Cosmic Consciousness
URL: http://www.infi.net/~thobbs/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Blue Grrrl
While primarily a journey though the spiritual, this site also offers links to online HTML tutorials, pointers to freeware and shareware, and a link to Netscape (as this site uses Netscape extensions, and well I might add.) The spiritual component is indeed rich and content and well designed, with plenty of links to a slew of additional resources. Tim will tell you all about who he is, how he found spirituality, show you his mystical book list, and guide you through a gallery of fine religious images. Quite an accomplishment.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Buddhism World
URL: http://dual.iems.nwu.edu/~cwshen/buddha.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Lydia Schwartz
With nice colors, graphics, tables, and organization, this site flows well. The content, while still growing, is fairly comprehensive. Especially well done is the link list. It¹s extensive, includes a special section in Chinese, and covers not only the Web, but also Usenet, FTP, Gopher, and e-mail resources. You¹ll also find vegetarian recipes and archived copies of the Electronic Buddhists Society¹s Newsletter.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

The Pope Page
URL: http://www.catholic.net/RCC/POPE/Pope.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karina Vasser
The Pope Page is adorned with the kind extravagance found in the Vatican ‹ hypertexted pages lined with golden wall paper and decadent images of His Holiness John Paul II and other Popes past. The site is thorough, and leaves one with a feeling of complete papal saturation, though it¹s certainly interesting, and useful for historians and curious Catholics. The section containing writings of past Popes is an especially fascinating archive.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

ELCA Homepage
URL: http://www.elca.org/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
For Christians of the Lutheran faith, this is a great Web site. It¹s well-designed, with tasteful icons and buttons, and it¹s easy to get through. It¹s also boiling over with content. Not only will you learn about the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, but you¹ll gain insight into other Lutheran churches, their beliefs, and the specialty services they offer. Most interesting, though, is the fact page, which outlines the churche¹s demographical information: who¹s involved, whether they¹re men or women, how many people have been baptized, etc. It¹s for a specific audience, obviously, but it serves them well.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Gospel Communications Network
URL: http://www.gospelcom.net/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
In a word: huge. Absolutely, unquestionably, this is one of the largest, most extensive, and thorough of all Christian databases. Learn about films to see, newsletters to read, chats to participate in, childrens¹ bible studies, the ³Top 40 Resources,² and on and on and on. The site is updated regularly, and despite its vast amount of content, it¹s easy to navigate. Cool icons and pleasing backgrounds. A great jumping point for Web-o-holic Christians.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

The Hinduism Today Home Page
URL: http://www.HinduismToday.kauai.hi.us/ashram/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karina Vasser
One could spend hours pouring over the Hinduism Today pages (the Web companion to a full-color print journal articulating Indian spirituality). It¹s a never-ending array of beautiful and well-constructed pages lined with news, current events, health and history of Hindu spirituality. There¹s a wonderful section of the journal reserved for the exchange of Aums (Indian graphic metaphors) that is both spectacular to look at and thought-provoking. It¹s a fantastic creation.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

The Church of Virus
URL: http://www.lucifer.com/virus/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
"Now entering the Virus Zone. Closed and/or irrational minds may be offended. Open and/or rational minds may be infected." This is the tone that laces this site, with its all-black background. Its stark look represents an intense sort of seriousness quite successfully. Click on high- or low-bandwidth (always a nice option) and you're off. The entire concept about Virus is to infect its readers with free thought ‹ to offer a broad range of perspectives (all with an appropriate "free thought" slant) ‹ to encourage the questioning of faith and spirituality. This site is not intended to "trash" religion or horrify "believers" with blasphemy and irreverence, though at times it might be mistaken as such with links to paganist and satanic resources. The biases are clear from the start, but not overwhelming or pushy. There are lots of curious bytes to Virus. Separate from one another, they might seem trivial, but taken in the context of the whole site, they help create comprehensive and well-supported arguments. One link will take you to a page about Daniel C. Dennet's book, *Darwin's Dangerous Idea*. The page sports reviews that have been printed in national journals, and also invites readers to submit their own opinions of the book. The same is true with Kevin Keely's book *Out of Control: The Rise of Neo-biological Civilization*. Again, the Virus creator is seeking surfer participation and interaction, all the while allowing us to ingest his creation and make our own decisions about it. The rest of the site is filled, I mean filled, with statements, summaries, and observations about movements of philosophy, politics, religion, science, technology, and evolution, all striving to infect us, again and again. Virus is relentless in its pursuit. And what I found most valuable beyond the overwhelming amount of time and effort taken to build this site (intense graphics and layout aside) is the reading list. The reading list is a hyperlink hoe-down of literature to move you through the process of deciding what religion is or isn't in your life. Many of the recommended books have links to summaries, or places they're available online. And, to supplement this reading list, there's also a page of Internet resources to spawn further questioning and perhaps a few answers. There will be some who have no need for this site and will most certainly be offended, but there are many others who should find great thought-provoking pleasure.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Roots & Culture
URL: http://www.escape.com/~rastaman/Roots.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
When I was attending U.C. Santa Cruz, Rastafarianism was extremely popular among the student body. All the white kids thought, ³Cool! A religion where you¹re *supposed* to smoke pot.² Many students grew make-shift dreadlocks, donned green, yellow and red knit hats, and walked around saying things like, ³Jah love, dude.² The silliness ended after graduation. The pressing need to earn a living drove Rasta pretenders into the working world. The pages of Roots and Culture don¹t even mention marijuana, and while you¹ll find links to reggae sites, you won¹t find any references to Bob Marley and his musical progeny. Rather, the site¹s emphasis is on Ethiopian religion and history. Within the context of Roots doctrine, the term Ethiopian denotes all people of African origin ‹ Africans, African Americans, and in fact all the world¹s people who, according to scientific evidence, descended from a common African ancestor. Despite this broad inclusion of the globe¹s entire populace, much of the site¹s content focuses on the country of Ethiopia itself, and the religious teaching of Emperor Haile Selassie I. You¹ll find a quiz about Selassie I that is clearly intended to teach instead of test ‹ if you quickly want an answer to one of the questions, you can activate a nifty drop-down device for immediate results. Selassie I is portrayed as a visionary who unified Ethiopians worldwide. A section of quotes details the Emperor¹s wisdom during the politically turbulent times just before World War II. Another section is devoted to Marcus Garvey, a seminal figure in the American Black Renaissance of the 20s and 30s, and the leader of the ³Back to Africa² movement. The theme here is on leaders of black unification. Throughout the site, you¹ll find references to God and the Bible presented in such a way as to suggest that religion cannot be separated from the political realm. To educate people in Ethiopian religious practices, the site includes a page with information on Masqal Baal, the Commemoration Day of the True Cross which is held nationwide across Ethiopia on September 17th.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

