The sites on this page have been selected because they either provide a tolerant point of view or, at least, contain references to ones which do. Far from inclusive at present, the list will expand over time.
Adherents.com This highly popular site provides an extensive collection of more than 41,000 adherent statistics and religious geography citations, including references to published membership/adherent statistics and congregation statistics for over 4,000 religions, churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements, ultimate concerns, etc.
African Religions and Their Derivatives From PORCHNUS, a collection of resources.
The Authoritarians by Bob Altemeyer, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba - a free e-book. "Authoritarians get a lot of their ideas about how people ought to act from their religion...they tend to belong to fundamentalist religions that make it crystal clear what they consider correct and what they consider wrong."
Beliefnet Although it may be the most well-known and visited multi-faith religious site on the Internet, it also promotes a kind of carnival atmosphere surrounding religion. It has, moreover, an unfortunate tendency to be overly broadminded, accepting and uncritical towards beliefs which are themselves extremely intolerant and which therefore contradict and undermine the stated inclusive philosophy of the site.
The Bible, Christianity, & Homosexuality Justin R. Cannon's booklet which is described by the Los Angeles Times as "an illuminating...analysis that argues the Bible doesn't condemn faithful gay relationships."
Biblical Errancy This highly valuable reference contains the contents of all of C. Dennis McKinsey's 192 issues of Bible errors and contradictions. It is also available in book form as The Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy.
thebigview.com This is a must-see, not only because it is beautifully done, but because of the quality of content. The covered topics: Buddhism, Greek philosophy, space-time, Tao Te Ching, mind and consciousness, and an entertaining past life analysis.
BuddhaNet: Worldwide Buddhist Information and Education Network A large, well-organized site that provides a wealth of information about Buddhism and its scriptures and offers a large number of free e-books to download.
Buddhist Studies WWW Virtual Library A central resource for Buddhist information. Covers the full range of Buddhism.
Call To Action USA American Catholics working to create an open and inclusive Church.
Church Folks for a Better America An online initiative for peace, founded by Dr. George Hunsinger of Princeton Theological Seminary.
Council for Secular Humanism Among secular humanism's major contributions to humanity's welfare are its firm stands for reason and tolerance. Many interesting articles.
Dignity USA Gay Catholics calling for justice and equality in the Church. Unfortunately, the Vatican doesn't listen, because it thinks it doesn't have to. And now the Vatican is trying to silence this organization. See, also, Catholic Pastors to Bishops: Treat Gays and Lesbians More Pastorally 23 Roman Catholic pastors have released "An Open Letter to the Hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church Regarding the Pastoral Care of Gay and Lesbian Persons." Concerned over the increasingly violent and abusive language used by certain Church officials when addressing issues pertaining to homosexuals, the signers of the Open Letter call on all bishops to treat gays and lesbians with greater pastoral sensitivity.
The Despoiling of America A well-documented article about "how a political religious movement called Dominionism gained control of the Republican Party, then took over Congress, then took over the White House, and now is sealing the conversion of America to a theocracy by taking over the American Judiciary."
Dominion Theology A brief explanation of a growing and politically powerful fundamentalist belief that Christians are commanded to bring all of the world's societies under the rule of the Bible, especially the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). "All religious organizations, congregations etc. other than strictly Fundamentalist Christianity would be suppressed."
The End Of Faith by Sam Harris, analyzes the clash of faith and reason in the modern world. Also, articles by and about Sam Harris:
Ex-Gay Watch News and analysis of "ex-gay" disinformation and propaganda.
Faith in Public Life A resource of faith movements which share a call to ensure that diverse religious voices for justice and the common good consistently impact public policy, and that those who use religion as a tool of division and exclusion do not dominate public discourse.
The Gnosis Archive Major source for Gnostic texts, including the Nag Hammadi texts, and information about Gnosticism.
The Hindu Universe Comprehensive site about Hinduism. While Hinduism as a cultural force is not always as tolerant as it should be, many of the philosophies arising from it, such as yoga and Vedanta, are impressively tolerant.
Institute for Welcoming Resources Resources that support the unconditional welcome of people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and their families into the church of their choice.
The Interfaith Alliance Major interfaith organization takes on the religious right's extremist political agenda and exposes the right's intolerance.
International Movement We Are Church Significant international movement to democratize the Roman Catholic Church, based on the spirit of Vatican II.
Islam From Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, extensive information about Islam.
From Jesus to Christ From PBS's excellent TV series: New and challenging historical evidence about the life of Jesus and the rise of Christianity.
Jesus 'Love Bombs' You Cultic born-again conversion tactics. "Through conversion one surrenders to a higher authority. And the higher authority, rather than God, is the preacher who steps in to take over your life. Being born again, and the process it entails, is more often about submission and the surrender of moral responsibility than genuine belief."
The Jesus Seminar The Westar Institute, an advocate for religious literacy, is the home of the Jesus Seminar project, a scholarly attempt "to distinguish fact from fiction in the words and deeds ascribed to Jesus in the gospels." Also, see Westar's other projects.
Keshet-Rabbis The members of Keshet-Rabbis hold that GLBT Jews should be embraced as full, open members of all their congregations and institutions.
The Many Forms of Fundamentalism Fundamentalism has made an extraordinary impact on the world. But what is it? See, also, Interview: James Carroll, American Fundamentalisms.
Military Religious Freedom Foundation A watchdog group dedicated to maintaining religious freedom within the U.S. military. The organization's founder explains that "We apparently have a radicalized, evangelical Christian Pentagon within the rest of the Pentagon." Among the findings in MRFF's December 11, 2006 Compliance Report on the Pervasive Violations of the United States Constitutional Religious Freedoms of Military Personnel:
- Attempts by missionary organizations such as Force Ministries and the Officers’ Christian Fellowship to create "Christian soldiers" by training active-duty military personnel to evangelize their subordinates and peers.
