Weird and Religious
Some West African traditions include the idea that twins are spiritually powerful. In certain cultures, if a twin dies, a small carved figure is made to represent the lost child. The figure is washed, fed, and carried by the mother as though it were alive.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
1692, Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands. Government soldiers killed members of Clan MacDonald after a delayed loyalty oath amid sectarian tension. Though political, it was partly justified as enforcing a Protestant settlement and suppressing rebellion associated with Catholic and Jacobite loyalties.
Fact
In Christianity, community leadership roles exist, and Christianity recognises positions such as pastors, elders, or priests to guide and serve congregations.
The expansion of gods
When societies expanded into city-states and empires, their gods expanded with them. Local spirits that once protected villages could not govern vast populations, and pantheons arose to reflect increasingly complex political systems. Gods developed hierarchies, families, and jurisdictions, mirroring the bureaucracies that managed the human world. Divine quarrels mirrored political struggles, and celestial order became an echo of imperial organisation. Religion evolved into a reflection of statecraft projected onto the heavens, its structure familiar precisely because it was copied.
Quote of the day
“I do not believe in God because I do not believe in Mother Goose.” Clarence Darrow.
Ask the right question
Why do religious conversion experiences occur in every religion and point in different directions?
Religious Crooks
Kirtanananda Swami, a leader in the Hare Krishna movement in the United States, oversaw a large commune and was later convicted on racketeering related charges, with the community also associated with abuse and exploitation under religious authority.
For more information, google the name.
Every country in the world has its fair share of spiritual crooks.
That was just a tiny case in a vast ocean of religious crooks.