SubSITE
URL: http://sunsite.unc.edu/subgenius/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: Yes
Author: Patrick Joseph
This is the only religious site I¹ve seen that fully embraces the medium, with animations of looming heads and lightning-struck brains and mushroom clouds. Not your old time religion, by any means, but good enough for me. Okay, but seriously, the folks behind this site may be taking a once-great gag too far. Don¹t get me wrong: It¹s fun, and funny, and all that -- almost as funny as Zen Buddhism -- but somebody out there¹s actually pushing this stuff, proselytizing as if it were for real! As if it wasn¹t all just an outrageous hoax! As if they¹ve started to believe their own lies! Huh, you say? Who are they? What in God¹s name am I talking about? The Church of the Subgenius is what! The Campus Crusade for Bob! The Campaign for World Wide Slack! The whole weird movement of dangerous freaks who, apparently, don¹t know when to let a joke go! Still in the dark? Go see for yourself (God knows, I can¹t explain it). Take a drive into the mind of Bob Dobbs; learn all about the fictitious former salesman turned deified, disembodied head; discover for yourself the hypnotic thrall of the slack ethic; bombard yourself with strange, twisted images that have no apparent connection to anything; visit the ³Things to Want and Buy² catalog for the latest in DobbsWear and Slack Threads; send checks, if you must, to the First Stangian Orthodox MegaFisTemple Lodge of the Wrath of Dobbs Yeti, Resurrected; do whatever you want,...just don¹t go to any Devivals fer chrissake, or, if you do, don¹t tell me about it. I don¹t want anything to do with it. This site -- great as it is -- is as far as I go. And don¹t send me any flames denouncing this as an insult to the Religion category; the way I see it, it¹s no more commercial, no more profane than the 700 Club. But it¹s loads more fun. Send your flames to Bob.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Christ in the Desert
URL: http://www.christdesert.org/pax.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: Yes
Author: Patrick Joseph
The monastic life never looked so good. Home page to a Benedictine cloister in northwestern New Mexico, the Christ in the Desert site is like an oasis, a welcome break from all the hundreds of dry, graphically bereft religion pages out there. The artwork alone makes this site worth a stop, from the Santa Fe-style illustrations to the tremendous exhibit by photojournalist, Tony O¹Brien. (For slower browsers, there¹s a text version, but the images are worth the wait). For the curious, there are brief asides on monastic topics such as Gregorian Chants, psalms, liturgies, and scriptoria, as well as a look at the various handicrafts produced by the brothers: candles and greeting cards, quilts and woodcarvings. Links also connect to scholarly resources. In the news section, visitors can keep up with the monastery¹s construction project: a hay bale structure being erected by paid laborers, volunteers, and, of course, the monks themselves. Workshops are being conducted simultaneously in ³sustainable building.² Visitors who wish to stay at the Abbey are encouraged to e-mail for reservation materials, and there¹s ample information provided online as to costs, rules, schedules, and the like. Be advised: two days is the minimum stay and, unless you¹re ready to take the solemn vows and don the robes, the maximum is two weeks. And while you can¹t bring your Walkman, the PowerBook will probably be all right. The most surprising feature of the site has to be ³scriptorium@christdesert,² the registered trademark of the monastery¹s fledgeling Web design business (the Benedictine¹s believe in working for a living, if you didn¹t know). That¹s right, the brothers are taking this show on the road; or rather, inviting the world to bring it to them. There it is, brothers and sisters, the modern world. Monks in cyberspace. Jesus Christ, what¹s next?
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Chabad-Lubavitch in Cyberspace
URL: http://www.chabad.org/
Category: Religion
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Daniel Alarcon
This Chabad site is smartly designed, interactive, and engaging. Visitors can send in their questions on Judaism, request blessings, or read news from across the world. Of course, there is plenty of information on the Chabad movement, but it was a little perplexing to an ignorant agnostic like myself. I never really grasped the meaning of Chabad or how it differed from other forms of Judaism. I still found plenty to keep me busy, though, browsing through multimedia links to Jewish folk music and visual art, or downloading short stories for children. Interesting stuff, even for a fallen Gentile like myself.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Angels
URL: http://www.shebute.com/angels/angelshome.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
"I believe in angels." Ok, Fine. The site is cute: the homepage offers two little angels madly flapping their wings, showcasing net-driven animation. True Believers can share tales of angel visitations, angel dreams and visions, and even full-fledged angel orchestrated miracles. Admittedly the subject matter may require a willful suspension of disbelief if you ³don¹t believe in angels,² but there is no doubt that this site does a fine job of presentation.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

The Prayer Room
URL: http://hpserv.utulsa.edu/~rlr/PrayerRoom.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Matt Patterson
Thank God for places like the Prayer Room. Simply submit a name, an e-mail address, and what troubles you have, and it gets posted at the bottom of the page. Then read through the list of requests and pray for everyone on it. You can even e-mail them some spiritual encouragement. If God does answer your prayer, post it on the page so everyone can celebrate His greatness. The site¹s clunky organization and simplistic graphics don¹t hamper the pure functionality of this divinely inspired bit of HTML. Many of these people may need all the help they can get.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Islam Page
URL: http://www.wam.umd.edu/~ibrahim/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Matt Patterson
If there is no god but Allah, then Mohammed might just be the Webmaster of this fine Islamic resource. Read the Koran and link to a database that lets you search through the book by word. Then peruse any of the other multitude of documents on everything from the Islamic holidays to the steps needed to become a Muslim. The main pages feature a crisp layout utilizing Tables and Frames to good effect. The graphics leave something to be desired, but seeing how Islam¹s not big on representational art, I guess I can make an allowance. If it¹s Islam, it¹s probably here.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Voodoo in New Orleans
URL: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/LGilbert/voodoo.htm
Category: Religion
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
Don¹t go to this site expecting to find information about Voodoo in New Orleans (as Yahoo! would have you believe). Instead, these are photographs of Voodoo temples and cemeteries in New Orleans, and as a work of art, the site is captivating. I especially liked the photo of the Haitian Voodoo flag. The site¹s small ‹ only a handful of photos ‹ but interesting for the curious. And it has a nice overall layout and general good feel about it.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Nomius Zen Garden
URL: http://www.nomius.com/~zenyard/zenyard.htm
Category: Religion
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
It¹s a little hoaky. Though the general principal is good, with weekly stories and Koans (proverb-like quotes) to help guide Zen Buddhists through their journey, the tone is slightly condescending in its ³let us show you the way² approach. The site uses advertising, but the creators have selected sponsors who support their mission, such as a natural vitamin supplier. There¹s also a version of the story of 10 Bulls in full hypertext format. And, for the multimedia component, there are sound clips and visuals to help you relax and meditate.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

