Finding Religious Sites On-Line

This site is designed to help you navigate through the vast quantity of religious sites on-line. In creating this site, we at the Flint Public Library make no judgments as to the validity of these faiths. If a group identifies itself as a religion, we have taken that as sufficient reason to include it here. Wherever possible we have included the official site registered to a religious organization in preference to other sites on that topic. We have also included a number of general sites that you can use to explore further on your own, as well as sites on mythology, which is a component in many faiths.

General Sites

Beliefnet
http://www.beliefnet.com/
Beliefnet is a for-profit site devoted to faiths of all kinds. Both the large, world religions such as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism are represented along with Neo-Pagan and newer faiths, such as Scientology. In addition to information on the faiths, it includes discussion areas and prayer circles and articles of interest to specific religious groups, written by people within those faiths on topics of current interest.

Pluralism Project on Religious Diversity
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~pluralsm
This is the result of a project at Harvard to look at the changing face of American Belief. The Pluralism Project looked at how changes in immigration since 1965 have changed the diversity and quantity of religious faiths practiced in the United States. This site also contains a directory of churches, other than Jewish or Christian, which can be searched in a number of ways.

Religious E-texts
http://www.paganlibrary.com/etext/index.php
A collection of links to electronic texts of many faiths, including the King James Version of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Koran and the Bhadavad-Gita.

Religious Resources On The Net
http://www.religiousresources.org/
This is another for-profit site. It is a general Christian resource, with a number of extra features. The Religious Resources include sound and image files, links to on-line Bibles, and an employment listing. Of primary interest is a comprehensive directory of the home pages for Christian denominations throughout the United States.

Religious Tolerance
http://www.religioustolerance.org/
Put up by the Ontario Council for Religious Tolerance, and maintained by a group of people practicing different faiths, this site contains brief explanations of a number of faiths and links to sites where readers can find out more.

The Temple
http://www.wildideas.net/temple
The Temple is part of a larger project called Wild Ideas, dedicated to non-traditional subjects in America. It features information and links on a number of faiths, mostly neo-pagan and earth based.

Mythology

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
http://www.bibliomania.com/Reference/PhraseAndFable
A favorite of librarians for decades, Brewer's is a remarkable source of information on how sayings became part of our language. This is an e-text version of the source, which specializes in folkloric and mythological allusions in common speech.

Bulfinch's Mythology
http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/bulf/index.htm
This site is a hypertext version of the classic text in mythology. Expect the same quality of information as you do in the paper version of the mythology book with which so many of us began. The bibliography is also linked to a page that will allow you to purchase any of the sources used by Bulfinch that are currently in print.

Encyclopedia Mythica
http://www.pantheon.org/
Encyclopedia Mythica is one of the premier mythological reference sources on the internet. Exactly as advertised, it is an enclopedia of mythological figures and themes, and it includes folklore as well. Articles can be searched or browsed either by name or by geographic origin and the site is updated frequently with new or revised articles.

Folklore and Mythology E-Texts
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html
Created by a folklore professor at the university of Pittsburgh, this is an invaluable resource on mythology and folklore. Professor Dash has placed the text of numerous myths on his site, as well as folktales grouped by their tale-type. There is a slight bias to Germanic myths, which is his specialty, but access to the actual myths is invaluable.

Mything Links
http://www.mythinglinks.org/
This site was created by a professor of Mythological Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute. The orientation of Pacifica is primarily Jungian, so the links on this page reflect that orientation. Links are organized into subject headings that echo Jungian archetypes, such as Tricksters and Clowns, and Animal Myths.

Myths.com
http://www.myths.com/pub/myths/myth.html
This is a general site of links on mythology. Myth sites are arranged geographically by country or region of origin, with a few additional categories such as Gothic, and Modern Fantasy and SciFi. This is an excellent starting point for any search on mythology.

Interfaith Groups

Council for a Parliament of World Religions
http://www.cpwr.org/
This organization was founded in 1993 in conjunction with the centennial of the Parliament of World Religions, held at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. A second parliament was held in 1993, and this organization exists to keep the work of the parliament alive and support interfaith communication.

Interfaith Alliance
http://www.tialliance.org/
The Interfaith Alliance is an organization of over 50 faith based groups. It is dedicated to "promoting the positive role of religion as a healing and constructive force in politics and in public life.
North American Interfaith Network http://www.nain.org/index.html
NAIN is an organization composed of 60 faith groups in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

United Religions Initiative
http://www.uri.org/
The United Religions Initiative is an organization devoted to ending religious violence in the world. They seek to accomplish this through promoting interfaith cooperation.

World Council of Churches
http://wccx.wcc-coe.org/
The World Council of Churches is an organization that brings together Christian churches from around the world.

Individual Faiths or Denominations

American Baptist
http://www.abc-usa.org/
This is the official site of the American Baptist Churches, USA.

The Amish
http://holycrosslivonia.org/amish
The home page of the National Committee for Amish Religious Freedom, located in Livonia, MI.

