Is it important to you to find out about other relgions

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

than your own? I mean to find out basic beliefs, including world views? This is not for comparison/contrast with your own faith, but rather for greater understanding.

My particular Sufi order stresses this type of study, but I don't know if any Christian churches or Jewish synagogs do this.

What are your thoughts on this matter?

[Nikepallas]

1. Yes, it is for me. I believe that is the best way to try and understand

people of the world

[WestHoustonDem]

2. I looked into other religions when I was in my teens

There wasn't a whole lot of information available to me and it wasn't exactly encouraged by my Rabbi. In the end I found myself not to be a good candidate for any organized religion. But I still consider myself to be Jewish.

[luaneryder]

3. The online Essene Church I once

belonged when I was Christian highly recommended that its member sutdy other religions. For ordination it was a requirement. A greater understanding of the faith or non-faith of the rest of the world can only lead to a better understanding between people and I try to read as much as I can about all of them.

[toddaa]

4. Absolutely

In fact, can you recommend some introductory Sufist literature?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. There are several sites

on Sufism on the net. Sufis have different orders-the Mevlevis, the Rafais, the Helvetis, the Sufi Order International, all with slightly different outlook and focus. The one I am most familiar with, and which is universal in its outlook, is the Sufi Order International. Here are some links you may wish to explore:

http://www.sufiorder.org -Sufi Order International

http://www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org - Dances of Universal Peace-not a Sufi order, but an organization doing body prayers honoring all the world's spiritual traditions

http://www.churchofall.us - The Church of All website is the site of my husband's spiritual teacher, Murshida Tasnim Hermila Fernandez, who is a member of the Sufi Order International. There are links at that site to other Sufi orders, book stores, etc, as well as a brief explanation of the Sufi Order, the Dances of Universal Peace, prayers, etc.

There are many more sites on the web- these are the ones with which I am most familiar.

[htuttle]

16. I have a question (or six) about Sufis

The Sufis that I'm familar with are much as you describe. Generally happy, dancing people. Very 'gnostic' oriented, in that the pursuit of inner wisdom was important. I met a lot of them while growing up, since my mother spent a lot of time with a group of them in Wisconsin.

However, recently I heard the Taliban referred to as 'Deobandi Sufis', and there is mention of numerous Sufi Brotherhoods around Afghanistan where the Taliban are.

I get the strong impression that these are two entirely different types of Sufis.

Does 'Sufi' refer to a specific set of beliefs, or more to a way of practicing beliefs? One thing I'd read implied that the term 'Sufi' refers to a sort of 'Mentor/Student' way of teaching.

Finally, I remember reading something about a Sufi 'heresy' that went something like this. A common oath in Islam goes, "There is no God But Allah...". I read that the 'Sufi heresy' changed this to something like "There is no one but Allah", thus erasing the line between God and his creation. Is this an actual distinction, or did I misunderstand something along the way? The 'No one but Allah' statement sounds very much like the Gnostic Heresy found in Christianity.

[Sufi Marmot]

9. Pretty much anything by Idries Shah...

Knowing How to Know and The Commanding Self are good places to start, as is The Way of the Sufi. The Sufis covers a lot of esoteric history and lore. The collections of Mulla Nasruddin tales are all wonderful. I would also recommend any of Coleman Barks' interpretations of Rumi's poetry, and The Conference of the Birds by Attar.

-SM

[DemBones DemBones]

6. Yes, I have always wanted to understand all religions

and have studied many of them. Some Christian churches encourage study of other faiths, but many still look on everyone else as heathens, judging from occasional articles in the local paper about people about to go to another country as missionaries. Southern Baptists are one group of church members that are particularly guilty of this, as many here probably would expect. There is a lot of variation among Southern Baptists, though. I used to teach at a Southern Baptist college and there were some good Baptist Christians among the faculty and students, as well as those of the stereotypical "God said, I believe it, that settles it" mindset.

I will defend any genuine religious faith, even, for example, the often-misunderstood and maligned snake handlers. In fact, I'm going to write and post something about them because I think they're victims of religious discrimination in the U.S.

I do want to know more about Sufism. Are whirling dervishes Sufis? And haven't they also been persecuted for their whirling? An old friend of mine, a professional mentor, went to see a secret performance of the dervishes many years ago, dressed in native garb by an Arab friend so he could get in. I think this was during WW II in north Africa, but it may have been when he was doing public health work in Iraq later. He was very impressed by the experience. I can imagine anyone would be, having seen photos of dervishes whirling.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. Yes the 'whirling dervishes' are Sufis

They are members of the Mevlevi Order, which was founded by the famous Sufi poet Rumi. The Mevlevis call the practice the Turn; it takes 2 years to learn. The ceremony is called the Sema, the participants Semezins.