SufiWorld
URL: http://www.unibio.com/spirit/sufiworld.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
³You are the center of your universe,² the Sufi Islamic Page preaches. There are poems, essays, links to products ($$$), and a section on medical philosophies. Though the pages look very nice, it¹s hard to really submerge yourself in the concept if you aren¹t already practicing the faith or have a strong knowledge of Sufism. Overall, it left me a bit puzzled, but I wouldn¹t count it out, especially for those specifically curious about the religion.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Jewish Communications Network
URL: http://www.jcn18.com/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
The JCN offers a comprehensive guide to all things Jewish. It starts with a nice layout, smooth organization, and spiffy graphics; unfolding into a breadth of diverse, useful content. The site features current events, scoops the dirt on political candidates, provides a calander, and has loads of links links links. For complete coverage and regular updates, this site is tops.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Project Genesis
URL: http://www.torah.org/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Diedra Ramsey
This Web site attempts to engage all Jews, Orthodox and non-religious alike, in a dialogue on scholarship and news pertaining to the Jewish faith. An attractive web site with an outer space motif, Project Genesis offers classes on the Torah, ethics, and halacha, or law. There are also hyperlinks to other Jewish Web sites and information about Jewish speakers, seminars, events, and educational programs throughout the U.S. and Israel.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Campus Crusade for Christ
URL: http://www.mdalink.com/CCC/index.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Diedra Ramsey
Home to Christian ministries throughout the world, the Campus Crusade for Christ boasts a Web site that can be viewed with or without Shockwave enhancement. The site also includes a search engine, links to other CCC sites, and a summary of the ministry's perspective on the life of Jesus. It even includes HTML coding that allows you to add the group¹s logo to your own home page as a hot link.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

The Order of Saint Benedict
URL: http://www.osb.org/osb/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Ananda Nada
The brothers and sisters of the OSB have assembled an impressive web of primary and secondary materials concerning the monastic life. Here you can browse dozens of meticulously cross-linked texts ranging from the definitive Rule of Benedict to a secular article on "celibate passion." A meta-list of global associates and a monastic e-mail directory make this quite a site. Should a monk in Rome happen to die, or martyrs be found in Algiers, you'll hear about it here in detail. Compliance with HTML 3.2 adds to the pages' ecumenical flavor. If anything is lacking, it's a searchable index.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Scientology
URL: http://www.scientology.org
Category: Religion
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Ananda Nada
Massive amounts of information lurk beneath the sanitary splash page. Start with a light introduction to founder L. Ron Hubbard or browse a searchable index of texts ranging from *Dianetics* to "Hatewatch: Germany '96." Downloadable quicktime clips will guide you on a virtual tour of the church's L.A. headquarters. You can even tap a RealAudio broadcast of Scientologists John Travolta and Leif Garrett performing Hubbard's musical opus, "The Road to Freedom." The depth and details of this site make it a fine model of rhetorical savoir-faire online.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Our Lady of Fatima
URL: http://www.fatima.org
Category: Religion
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
According to this site, the Virgin Mary appeared six times to three children near the town of Fatima, Portugal in 1917. This official site contains the whole story of the holy meetings, in minute detail. If you can't make the pilgrimage in person, take a virtual tour here. Another option is to go to the "Petition the Pope" page to petition His Holiness for any number of things--there is wide range of prescribed options or write your own. You can also listen to honest-to-goodness Gregorian chants via RealAudio. This high-tech site also features scrolling text of the Hail Mary. Am I the only one who thinks there is something eerie about this?
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Dial-the-Truth
URL: http://www.av1611.org/
Category: Religion
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Daniel Alarcon
I found this page nauseating at times. All the same, I have to commend Dial-the-Truth for its innovative approach to saving souls. At the DTT Web site you can sign up for Bible Study via e-mail or browse through DTT's archive of apocalyptic religious tracts online. Other features include Dial-A- Verse, an order form for pamphlets (free), and an electronic registry of the saved. DTT has definitely mastered the net. Of course, DTT¹s notion of ³the truth² is a narrow one. The site claims to have ³saved² satanists, homosexuals, prostitutes, people in prison, cultists, and others; needless to say, they didn't get me.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Church of the Bunny Bunican West
URL: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vpd/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
I¹ve long argued that harsh words and scorn are not the way to confront the dangerous and kooky. Ridicule and sarcasm are far more effective. Take note: The Church of the Bunny offers as plausible an explanation of this world and its workings as any religion I¹ve ever encountered. An extensive site with loads of information on church doctrine and members make this one of the most amusing religious-themed sites on the Web.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Messiahs Inc
URL: http://www.iop.com/~thanedfane/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
Deciding to fight fire with fire, this site offers an at-times hilarious primer on the evolution of a religious faith. Perhaps starting your own church is the most meaningful exercise of religious freedom; in any case, how can you argue with a Holy book entitled, ³"Messiahs, Inc.,² or ³How Jeremiah L Hermastone Starts A Church of His Own, 'Beats' the IRS, Patents God, and Has More Sex Than Rush Limbaugh, But Less Than JFK!" I¹m not sure if I understand it, but I know this site is good. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates a good rant.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Nazarene Adult Mission Educator
URL: http://www.sky.net/~rdouglas/mission.htm
Category: Religion
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Matt Patterson
Bob¹s Resource is a supplemental guide for Nazarenes who are going abroad to serve God and the church. While the site features good usage of Netscape¹s Frames and has some passable graphics, much of the material presented is useless unless you have the book the site was designed to supplement. The links to maps and resources of different parts of the world might be helpful, and the hints on dealing with local populations is amusing on it¹s own. The site is a must-see for any Nazarene itchin¹ to be a missionary, but really not for anyone else.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Mennonite Brethren Herald
URL: http://www.cdnmbconf.ca/mb/mbherald.htm
Category: Religion
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Matt Patterson
The Brethren Herald is the online edition of a biweekly Mennonite newsletter based out of Canada. The issue I read deals with what it means to be a Mennonite in cyberspace. It intelligently explained the Internet to the novice and how it can bring far-flung church groups together. While they dwell on some of the evils of the technology, they also explain how networks and computers help translate the Bible into new languages in record time. Here I thought that Mennonites dressed in black and worked in the fields all day! If every issue is like this one it¹s well worth the read, Mennonite or not.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Phyllis Light's Healing
URL: http://www.ccsi.com/~phylight/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Blue Grrrl
I have a bias, and that bias is against pastel rainbow backgrounds with cosmological undertones. This is mind, Phyllis¹s Healing Page is not recommended for the new age skeptic. Phyllis is author to many a mystical book, including *Prince Charming Lives*, and *The Light Realization Process*. Read essays about her ³telepathic healing gift² or check out her ³Latest Cosmic Insights.² There¹s a lot here, though more of the site, unfortunately, is about self promotion than spirituality.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Servant Life
URL: http://www.goshen.net/sl/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
Servant Life isn¹t a newsletter for domestics, but rather an advice publication for Christians. The name comes from the premise that Christians are ³serving God.² This Web site is just a front end for an Adobe Acrobat-formatted publication that can be downloaded in whole or in portions. The tone of Servant Life is very enlightened, encouraging qualities like acceptance and tolerance.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Augustine
URL: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/augustine.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Diedra Ramsey
In Latin or English, this site gives insight into the life of St. Augustine, who, in about 400 AD, wrote one of the earliest guides to Christian living and beliefs. Augustine, the saint, is credited with describing God in terms of the Holy Trinity. Augustine, the web site, includes a biography, English and Latin versions of Augustine's beliefs, and ancient artwork depicting the early church lawmaker at work.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

