... {There} is at least one dualist Gnostic religion of ancient origin that still exists in the world. I am thinking of the Mandaeans, the largest number of whom live in Iraq and Iran. there are Mandaeans scattered about the USA, and there are some in Europe. it appears that there are quite a few in Australia. i believe that the Mandaeans outside of Iraq & Iran are emigrants from those countries.
they are of pre-Christian origin, and don't identify themselves as Christians or Muslims. i had read on the Australian Mandaean website that they do not proselytize or accept converts (i couldn't find the note about not accepting converts today -- the site has been revised since i last looked at it a few years ago.) here are some links:
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0831487.html
(from the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, a brief sketch about them & their religion )
http://www.mandaean.com.au
(the Australian Mandaean website. alot of photos and alot of information. click on the icons to watch Iranian & Iraqi satellite TV, or to listen to Iranian & Iraqi radio! ya just gotta watch, and ya just gotta listen! of course, it helps if you speak Arabic or Farsi. but don't blame me if your government becomes suspicious of you for listening/watching these stations! )
geocities.com/usamandaean/who.html
Link and website are dead. The MIA webpage can be accessed via the Wayback Machine:
https://web.archive.org/web/20021218123004/http://www.geocities.com/usamandaean/who.html
(this site too has a good deal of information about them, including a discussion of the Mandaic language and alphabet. it also has pages called "Kids' World" and "Teen World.")
geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/8522/mandaeanworld.html
Link and website are dead. The MIA website is at least partially archived at the Wayback Machine:
https://web.archive.org/web/2002120...ies.com/Athens/Thebes/8522/mandaeanworld.html
(this site may be related to or an earlier or later version of the USAMANDAEAN site noted above. it has some different info, and from this site you can access sites on "Uroboros: The Gnostic Ring.")
good luck!
they are of pre-Christian origin, and don't identify themselves as Christians or Muslims. i had read on the Australian Mandaean website that they do not proselytize or accept converts (i couldn't find the note about not accepting converts today -- the site has been revised since i last looked at it a few years ago.) here are some links:
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0831487.html
(from the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, a brief sketch about them & their religion )
http://www.mandaean.com.au
(the Australian Mandaean website. alot of photos and alot of information. click on the icons to watch Iranian & Iraqi satellite TV, or to listen to Iranian & Iraqi radio! ya just gotta watch, and ya just gotta listen! of course, it helps if you speak Arabic or Farsi. but don't blame me if your government becomes suspicious of you for listening/watching these stations! )
Link and website are dead. The MIA webpage can be accessed via the Wayback Machine:
https://web.archive.org/web/20021218123004/http://www.geocities.com/usamandaean/who.html
(this site too has a good deal of information about them, including a discussion of the Mandaic language and alphabet. it also has pages called "Kids' World" and "Teen World.")
Link and website are dead. The MIA website is at least partially archived at the Wayback Machine:
https://web.archive.org/web/2002120...ies.com/Athens/Thebes/8522/mandaeanworld.html
(this site may be related to or an earlier or later version of the USAMANDAEAN site noted above. it has some different info, and from this site you can access sites on "Uroboros: The Gnostic Ring.")
good luck!
Last edited by a moderator: