Weird and Religious
Early Christianity had groups who believed extreme self denial brought them closer to holiness. Some hermits lived on top of pillars for years, exposed to the weather, preaching to people below. These “pillar saints” thought physical suffering purified the soul.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
1984, Amritsar in India. Indian forces stormed the Golden Temple complex to remove Sikh militants, causing heavy casualties and damage to a sacred site. Militants had framed their campaign as defence of Sikh faith and rights, while the state justified action as restoring order.
Fact
In Christianity, Jesus Christ is regarded as the Son of God, and Christianity teaches that his life, teachings, death, and resurrection are central to God’s plan for humanity.
The illusion of control
Early humans did not understand bad weather as bad luck or atmospheric physics but as displeasure expressed by higher powers. Drought meant anger, flood meant punishment, and storms meant warning, which gave humans a sense of control because if events had intention behind them, then behaviour mattered. Appeasement became possible, and through rituals, sacrifices, and obedience, people created the feeling that something could be done. The illusion of influence was preferable to helplessness, and although these actions achieved nothing, they reduced anxiety and made existence feel more ordered and less arbitrary.
Quote of the day
“The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself.” Richard Francis Burton.
Ask the right question
Why does moral progress, such as opposition to slavery or support for gender equality, often come after resistance from religious authorities?
Religious Crooks
Theodore McCarrick was a high ranking Catholic cardinal who was laicised after church investigations concluded he had sexually abused adults and minors, with findings that his senior religious position enabled misconduct over decades.
For more information, google the name.
Every country in the world has its fair share of spiritual crooks.
Religion is supposed to bring morality but it also seem to bring a lot of crooks who take advantage of people.