The Abayudaya Jews of Uganda
URL: http://www.intac.com/PubService/uganda/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Diedra Ramsey
Perhaps you¹ve studied Ethiopian Jews or heard about the Cochin Jews of India, but have you heard about the Abayudaya Jews of Mbale, Uganda? Well, until 1992, this web site's manager, Matt Meyer, hadn¹t either. But after visiting Kenya and meeting a Ugandan Jew, Meyer went to Mbale. In this web site, Meyer chronicles Ugandan Jewish history, incorporates music by Ugandan Jews, requests donations to buy a Torah. The site also includes excerpts from Meyer's journal and photos of the Abayudaya.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

USC Muslim Students Association Islamic Server
URL: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Diedra Ramsey
Everything one could ever want to know about Islam is at this web site, including access to an English translation of the Koran, and a beginner's guide to understanding Muhammad, pillars of the faith, and Allah. The site gives an Islamic perspective on the differences and similarities between Judaism and Christianity. MSA criticizes many other groups claim to follow Islam. MSA is a campus organization that can be found throughout the U.S.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Information about Zoroastrianism
URL: http://palette.ecn.purdue.edu/~bulsara/ZOROASTRIAN/zoroastrian.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Diedra Ramsey
There are more than a million followers of the ancient Persian prophet Zarathushtra, known to the Greeks as Zoroaster. The web site chronicles the history of the prophet, Ahura Mazda or "Wise Lord," and the faith. It also includes photos and essays concerning the problems facing modern-day Zoroastrians.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

The Holy See
URL: http://www.vatican.va/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Diedra Ramsey
Get the latest from Pope John Paul II at The Holy See Web site. Most of the information is available in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian and Portuguese. There is access to The Holy See Press Office, Catholic doctrine and a place to post messages to priests. Also, there are photos of the pontiff.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

