igotthisguitar
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
Location: South Korea (Permanent Vacation)
|
 Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 4:40 am Post subject: Save the Gnostics |
 |
|
Save the Gnostics
2007 10 14
By Nathaniel Deutsch | nytimes.com
Mandeans are a small pre-Christian sect that view the John the Baptist as their savior. The religion combines some aspects of Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Gnosticism. There are an estimated 100,000 Mandeans worldwide, mainly in Iraq and Iran 
Baptism is the most important rite.
The central rite of the Mandean cult is immersion in water, which is regarded as a symbol of life. The greater the number of ablutions performed the better. Mandeans must face the North Star during prayers. Mandeans are only allowed to marry other Mandeans in order to preserve pure bloodlines.
The United States didn�t set out to eradicate the Mandeans, one of the oldest, smallest and least understood of the many minorities in Iraq. This extinction in the making has simply been another unfortunate and entirely unintended consequence of our invasion of Iraq � though that will be of little comfort to the Mandeans, whose 2,000-year-old culture is in grave danger of disappearing from the face of the earth.
CONT'D ...
http://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=2020
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandean |
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