- Military leadership appearing in uniform in promotional videos for these missionary organizations and openly discussing their commitment to bring religion into the military.
Muslim WakeUp! Seeks to bring together Muslims and non-Muslims in America and around the globe to celebrate cultural and spiritual diversity, tolerance, and understanding in an atmosphere that is filled with compassion and free of intimidation, authoritarianism, and dogmatism.
National Catholic Reporter Magazine of liberal Catholics provides facts and analysis you won't get from conservative Catholics.
National Council of Churches USA An ecumenical partnership of 36 Christian denominations in the United States.
Native American Spirituality From PORCHNUS, a collection of resources.
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance Outstanding content! One of the best reference sites about religion on the Internet.
Professional Organization Statements And Policies About "Reparative Therapy" The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the National Association of Social Workers, together representing more than 477,000 health and mental health professionals, have all taken the position that homosexuality is not a mental disorder and thus there is no need for a "cure."
The Progressive Christian Witness A Web-based resource that aims to strengthen the voices of progressive Christianity in the public square by publishing theologically grounded articles for laypeople and pastors on significant issues in American life.
Progressive Muslim Union of North America Provides a much-needed forum, voice and organizing mechanism for Muslims who wish to pursue a progressive religious, intellectual, social and political agenda.
Psychology of Religion Pages Maintained by a professor of psychology at Georgia Southern University, this site offers the basics of religious psychology, as well as articles and resources.
Queer Jihad Contrary to the claims of some scholars that Islam is a tolerant religion, that is the one thing it seldom is on a wide range of issues. Visit the Essays & Articles page, for example, to read about some of the incredibly vicious attacks directed against Muslim gays trying to find understanding within their own religion.
Recovery from Mormonism Dissenters from the Mormon religion provide an alternate viewpoint and social support.
Religion and Sexual Ethics A chart showing the Baptist, Buddhist, Catholic, Methodist, Mormon, Muslim, and Jewish stands on thirteen different sexual issues - appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle in December 1994. Makes you want to become a Buddhist.
Religion in the US, 2000: Map Gallery Religious Congregations and Membership in the United States as of 2000 - county-level maps reveal the distribution of the larger and more regionally concentrated church bodies.
Religious Groups' Policies On Homosexuality From the Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance, dozens of essays which describe the current policies, beliefs and practices of various faith groups about homosexuality.
Religious Resources on the Net A comprehensive, searchable database of religious web sites on the Internet. You can browse through more than 170 topics or use the search engine to generate a listing of resources containing selected keywords.
Religious Right Power Brokers: The Top Ten "The United States is home to dozens of Religious Right groups. ...the most powerful organizations conduct nationwide operations, command multi-million-dollar bank accounts and attract millions of followers. They have disproportionate clout in the halls of Congress, the White House and the courts, and they wield enormous influence within the political system."
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Well known for their persistent efforts to promote peace, tolerance and justice. This site contains a long list of links to Quaker and Quaker-related information.
RichardDawkins.net: The Official Richard Dawkins Website and RichardDawkins.net: The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science This famous author and advocate of rationality, humanism and atheism is one of the most effective critics of religion-based intolerance.
The Rockway Institute A think tank which brings together scientific and professional expertise to counter antigay prejudice and inform public policies affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.
Rutgers University Virtual Religion Index Extensive collection of links to studies about many religions and aspects of religion.
Summary of Religious Views on Homosexuality
Talk To Action: Reclaiming Citizenship, History, and Faith An online publication and forum focused on the rise of the Christian right as a social and political force and on what those who are opposed to that movement can do to counter it.
Taoism Information Page Texts include the Tao Te Ching, the I Ching, and more.
Texas Freedom Network This mainstream alliance to counter the religious right in Texas includes over 7500 religious and community leaders who are concerned about the growing social and political influence of religious political extremists.
TheocracyWatch This project of the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy (CRESP) at Cornell University is a major source of information about the increasingly pervasive role of the Religious Right in the U.S. government, and support for activism opposing it. The commentary on the subversive Dominion Theology movement is especially worth noting.
The Trouble with Islam This important site is not only about Irshad Manji's eye-opening book of the same name, but much more. The author is exceptionally insightful and articulate, especially about the current state of Islam. The book, its wake-up call for intellectual honesty, and other information on the site are critically important to understanding a multitude of issues related to Islam, including its repression of women and its almost rabid hostility to gays and lesbians.
Truth Wins Out A "truth-squad" site dedicated to exposing the fallacies and disinformation of the "ex-gay" industry.
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches A highly tolerant, inclusive church founded by famous gay pastor, Rev. Troy Perry. Contains some articles about gays and Bible.
WayneBesen.com Site of Wayne Besen, rights activist, columnist, public speaker, and author of multiple award-nominations book, "Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth."
The Witches' Voice An educational network dedicated to correcting misinformation about Witches and Witchcraft. Extensive information and list of links about Paganism.
Who Is A Christian? A simple question with many answers.
Women & Theology An extensive, annotated list of links to resources on women and religion, feminist theology, or the feminine divine; created by the Women's Studies Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries.
Worldwide Faith News A major resource for journalists and researchers, this site is a database of official news releases, policy statements and other documents from the news offices of national and world faith groups. Most releases are in English.
Yahoo!: Religion and Spirituality The Internet directory's list of resources about religion and related topics.
Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches Statistics on North American Churches.
The Yurica Report Many articles about the threat of the subversive Dominion Theology movement to democratic government.