Anglicans
http://anglicansonline.org/
The official page of the Anglican Church, also called the Church of England.

Asatru
http://www.asatru.org/
Asatru is a neo-Pagan faith based on Germanic and Norse traditions. This site from Denmark is in both German and English.

Assemblies of God
http://ag.org/top
A Pentecostal Christian denomination, the Assemblies of God focus on the relationships of people within their faith.

Bahai
http://www.bahai.org/
Bahai is a syncretic faith built on the principle that all the major world religions are based on pieces on one, unfolding true faith.

Baptist
http://www.baptist.org/
This is a general site that bills itself as a site for all Baptists. It includes Baptist teaching and links to all the major Baptist organizations.

Buddhism
http://www.buddhanet.net/
Bhudda net contains basic teaching for all branches of Buddhism.

Caodai
http://caodai.org/
A syncretic religion that originated in Vietnam. Caodai is devoted to the idea that all faiths are actually one under a single Supreme Being.

Catholicism
http://www.catholic.net/
The Catholic Information Center on the Internet, or CICI, is a directory of Catholic resources, including a Church locator service.

Celtic Neo-Paganism
http://www.imbas.org/
This is the home page of IMBAS, an organization devoted to the Celtic traditional faith. They are located in the state of Washington.

Christian Fundamentalism
http://www.christiananswers.net/
This site contains a large amount of information on Fundamentalist topics such as Creationism and the Bible, as well as a guide to movies from a Christian perspective.

Christian Reformed Church
http://www.crcna.org/
This is the official site for a Calvinist Christian denomination located in the United States.

Christian Scientists
http://www.tfccs.com/
This is the official site of the Church of Christ, Scientist and the home of the Christian Science Monitor on-line version.

Church of All Worlds
http://www.caw.org/
The Church of All Worlds is one of the oldest and most respected Neo-Pagan and Earth-based religious organizations.

Church of the Brethren
http://www.brethren.org/
The Church of the Brethren is a pacifist Christian denomination, similar to the Quakers.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
http://www.lds.org/
This is the home page for the Mormon Church.

Confucianism
http://www.religioustolerance.org/confuciu.htm
This is a site by an individual that contains the basic tenets of Confucianism, as well as links to e-text versions of the primary scriptures and a discussion about differences in translation.

Druids
http://www.adf.org/
The home page of ADF, the largest Neo-Pagan Druid organization in the United States. It includes a search engine for finding ADF "Groves" in your community.

Eckankar
http://www.eckankar.org/
This home page of Eckankar, containing their basic teaching and practices and how to contact them.

Episcopalian
http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/
This is the home page for the Episcopal Church in the United States. They are a Christian denomination.

Evangelical Lutheran Church
http://www.elca.org/
The Evangelical Lutheran Church is one of the largest Lutheran denominations in the United States.

Gnosticism
http://www.webcom.com/~gnosis/eghome.htm
This is the home page for the Ecclesia Gnostica, the oldest Gnostic church in the United States.

Greek Neo-Paganism
http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/OM/
The Stele is a Greek Neo-Pagan page including information on myths and rituals used in the practice.
Greek Orthodox Christianity http://www.goarch.org/
This page includes information on Greek Orthodox faith from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Ameraica.

Hare Krishna
http://www.iskcon.com/
This Institute for Krishna Conciousness is the organization behind the faith commonly known as Hare Krishna.

Hinduism
http://www.hindunet.org/home.shtml
This is Hindunet, and independent page with way too much advertising, but solid information on Hinduism if you are willing to wade through all those ads.

Hinduism - Mythology
http://www.fact-index.com/h/hi/hindu_mythology.html
This is a good source for the myths that form a prominent part of Hinduism.

Islam
http://www.islamicity.com/
Islam.org. although not an official site, contains good information about Islam and ways for followers to communicate and reach each other.

Jainism
http://www.jainworld.com/
Jainism is an Indian faith that is related to Hinduism. Jainworld is a good source of information and links to Jain organizations.

Jehovah's Witnesses
http://www.watchtower.org/
The Watchtower online contains information on the Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as an online version of their magazine.

Judaism
http://www.jewfaq.org/
Judaism 101 is an introductory text on Judaism and also includes links to Jewish organizations.

Judaism - Torah
http://www.torah.org/
The Torah Online is designed to aid in study of the holy text of Judaism.

Kemetic Neo-Paganism
http://www.kemet.org/
Kemetic Orthodoxy is a revival of ancient Egyptian religious practices.

Lukumi
http://www.church-of-the-lukumi.org/
The Church of the Lukumi is one of the only officially recognized Santeria organizations in the United States.

Lutheran
http://www.lcms.org/
This is the home page of the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church of America, a Christian denomination based upon the ideas of Martin Luther.

Methodist
http://www.umc.org/
This is the home page for the United Methodist Church, one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States.

National Baptist Convention
http://www.nationalbaptist.com/
The National Baptist Convention is the second largest Baptist Denomination in the United States.