The Rapture Index
URL: http://www.novia.net/~todd/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Diedra Ramsey
Todd Strandberg analyzes Biblical prophecy as manifest in the latest news, such as the Ebola virus arriving in Texas and volcano activity in the Caribbean, while keeping tabs on modern-day antichrists like John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Louis Farrakhan, Bill Gates, and Barney the Dinosaur. An interesting site that weaves news and Apocalyptic assertions with wit and sarcasm.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Toaism
URL: http://fourier.bme.med.ualberta.ca/~fwang/taoism.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Patrick Joseph
The *IChing* gets top billing over the *Toa te Ching* here. For those who don¹t know, the *IChing* is an ancient fortune-telling device, similar to, but more sophisticated than, the old ³Magic Eightballs² that were so popular back in the 70¹s. And not surprisingly, you can get a software version of it here. For the true foundation of Toaism, however, go to the full text of Loa Tze¹s *Toa te Ching* (available in Chinese or English). It can be read in a sitting and is full of what sounds like equal parts undistilled wisdom and inscrutable nonsense, rather like the site as a whole (lots of tangential links and whatnot). I came away from it with this: The sage ignores abstraction and holds fast to substance. Words to live by.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Mormon Matter
URL: http://www.greyware.com/authors/wpshunn/mormon.htp
Category: Religion
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Ananda Nada
Bill Shunn was born and raised a Mormon. These pages get a lot of mileage from his apostasy, last year, at the age of 28. You can read puerile jokes about B.Y.U co-eds or browse an irreverent glossary of Mormon terms. But the main attraction is Shunn's memoir of the missionary adventure that led to his expulsion from Canada. Of its 28 chapters, the couple I read were insightful and funny, and apparently controversial among Mormon cybernauts. Chapters from Shunn's unpublished sci-fi novel are also featured as are links to his "virtual home."
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Witches' League
URL: http://www.celticcrow.com
Category: Religion
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Names like "The Black Feather," "Starwood," and "Celtic Feast" greet you at the Witches' League of Public Awareness (and American history students will be pleased to know it's based in Salem, Mass.). The site has a suitably dark, cosmic and symbol-laden look. Though new, it¹s well-organized and promises links to everything from witches in the military to teen witches, pages about cats ("and animal friends") to gay witches. An excellent overview of contemporary witchcraft and its ancient roots. Look for "Witches' Do's and Dont¹s" to dispel any witch-myths you may harbor.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Young Jains of America
URL: http://www.utexas.edu/students/yja/
Category: Religion
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Jainism, a Hindu religion whose precepts of nonviolence and asceticism resemble Buddhism, has many followers among East Indians in the U.S. The Young Jains site keeps the Diaspora current on organizational matters (chapters, conventions, membership, newsletters), as well as offering numerous links to pages on vegetarianism and animal protection, Jain history, and university Asian Studies programs. A good intro to the religion, its origins, and modern outgrowths in a new culture.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Hinduism Today
URL: http://www.HinduismToday.kauai.hi.us/ashram/htoday.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Daniel Alarcon
Hinduism Today is a very intelligent, content-oriented site. Offerings at this site include a text-only version of the magazine (in a handful of languages), discussions of vegetarianism and non- violence, a guide to Hindu health and healing, and dozens of links to other Hindu sites on the net. "Click here to become a Hindu" and you'll find plenty of information about the religion, including history, basic tenets, and translations of holy texts. The lack of images and other techno-savvy gadgets that might be appropriate elsewhere are not exactly missed at HToday. The gravity of the subject matter is well-served by the text-intensive presentation.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Ring of Truth
URL: http://www.webring.org/rot/
Category: Religion
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
The Web Ring is a conceptual method of grouping together links to Web sites that have similar content. The premise: Get sent to a random link in the ring from a Ring of Truth home page, and click "next link" or "previous link" from that site, and so on... Eventually, you'll have traveled the ring and be back at the site where you started. Rings can have any theme and the Ring of Truth "seeks to open people's eyes to the world they are faced with instead of cowering in fear behind religious dogma and superstition." Hmmmm... Simply put, the theme seems to be underground culture with a gothic/industrial/dark bent. Should have guessed--the Webmaster quotes Nine Inch Nails on the Ring of Truth home page.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Leisa Goodman's Home Page
URL: http://www.theta.com/goodman/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
As an ordained SubGenius I hold great respect for the Church of Scientology. Their belief system is just as implausible and absurd as my own. Leisa Goodman, Director of Media Relations for the Hubbardites (church of Scientology), has a home page that provides numerous links to church-related matters. Especially amusing is the prominence given to recent court rulings protecting the copyright on Church materials. This page is a useful starting point for any contemporary Barnum looking to scout the competition.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Atheist Express
URL: http://www.hti.net/www/atheism/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
There are too few kick-butt atheists in this world. Some think organized religions deserve to be ridiculed and abused, and who better than a committed non-believer to deliver the punch line? Visitors to this page find news of religion-related court cases, calendars of upcoming atheist conventions, related links, and such ‹ exactly the kind of information one would expect. But something is missing: am I wrong to expect more joy in all of this? Afterall, one would think an atheist page might convey more glee found in announcing, "Hey! We¹re alone down here!²
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Ogmios Home Page
URL: http://www.ogmios.com/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
Ogmios is the organization dedicated to opposing the coming reign of the antichrist. Ogmios also refers to the European who will lead this opposition. The Ogmios organization is recruiting individuals of all backgrounds to join the struggle: astrologists, numerologists, writers, scientists, and others. Each has a role to play as the End-Times draw near. Related links provide information on Nostradamus, channeling, ufology, and ³ the photon belt phenomenon increasingly referred to in the channeled literature.² As the twentieth-century draws to a close, it is reassuring to know that the fourteenth century is still very much with us.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Alpha Net
URL: http://www.azstarnet.com/~fbarnes/alphanet.htm
Category: Religion
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
Surely everyone will agree that the King James Bible can be a confusing hodgepodge at times. It is obvious that editors were in short supply when the Scripture was initially being put to paper; how else can one explain the organization and presentation of the Good Book? Thankfully the good people at Alpha Net have provided a solution. The essential Biblical tales--Adam and Eve, Noah, and such--are presented in a concise and easily digested format, with verse annotations for those who care. Related links can carry the interested to a range of Bible sites.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

The Wyrd Page-Germanic Nordic Heathen Religion
URL: http://www.nmia.com/~seaxnet/Test1.htm
Category: Religion
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
³Oh no, ³ I thought, ³more of those annoying pagan types, the ones that dress up in capes and armor and spend their weekends bashing each other with wooden poles.² Admittedly one will find a bit of that here: mention is made of a group which meets to celebrate the major days of yet another pagan sect. But in addition, a great deal of information is available. Book lists, contact groups, and an extensive collection of related links would be of use to anyone researching those Teutonic/Nordic/Northern European faiths.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

The Towers of Avalon
URL: http://www.neca.com/~ice/avalon/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
This site is a collection of links related to the usual suspects: Pagans, Wiccans, shamans and witches. It is as broad as any I have found on these matters, and should be of use to anyone who cares about such things. I find it interesting how quickly fringe religions ‹ and fringe types in general ‹ latched on to the Internet and WWW. For all the crap out there in cyberspace, it is still the most efficient means by which people can contact each other and add their voice to the noisy din of modern life.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Combating Cult Mind Control
URL: http://virtumall.com/mindcontrol/main.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
"Truth is stronger than lies and love is stronger than fear!" And that is the tone of this site. Steven Hassan wants to help cult members break free. It could be interesting even if you¹re not a cult member, but want to look at one man¹s approach to combating the psychological warfare of ³cults.² The graphics, well, they aren¹t so interesting. In fact, except for the (ack) photo on the front end and a few GIFs of his book for sale (double ack), they don¹t exist.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Ogmios
URL: http://www.ogmios.com/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
Ogmios is the organization dedicated to opposing the coming reign of the antichrist. Ogmios also refers to the European who will lead this opposition. The Ogmios organization is recruiting individuals of all backgrounds to join the struggle: astrologists, numerologists, writers, scientists, and others. Each has a role to play as the End-Times draw near. Related links provide information on Nostradamus, channeling, ufology, and ³ the photon belt phenomenon increasingly referred to in the channeled literature.² As the twentieth-century draws to a close, it is reassuring to know that the fourteenth century is still very much with us.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

