethical level. Humans may differ grossly in what and how they worship, but not in why and how they believe humans should behave. They may be divided by that which their priests assert to be divine, but not by what their prophets assert to be humane. So this holy book is not for the bigot who lacks reason, and wishes to argue their points against religion. But rather, it is here for those seekers of enlightment and lovers of wisdom who can conversate without confrontation. For where there is a gathering of wonderers, we are able to take a step forward closer to the real Truth and understanding of it. Anyone can add scriptures to this Book of Unity, and proclaim to be a prophet of Ethicism, as I am doing right now.
Let me just say, as the creator of this debate, that there is only one rule that you must practice at all times when posting on this thread. You may know this as the Golden Rule, which is inherent in all religions. Do unto others as they do unto you, and do naught unto others that which would cause you harm if done to you. I expect this rule to be followed at all times, as I am the king of this new priesthood, and I will not tolerate any disrespect. Not towards myself, and not towards others. That is why I call it the Book of Unity, because we are gathered here to learn from one another, and share what we know. Religion is a delicate topic for some people, since conversation often leads to confrontation. That is why I will be enforcing this rule at all times, and making sure that those followers who really wish to learn and expand their minds, are not closed off or led astray by religious turmoil and internal conflicts. Thus sayeth the king, and founder of Ethicism.
Feel free to post something at any time. Just be sure to tell us who you are, what you believe, and why you agree or disagree with some religions. We are also looking for diversity, and quotations of the world's great scriptures. Do not simply give your own opinions, but use footnotes or references also to the holy books and preachings you will be giving your interpretations on. Commentary is useless without bibliography, as our own opinions are often onesided. That is why we need to read the scriptures, and quote them thoroughly when we post our own viewpoints. That is the true way to proper knowledge and understanding. You can choose to talk about any of the great religions here; Egyptian, Sumerian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman, Norse, Wicca, Paganism, Judaism, Christianity, Mohammedism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Zenism, Sikhism, Bahaism, Mormonism, Satanism, Voodoo, Atheism, Manichaeism, and any other cult not yet mentioned. I will be back later on, to add my own two cents, answer any questions, and perhaps ask a few things to relieve my own uncertainty. I will also be back to post a fragmented list of religions which prescribe the Golden Rule for humankind. Until then, stay on topic and take care.
But only as a first step, for ignorance at best is a negative gain. Wonder must give way to questioning, just as uncertainty must give way to research. We must know what our neighbors and fellow nations believe. And to do that, obviously, we must go to their scriptures. Now once upon a time, that was impossible, for most of those scriptures were closed to us. They were sealed in strange languages, which were often meaningless even to the believers themselves. But that is no longer the case, and thanks to the great philologists of recent generations, all the seals have been broken, and translations exist now of virtually every important holy book and religion. The sacred literature of the entire world can now be read in English.
And it needs to be read. Not all of it, of course, for that would take too long, and prove to be too tedious. But the crucial portions, the truly basic scriptures, these certainly should be read. Without a knowledge of their contents, there can be no understanding our fellowmen. Therefore, this anthology. This is not a thread, but a book, which all of you can write in. Everyone here is an author, a commentator, a prophet or devil's advocate of this new religious ideal, which I'd like to call Ethicism for lack of a better word. Ethicism follows a bias, of course, but one which I trust is defensible. Seeing that I concede its presence, perhaps it should not be called bias at all, but rather a principle. It operates on two levels; first, among the various religions, and second, within each canon. Let me explain how and why. It will be observed, and no doubt complained, that whole sections have been devoted to dead religions, yet not a single page to a number of religions which are very much alive. This, however, was not due to caprice on my part. Space could not possibly be given to all the religions, so I favored those which seemed historically most important. I wanted to be objective, and therefore had to consider not the quality of each creed, but the extent of its influence in the world. By that standard, the dead religions of Babylon and Egypt, which produced the earliest of all scriptures, certainly outrank any minor living cult.
Again it will be observed, and perhaps even more sharply complained, that when I do give space to a religion, I lay almost all the stress on one of its aspects. But this, too, is done on principle. There are, I realized, at least three aspects to every great religion; faith, hope, and charity. Faith is the theology, hope is the ritual, and charity is the ethics or moral disciplines. In choosing my selection, however, I have deliberately concentrated on the third aspect, quoting very few passages of a strictly theological nature, and almost none at all that deal with ritual. The liturgical regulations, the sacrificial cults, the spells, thaumaturgies, and ceremonial systems have all been excluded here. The entire emphasis is on the ethical element in each religion, on the moral laws and social preachments around and across the entire globe of civilization.
Here is the reason. What we need is a keener awareness of the kinship between all religions, and nowhere is this kinship so evident as on the ethical level. Humans may differ grossly in what and how they worship, but not in why and how they believe humans should behave. They may be divided by that which their priests assert to be divine, but not by what their prophets assert to be humane. So this holy book is not for the bigot who lacks reason, and wishes to argue their points against religion. But rather, it is here for those seekers of enlightment and lovers of wisdom who can conversate without confrontation. For where there is a gathering of wonderers, we are able to take a step forward closer to the real Truth and understanding of it. Anyone can add scriptures to this Book of Unity, and proclaim to be a prophet of Ethicism, as I am doing right now.
Let me just say, as the creator of this debate, that there is only one rule that you must practice at all times when posting on this thread. You may know this as the Golden Rule, which is inherent in all religions. Do unto others as they do unto you, and do naught unto others that which would cause you harm if done to you. I expect this rule to be followed at all times, as I am the king of this new priesthood, and I will not tolerate any disrespect. Not towards myself, and not towards others. That is why I call it the Book of Unity, because we are gathered here to learn from one another, and share what we know. Religion is a delicate topic for some people, since conversation often leads to confrontation. That is why I will be enforcing this rule at all times, and making sure that those followers who really wish to learn and expand their minds, are not closed off or led astray by religious turmoil and internal conflicts. Thus sayeth the king, and founder of Ethicism.
Feel free to post something at any time. Just be sure to tell us who you are, what you believe, and why you agree or disagree with some religions. We are also looking for diversity, and quotations of the world's great scriptures. Do not simply give your own opinions, but use footnotes or references also to the holy books and preachings you will be giving your interpretations on. Commentary is useless without bibliography, as our own opinions are often onesided. That is why we need to read the scriptures, and quote them thoroughly when we post our own viewpoints. That is the true way to proper knowledge and understanding. You can choose to talk about any of the great religions here; Egyptian, Sumerian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman, Norse, Wicca, Paganism, Judaism, Christianity, Mohammedism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Zenism, Sikhism, Bahaism, Mormonism, Satanism, Voodoo, Atheism, Manichaeism, and any other cult not yet mentioned. I will be back later on, to add my own two cents, answer any questions, and perhaps ask a few things to relieve my own uncertainty. I will also be back to post a fragmented list of religions which prescribe the Golden Rule for humankind. Until then, stay on topic and take care.
