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Religion
In reply to the discussion: What books have most influenced your religious, spiritual, and/or skeptical perspective? [View all]cbayer
(146,218 posts)53. I had some very bad habits.
I was anxious, unable to tolerate things like traffic, found it difficult to just be silent, indulged in gossip.
Her book is very, very simple.
Life is hard, suffering is optional. Be silent. Stay in the moment. Don't talk about people.
It had a profound effect on me and it was, indeed, easier than I thought.
I have never gone further with Buddhism, but I have returned to this book over and over again when I saw that my habits were returning.
I have recently been living in Mexico and have gained from the special kind of spirituality that one sees a lot there. It's a combination of Catholicism and indigenous traditions.
I have no religion, but I have definitely benefited from my exposure to many religions.
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What books have most influenced your religious, spiritual, and/or skeptical perspective? [View all]
Htom Sirveaux
May 2014
OP
Bishop Spong was a big influence even though I disagree with him on some things.
hrmjustin
May 2014
#8
He doesn't believe the creeds and resurrection should be taken literally but he did teach me to
hrmjustin
May 2014
#13
I believe in the literal death and resurrection of Jesus and by that all of humanity is saved.
hrmjustin
May 2014
#16
Some years ago, I attended the Bar Mitzvah of the son of a Conservative Jewish friend
Fortinbras Armstrong
Jun 2014
#81
"Better", i don't know, but it deals more directly with Religion than Ishmael did.
yodermon
May 2014
#63
I'd have to say discovering Bertrand Russell's "Unpopular Essays" when I was twelve
Warpy
May 2014
#72
How does Russell stack up to today's skeptical writings, in your opinion?
Htom Sirveaux
May 2014
#75
An essay, not a book. "On Revolution and Equilibrium", by Barbara Deming. (nt)
stone space
Jun 2014
#86
The Bible was the first major influence, The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan...
Humanist_Activist
Jun 2014
#87