The Wyrd Page: Germanic Nordic Heathen Religion
URL: http://www.nmia.com/~seaxnet/Test1.htm
Category: Religion
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
³Oh no, ³ I thought, ³more of those annoying pagan types, the ones that dress up in capes and armor and spend their weekends bashing each other with wooden poles.² Admittedly one will find a bit of that here: mention is made of a group which meets to celebrate the major days of yet another pagan sect. But in addition, a great deal of information is available. Book lists, contact groups, and an extensive collection of related links would be of use to anyone researching those Teutonic/Nordic/Northern European faiths.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Lift Up Your Hearts
URL: http://www.golden.net/worship/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
Seeking a little guidance on your Lutheran path? Lift Up Your Hearts is a nice resource to check out. It offers imformation about the Lutheran Evangelical church, links to resources, and interesting essays on prayers and living the Lutheran life. It's not exactly a dazzler of a site, but it performs the task well enough, and has a few techno-gadgets like Tables.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

All Along the Watchtower
URL: http://home.sol.no/jansh/wteng/jwindex.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Patrick Joseph
As far back as anyone can remember, Jehovah¹s Witnesses have been going on about our impending doom -- the curtain call, the grand finale, Armageddon -- even going so far as to name dates: 1798, 1829, 1914, 1975... Yet here we are, still waiting. Which pretty well settles it for me, but if you¹re a door-to-door Witness yourself, have some doubts, but need convincing, pay this address a visit. There are numerous counter arguments to JW doctrine on these pages, and although some are overlong and convoluted, the facts are well-documented and the evidence overwhelming.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

The Jesus Home Page
URL: http://members.aol.com/jesus316/index.htm
Category: Religion
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Patrick Joseph
A clue for the sanctimonious, anything that starts with, ³I¹m Jesus Christ. I¹m a messiah. This is my story² is a joke! Pagans, and perhaps those believers with a sense of humor, will find it all enormously amusing. Others will be wishing the creator of the page a long stint in Hell. In fact, you can read various responses to the page in the mailbag section -- to my mind, the funniest part of the site. ³By the way,² writes one perturbed soul, ³the real JESUS CHRIST sits at the right hand of the FATHER, NOT surfing the net.²
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

In Christ Ministries
URL: http://www.inchrist.org
Category: Religion
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Judging by all the awards that festoon this site, Christian sites are ambitious business. A Virginian named Kelly provides a place for evangelical Christians to study Bible texts, share poetry, testimonies and "praise reports" (examples of prayer at work). Weekly sermons (essays) by various ministers, "words of wisdom" (posted by visitors), and a good-sized selection of other links of interest round out this Web ministry. Links include sites on devotions, evangelism, business, Bible study, and art and music.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

MP Technologies Home Page
URL: http://www.wpg.ramp.net/~mptech/index.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
This personal Jehovah's Witness page was built by two Canadians to promote their Bible software (the company is called MP Technologies) and offer global news and notes on the 125-year-old Christian sect. Not affiliated with the official church or its publishing arm, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, the site does provide selected articles from its publications. There's an excellent FAQ on the beliefs of the Society, and links to other JW pages.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Hare Krishna Home Page
URL: http://www.webcom.com/~ara/
Category: Religion
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
The Hare Krishna are out of the airports and on the Web! Oh, (en)lighten up! It was only a matter of time until the Krishna had their own home page. Here they make lots of information available and spread the word. For example, the four basic rules: no gambling, no intoxicants, no eating meat and no illicit sex. (At least there¹s still rock 'n' roll.) And, of course, anyone can perform their mantras; read how here. Also, read the well-written Krishna online magazine, *Back to Godhead*, and see what they had to say about the O.J. Simpson trial, lotteries, just about anything and everything. The site is low on fancy graphics but definitely high on life.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

The Official Temple of Set
URL: http://www.calweb.com/~reshef/ Religion
Category: Religion
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Protect your children! The Satanists are online! In the mid-1970s, Mr. Devil carn-man himself, Anton La Vey, redesigned his Church of Satan, according to this site "as a non-functional vehicle for his personal expression, exploitation, and financial income." (More power to him!) Alas, the Temple of Set took over to fill the religious void. Before you scoff, the Temple of Set urges you to check out their history and basic tenets, outlined at this site. Bottom line: It's not about listening to Slayer and sacrificing kittens. Now, if they can score the hell.org domain...
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Christian Computing Magazine
URL: http://www.ccmag.com
Category: Religion
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Cybernuns, check this: Christian Computing magazine is all about "Applying Tomorrow's Technology to Today's Ministries." Enjoy useful articles on subjects like how to "use clip art specific to your ministry for effective publications" and timely reviews of products along the lines of "Bible Baseball for Windows." In fact, the editor-in-chief's email address is god@heaven.com! (Not really.) Seriously though, the magazine's focus may seem odd, but it looks to be a useful guide for those using technology to improve yet another form of communication -- in this case, the communication of religious ideals.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Sower's Seed Christian Reprints
URL: http://members.aol.com/SowersSeed/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Matt Patterson
These Sower¹s are busy disseminating reprints of classic Christian documents and books like ³Pilgrim¹s Progress² to the masses. They feel that Christianity has strayed from the true path and that salvation lay in these historical texts. They may seem pretty hardcore today, but in the 1600¹s these guys would have been on the cutting edge. The formatting of the page, too, appears to be mired in the 17th century, as the site is all text documents with minimal formatting. It might not be pretty, but if you want to peruse an old treatise on why women should wear headgear at all times, this is a good place.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Buddhist Studies
URL: http://coombs.anu.edu.au/WWWVL-Buddhism.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Diedra Ramsey
An unattractive, boring site that just happens to have more than 150 links to some really visually appealing sites on Guatama Buddha, Buddhism, and Asian studies. The links are not necessarily listed in a cohesive fashion, but it¹s a great resource for those with patience.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

IRIZ - The Electronic Boddhidharma
URL: http://www.iijnet.or.jp/iriz/irizhtml/irizhome.htm
Category: Religion
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Patrick Joseph
There is something so un-Zen-like about this, ³the largest collection of Buddhist primary text materials on the Internet.² Zen is a slippery critter, of course, all built-in mystery, questions and no answers -- you can¹t download the sound of one hand clapping, after all. But all that aside, the IRIZ site, part of the Zen Knowledge Base Project, is a disappointment for anyone seeking inspiration to go with their enlightenment; visually, it¹s a dud and while there¹s a lot here, it¹s relatively hard to access. But then this was never the place to look, anyway; to paraphrase an old teaching: If you meet the Buddha on the Info-bahn, kill him.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Jews for Judaism
URL: http://www.clark.net/pub/mpowers/j4j/web/
Category: Religion
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Jews for Judaism is a national organization dedicated to countering deceptive missionary and cult groups targeting Jews for conversion. Unfortunately, the site lacks any real content other than some background on the organization and contact information. One interesting area, though, is the "Ask the Rabbi" section. Here, you can find Jewish responses to typical missionary claims like "there is only 'one way' to obtain salvation." While this information may be useful in serious debate, my preferred tactic is to inform evangelists, nicely, that I have a Church of Satan meeting to go to and, regrettably, will have to miss their ³party.² But if a Jewish friend or family member has strayed from the flock, perhaps Jews for Judaism might help.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