Orishas
http://www.wemba-music.org/orisha.htm
The Orishas are the primary Gods of Afro-Caribbean faiths. Orishanet has information on those faiths and the African beliefs that informed them.

Orthodox Christianity
http://www.oca.org/pages/orth_chri/
This is a general site with information on the different Eastern European Catholic churches contained in the umbrella term Orthodox.

Paganism
http://www.pagans.org/
Pagans.org is dedicated to general paganism inclusive of the various ethnic faiths that are included under that term.

Plain People
http://members.tripod.com/EsotericTexts05/Amish.htm
This is another site devoted to the Amish and Mennonites, with a broader ranger than the other site I have listed.

Presbyterian
http://www.pcusa.org/
This is the home page of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. The Presbyterian Church is a Christian denomination originally of Scottish origin.

Rastafarianism
http://www.bobmarley.com/life/rastafari
Since Rastafarianism is a decentralized religion without churches, it does not have an official site. This site contains basic information on the origin and practices of Rastafarianism.

Religious Society of Friends
http://www.quaker.org/
The Religious Society of Friends is the official name of the pacifist religious organization commonly known as the Quakers.

Roman Catholic Church
http://www.vatican.va/
This is the home page of the Holy See, the Vatican. It is available in several languages.

Russian Orthodox Christianity
http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/english/index.html
The home page of the Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia, ROCOR has basic information about their practices an beliefs.

Santeria
http://w3.iac.net/~moonweb/Santeria/TOC.html
This link is to an introductory text on the practice of Santeria, an Afro-Carribean faith that combines Catholicism with African traditional religions.

Satanism
http://www.churchofsatan.com/
This is the home page for the Church of Satan.

Scientology
http://www.scientology.org/
Centered in California, Scientology is a popular modern religion that was founded by L. Ron Hubbard.

Seicho-No-Ie
http://www.japan-101.com/culture/seicho.htm
Seicho-No-Ie, also known as the Truth in Life movement was founded in Japan and is devoted to the belief that all religions emanate from one God.

Self Realization Fellowship
http://www.yogananda-srf.org/
SRF, as it is better known, is a syncretic religion based on Hinduism and Christianity. It was founded by Yogananda and has its headquarters in California.

Seventh Day Adventist
http://www.adventist.org/
The Seventh Day Adventists are a Fundamentalist Christian denomination. This is their official home page.

Shamanism
http://www.shamanism.org/
This is the home page of the Center for Shamanic Studies, which has information relevant to the broad range of Shamanic practice in various parts of the globe.

Shinto
http://www.shinto.org/
Shinto is the native religion of Japan. It is syncretic, so while it is based in Japanese mythology, it also includes Buddhist figures as well as modern practices.

Sikhism
http://www.sikhs.org/
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that discourages ritual and is dedicated to the ideals of equality.

Southern Baptist
http://www.sbc.net/
This is the official home page for the Southern Baptist Church, a large Christian denomination in the United States.

Sufism
http://www.naqshbandi.org/
This is the home page for the Naqshbandi Sufis. Sufism is a mystical branch of Islam.

Taoism
http://www.tao.org/
Taoism is the traditional religion of China, based on the teachings of Lao Tzu. This is the home page for the Center for Traditional Taoist Studies.

Tenrikyo
http://www.tenrikyo.or.jp/
Founded in Japan, but now practiced all over the world, Tenrikyo is based on the belief that we all have God as our parent and that God meant us all to lead a "joyous life".

Tibetan Buddhism
http://www.tibet.com/Buddhism/index.html
This is the official center of the distinct Tibetan version of Buddhism, located on the official page of the Tibetan Government in Exile.

Umbanda
http://www.umbanda.org/conce_e.htm
Umbanda is an Afro-Carribean religion, founded in 1934 in Brazil. It is a syncretic faith that preaches religious and racial harmony on the basis that all faiths are ultimately one.

Unitarian Universalist
http://www.uua.org/
The Unitarian-Universalist Church is a liberal church, originally Christian that now accepts people of all faiths, or lack thereof. They are dedicated to helping people follow their own path without dogma.

Voodoo
http://www.vodou.org/
Voodoo, our Voudon, is a mixture of African native religion and Catholicism, and is popular primarily in Haiti. This is the home page for the Temple of Yehwe, which actively promotes Voudon.

Wesleyan
http://www.wesleyan.org/
The Wesleyan Church is a large, Evangelical, Protestant, Christian denomination.

Wicca
http://www.spiritonline.com/main.html
This links to an online version of the Book of Shadows, the basic text on Wicca.

Zen Buddhism
http://www.zenguide.com/
This is the page for the Zenguide. Zen is a version of Buddhism that deals heavily with contemplation of Koans, philosophical problems without answers.

Zoroastrianism
http://www.zoroastrian.org/
Zorastrianism is an ancient, dualistic faith from Persia. This is the home page of the Zarathustrian assembly in California.

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