Know much about non-Christian religions?

[Nimrod]

Has anyone here had much experience with any of the following:

Caodaism
Damanhur Community
Druse
Eckankar
Elian Gonzalez
Gnosticism
Hare Krishna - ISKCON
Jainism
Lukumi
Macumba
Mowahhidoon
Native American Spirituality
Osho (followers of Rajneesh)
Scientology
Shinto
Sikhism
The Creativity Movement
Thelema
Unitarian-Universalism
Vodun
Zoroastrianism

(from Religions (http://religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm))

[Heathen Dawn]

Druse
Mowahhidoon


First of all, they call themselves Muwahhidun, but are known by outsiders as Druses. Since I live in Israel, I know quite a few of them personally. I served with one of them in the Israeli army. They’re monotheists with the important belief of reincarnation. Their religion is secretive: the majority of them know the basics, but only a dedicated few know the esoteric details. The Druse religion is, historically, an offshoot of Islam. They’re like the Jews in that they form a close-knit community that doesn’t accept new members. They live in Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.

[Durthorin]

Has anyone here had much experience with any of the following:

Native American Spirituality
Shinto
Unitarian-Universalism
Zen

thats me

[rmwilliamsjr]

First of all, they call themselves Muwahhidun, but are known by outsiders as Druses. Since I live in Israel, I know quite a few of them personally. I served with one of them in the Israeli army. They’re monotheists with the important belief of reincarnation. Their religion is secretive: the majority of them know the basics, but only a dedicated few know the esoteric details. The Druse religion is, historically, an offshoot of Islam. They’re like the Jews in that they form a close-knit community that doesn’t accept new members. They live in Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
my understanding is that their sacred books have never escaped the community.
and that there is no possibility to convert to Druze.
how do they get reincarnation from an Islam background?
Sikhs are the intersection of Hindu and Islam so i can understand their position on reincarnation, but how did it reach the druze?

[Captain Ochre]

Has anyone here had much experience with any of the following:


Scientology
Unitarian-Universalism


(from Religions (http://religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm))
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I'm reasonably conversant regarding these two.

[rmwilliamsjr]

thinking about Zoroastrianism. did you know there is a pharsee cemetary in Hong Kong? i wonder if there are any left there? does anyone know why they didnt use the towers of silence in Hong Kong or if the community still exists?
i understand that most of the remnant Zoroastrians have been destroyed by the islamic republic in Iran. like the bahai's they've come under intense persecution there.

[Heathen Dawn]

my understanding is that their sacred books have never escaped the community.

No, I think their books have already leaked out and been studied by Western scholars. But I’m not sure.


and that there is no possibility to convert to Druze.

That’s right. You’re only born a Druze. They’re more severe than the Jews in that respect.


how do they get reincarnation from an Islam background?
Sikhs are the intersection of Hindu and Islam so i can understand their position on reincarnation, but how did it reach the druze?

I don’t know. Maybe there were still some sects in the Middle East that believed in reincarnation. Or perhaps the Druzes developed that belief independently.

[Eyeheart Pumpkin]

Has anyone here had much experience with any of the following:

Caodaism
Damanhur Community
Druse
Eckankar
Elian Gonzalez
Gnosticism
Hare Krishna - ISKCON
Jainism
Lukumi
Macumba
Mowahhidoon
Native American Spirituality
Osho (followers of Rajneesh)
Scientology
Shinto
Sikhism
The Creativity Movement
Thelema
Unitarian-Universalism
Vodun
Zoroastrianism

(from Religions (http://religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm))

Elian Gonzalez? The kid that got returned to Cuba? What does he have to do with world religions?