New Man Magazine
URL: http://www.newmanmag.com
Category: Religion
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
No, this isn't one of those Robert Bly, fire in the belly, drumming and chanting-type publications. It's a mag for "Men of Integrity" -- you know, manly men, Christian men. It's sort of like *GQ* meets Sunday School, with "Daily Devotionals" instead of sex and grooming columns. The week I looked at the site, the "Top Story" was: "Hope is rising, and men are praying for a river of revival in America. Believers from all streams of the church are responding." Super. Elsewhere in the news...
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Religion of the Humanities
URL: http://www.roth-church.org/roth0101.htm
Category: Religion
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
This is the official site and archive of a ³new religion of humanity, Nature and the future of our existence.² The content describes a doctrine of typical humanitarian ideals. Unfortunately, the fact that this group is committed to being an Internet-based church has left it faceless; the founders seem so devoted to the Zen ideals of ego transcendence that they haven¹t even put their names on the site. Membership in the church costs $24 a year.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Technosophy
URL: http://www.technosophy.com/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
Technosophy is a pseudo-religion that relies on the premise that the human body is a piece of technology. Oh, the intricacies of semantics. Terry Alden, an individual with a savior-complex, has posted these five or six text-filled pages to spout his views on life and the world.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Zen Koans
URL: http://lpd.uchicago.edu/users/johnlee/zen/zen.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Patrick Joseph
Koans, (as best I can explain), are conundrums, anecdotes designed to clear the mind by forcing one to contemplate the inscrutable. I¹ll try to illustrate with a homespun example: A teacher of young children asks his students to form a line, to which they all respond in near-unison, ³I want to be first! I want to be first! I want to be first!² ³Very well,² said the teacher, hardly pausing to think, ³You be first, and you be first, and you be first.² The children were thus satisfied and fell into line. A bystander asked the teacher if that was Zen. ³Ask them,² said the teacher. Well, for the real thing go to this dirt-simple page; it¹s a wonderful diversion from the mundane.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Jews for Jesus
URL: http://www.jews-for-jesus.org/index.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Patrick Joseph
This site is like Henny Youngman preaching the gospels. The scrolling messages are hilarious: ³Being born in a Christian home doesn¹t make you a Christian any more than being born in a bakery makes you a bagel.² ³If being born didn¹t give you much satisfaction, try being born again.² The page design is hilarious: ³Shalom from Jews for Jesus,² reads the opening banner, the Star of David serving as the ³o² in ³for². The story of one Jew¹s conversion from Buddhism to Christianity is hilarious (Jesus, he says, ³seemed to be an enlightened guy like myself.²) In fact, the whole damned thing is hilarious. Only,...I think it¹s meant to be serious.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Taoism Information Page
URL: http://www.cnu.edu/~patrick/taoism.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Gary Barker
A yin-yang logo banner hovers over a mere list of links to English translations of the *Tao Teh Ching*, Sun Tzu's *The Art of War,* the *I Ching* and a folder full of unsorted files on various areas of Taoist practice. Our host invites adepts and scholars to send relevant information for inclusion in these pages. For the time being, however, there's more "value" at my fingertips when I do an Alta Vista search on Taoism.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Cao Daiism
URL: http://www.centcon.com/~jnguyen/daiism.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Ananda Nada
The Cao Dai faith of South Vietnam was inaugurated in 1926. Universal and synthetic in character, its tenets derive from Asian and western religious and philosophical movements. Duc Cao Dai, or God the Father, is worshipped as the all-knowing eye behind the lords and prophets of all other faiths. Learn more in this asborbing essay by Merdeka Thien-Ly Huong Do. Removing the garish background will enhance the reading experience. At the time of my visit, page four concluded with the words: To be continued.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

New Hope Friendship Missionary Baptist Church
URL: http://inet1.inetworld.net/~robt/
Category: Religion
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
One of the great things about the net is the potential for attracting a global audience with your page. Here, a local Baptist church spreads their weekly bulletin to people everywhere. As such, it is mostly geared to the church's congregation in San Diego. Fortunately, there is a lot of information on other churches with Web pages, a list of vacant churches that need pastors, and information on conventions. There is also topical news about the recent arson fires in predominately black churches, including a list of the victims. The guestbook makes for entertaining and inspirational reading including a rather ominous message left by one guest: "I was impressed [with the site] and I think hell will be too."
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Friends of Osho
URL: http://earth.path.net/osho/
Category: Religion
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
Are you a friend of Osho? Come on over and find out. Buddhism is the order here at this spiritually deep site. Despite the pre-Netscape look about this page, it does a credible job of informing you about Osho, the man (who was "never born, never died") and about Buddhism worldwide. Osho's biography is especially interesting. Also learn what meditation is and isn't and how you can partake. You can also join the mailing list to talk to like-minded folk.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Jewish Communications Network
URL: http://www.jcn18.com/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
This space is one of the best topical sites on the Web. Layout and organization are fantastic. Typically, graphics are an annoyance to me, but I found the images here to be pleasing and helpful. An enormous amount of material is presented in a clever and interesting fashion. I¹m a committed Dobbsian, but I still found myself engrossed in the oil menorah/candles controversy. I cannot speak too highly of this site. For believers, it is a must-have bookmark. Non-believers should visit to catch a glimpse of what the Web should be.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

The True Religion
URL: http://sol46.essex.ac.uk/users/rafiam/Trurlgn.frame_1.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Patrick Joseph
Islam, in case you¹re wondering. This heavy-handed site gives you Allah in five succinct tutorials: 1)The Religion of Islam 2) The Message of Islam 3) The Message of False Religion 4) The Universality of Islam 5) Recognition of Allah (apparently he¹s the one imprinted on your soul). No multimedia song and dance, no open-ended discussions on the verities and vagaries of the universe, just hard-nosed proselytizing, I doubt many souls will submit to Allah here. A good primer on fundamentalism (of any stripe) perhaps, but not much else.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

