A Question regarding religious originations

[spero]

generally i would avoid using people as a source of information on a religion. examine the earliest possible literature or the most commonly agreed upon literature and read enough until you form your own opinions. After this, given your experience with cults, decide whether spirituality really needs a community or whether its ok to just be a personal pursuit. i generally find communities to be a way of enforcing interpretations of material and if you join the wrong one they can be a source of pain.

In my study of Buddhism i mostly explored the theravada branch and its texts, which is a substantial quantity. Always use your own discernment when reading any material claiming to be truth. A good site i made use of in my study was the following.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index.html

In any beginning study of Buddhism i would draw your attention to a text called the Kalama Sutta. I found it very refreshing the first time i read it and it is perhaps one of my favorite in the entire body of text

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/....than.html