Dec. 17th is the date of Rumi's death, which is celebrated, much as saint's days are. This is called the Urs, or Wedding Day-for when we die, we go to the Beloved, and it is as joyous as a wedding day.

The Mevlevi Order of America is connected to the order in Turkey, and yes, the Sema is only allowed as a tourist attraction in Konya, the home of Rumi. But here the Sema is performed. There's one happening in the LA area and, I believe, one in Seattle.

I met Jelaladin Larus, who is the head of the Mevlevi Order of America. He gave us the first lesson in the Turn. That one lesson was completely awesome. I couldn't continue with studying the turn because no one teaches it where I live. There is great depth to the ceremony, which involves symbolic resurrection. There's a moving of energy as well. Anyone wanting to be a semezin must do it without ego, because it is not a practice for showoffs.

[Sufi Marmot]

13. The Mevlevis also perform the sema twice a month in Istanbul...

...at the Museum of Court Literature (formerly the Galata Mevlevihanesi) in Tunel Squre. As far as I know the performances are open to the public.

-SM, who intends to view them sometime next year...

[PsychoDad]

19. I've been interested in the Sufi.

As a sunni Muslim, you see it in varying degrees and forms among other sunni belivers. I do know that there are many shades and flavors of Sufism. Do you have any good links you would like to share sister? Perhaps something that defines some of the various movements?

Thank you in advance :)

Salaams

On edit, Saw your post above. Any other sites?

[LudwigVan]

10. DU Sufi here!

The Whirling Dervishes of Konya, Turkey are Mevlevis, the order founded by the poet Rumi. And yes, they have been persecuted, most infamously by Kemal Atatürk. The Mevlevis are allowed to perform once a year in Istanbul to entertain tourists, or at least it used to be that way. The current Prime Minister whose name I forget is a reformist (often considered a "moderate Islamist"), who I think has eased things up a bit.

There's also a Mevlevi community in Damascus or Aleppo in Syria. Ever heard of the Al-Kindi Ensemble?

I'm also a Sufi and a Muslim, a member of the Shadhuli tariqa. Great to meet another Sufi here, alhamdulillah!

[LudwigVan]

11. uh...

I just realized I answered a question that ayeshahaqqiqa answered already. My apologies and blame my dyslexia.

[Frogtutor]

7. Absolutely; I find it fascinating

I'm a Christian, but I don't belong to any certain denomination/church right now. While in college, I was required to take a religion course. My options were: Studies of the Old Testament, Studies of the New Testament, and World Religions. I chose World Religions, and was very glad I did. Probably it's mostly just my general thirst for knowledge, but I like to be able to understand others' viewpoints, and I'm not opposed to incorporating some of the teachings of other religions into my own Christian beliefs.

It would be interesting to hear from some Catholics on this issue; I have a Catholic aunt who expressed some knowledge about other faiths once (something that seemed unusual for her) and I wondered if it was not part of the Catholic education process...

Frogtutor

[Lydia Leftcoast]

12. Yes, the liberal churches tend to do that

A few years ago, my church in Portland had a Lenten educational series in which representatives from the various non-Christian religions were invited to give presentations. We heard talks about Judaism, Islam, Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, Neo-Paganism, and the local Native American religions.

My current church in Minneapolis is part of an inter-faith association of downtown religious groups that holds a series of talks and discussions on a related set of issues each year.

When I was growing up, I enjoyed reading the big Time-Life coffee table book called The World's Great Religions. It contained sections on Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese philosophies such as Confucianism and Taoism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, each with a series of photographs and selected readings from the sacred writings of each group.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

14. Yes, I believe it is incumbent on thinking Christians to do so

and it helps children understand why they are what they are.

[ExclamationPoint]

15. Yes yes yes

One has to learn of other religions, From Christianity to Judaism To Sufi to Wicca to Zoanism (spelled that wrong) so they can gain a better and less stereotypical understanding of their own religion and the world and it's faiths.

[pelagius]

17. The Episcopal churches...

...I've attended have all been big on "interfaith dialog" as well as they study of various religous traditions. There seems to be a special affinity between Episcopal priests and Reform rabbis in the towns where I've lived.

[PsychoDad]

18. Absolutley.

It helps you to learn about your own personal beliefs and religion, if any. It also allows you to better understand and embrace your neighbors.

Salam.

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. Yes!

http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/