Prayboy Magazine
URL: http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~arm/prayboy/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Ananda Nada
21-year-old Andrew MacCormack has thrown together a bare-bones site to tackle "some of the controversial issues in Christianity today." Entertain, if you will, a short list of the authors' drowsy musings; perhaps you'll find words of wisdom in essays like "What is courage? Who is the bravest person ever?" or "Sin: What, why, who?" If not, you can exit via MacCormack's list of Christian links, leading to varied nodes including the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement and the Demon Possession Handook.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

One Thought
URL: http://www.mcthought.com/
Category: Religion
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
"One thought can change your world." This is the essence of the earnest One Thought page, created by an Internet maven and higher-self proponent using the name M.C. Thought. Essays, exhortations and order forms for various "sexual wealth" and affirmation tapes seem to be most of the site. There are links to numerous other New Age, world transformation, holistic mind/body and general positivity sites. Though crowded with typos and amateurish graphics, One Thought's earnest message shines through: to search for the beauty and reality inside your mind, and outside in the world.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

Dark Goddesses
URL: http://www.csulb.edu/~persepha/gateway.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
America has never suffered a shortage of religions. Christian sects have always proliferated on these shores, and the twentieth century has seen an explosion of the New Agey as well. This site promotes a rethinking of the current ³Goddess² beliefs, examining the darker set of female deities and mythical sorts. I was pleased to see one of my favorites, Kali, make a strong showing; the Hindus have the most kick-butt gods! This space offers a great deal of background information on numerous gods, and would be of interest to anyone investigating female empowerment in myth.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 11

InterGalactic House of Fruitcake
URL: http://www.tiac.net/users/ighf/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
The god of the Old Testament is a newcomer to human history. Other deities were worshipped long before He arrived. Most of them have been long forgotten; a few still inspire dedicated bands of True Believers. Otis traces a lineage to the Sumerians, a decent group who clearly understood the need for a god capable of fireworks. This site offers a clever introduction to Otis and his/her cohorts. Believers can keep up with the latest Otis happenings, review doctrine, eye Church leaders, and more. A terrific example of the Web as a tool of religious indoctrination.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

The Bahá'ís
URL: http://oneworld.wa.com/bahai/magazine/cover.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
The Bahá'ís and the Quakers routinely compete for the title of ³nicest religion.² A young faith, Bahá'í continues to make a strong showing among the more disaffected members of the Western world. This site offers an extensive introduction to its world view. Doctrine, history, a blueprint for the future ‹ all the trappings of a religion are here. Thoughtful organization and a clean layout make this a delightful spot to surf; if I were choosing a religion on the basis of its Web presence, the Bahá'ís would have my soul. A great single-issue clearinghouse.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

Catholic Information Center
URL: http://www.catholic.net/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
I sometimes daydream about the treasures that must lie within the Vatican library and archives. Imagine all the forgotten manuscripts, awaiting their day of discovery. Unfortunately, you¹ll find no digitized images of lost tomes at this site. Instead, general information concerning the Popes, the catechism, the Bible, and the Catholic church is available to the curious. Want the real scoop on the the Galileo affair? What does the Church think about evolution? You can find the answers here.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

SDAnet
URL: http://www.sdanet.org/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
If you have a question concerning Seventh Day Adventist doctrine, chances are you will find an answer on this site or one of its crosslinks. As I wandered around this space, I grew increasingly impressed with its scale. A significant portion of Adventist materials on the Web must be within two hops of this page. The work itself is not of a proselytizing sort; it is clearly intended to assist the Believer in contacting like-minded others and in acquiring the resources necessary to maintain the Faith. This page is certainly of interest to any Adventist; others may find it less inspiring.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

GOSHEN Global Online Service Helping Evangelize Nations
URL: http://www.goshen.net/
Category: Religion
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
Looking for a Pentecostal space on the Web? Trying to track down a Baptist book publisher? GOSHEN offers a Christian-focused search function and more. Billing itself as the Internet Christian Resource Directory, GOSHEN aims to provide a free and easy vehicle for Christian organizations to establish a presence on the Web, and to offer a directory of such sites. I especially liked the verse of the day; heaven knows how frequently I start craving a fix of Luke. The resources here are plentiful enough to warrant this site¹s inclusion on any collection of Christian bookmarks.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

An Internet Guide to Chabad Literature
URL: http://www.utexas.edu/students/cjso/Chabad/chabad.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
Wow ‹ this has to be the one-stop site for Chabad information on the Web, made more noteworthy for its location: Texas! Rabbinical writings, sound files of Jewish songs, an art gallery, and more. Doctrinal questions are reviewed, basic tenets of Judaism are presented ‹ there is an enormous amount of information here. This site is a great example of the Web as clearinghouse, bringing together widely scattered information and presenting it in an accessible form. I highly recommend this page to any believer or interested party. A most impressive Web space, Learned Protocols be damned!
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

Quakers - Autobiography of George Fox
URL: http://www.cs.pitt.edu/~planting/books/fox/autobiography/autobiography.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
The Quakers have long played an active role in civil protest in this country, often engaging in all manner of dissent and disobedience. How does a group with such a reputation for pleasantry and niceness justify such conduct by its members? Part of the answer lies within the life of George Fox, whose writings embody much of the Quaker truth. This site offers the autobiography of Fox, available in RTF, PDF, text, and HTML formats. Those seeking Quaker resources should do a net search; this site simply offers up Fox¹s work, and does so with simplicity.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 6

Shillum Homepage
URL: http://www.digital-cafe.com/~wbent/shillum0.html
Category: Religion
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
I love apocalyptic literature, and the Book of Revelations is one of my favorite works. I can¹t help chuckling at the thought of Christian airplane pilots being raptured away, leaving unguided planes to carry heretics to a spectacular crash. This site serves one purpose: the distribution of the Shillum document, an end-time analysis reminiscent of ³The Late Great Planet Earth.² Of interest to conspiracy fans are references to the ³Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion,² an anti-Semitic forgery concocted around the turn of the century. I love rants, but this meager and mediocre missive is unsatisfying.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 5