Weird and Religious
During the European witch trials, animals called “familiars” were believed to be demons in disguise helping witches. A pet cat, toad, or even a fly could be presented in court as evidence of a pact with the Devil.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
1478 onward, Spain. The Spanish Inquisition targeted Jews and Muslims who had converted to Christianity but were suspected of false belief. Arrests, torture, and executions were justified as defending Catholic orthodoxy, purifying society, and saving souls from heresy and divine punishment.
Fact
In Christianity, judgement is affirmed, and Christianity teaches that human lives will ultimately be evaluated in relation to God’s standards.
Merging gods
As societies became more complex, the functional gods were merged, ranked, or replaced. Their responsibilities expanded. War gods absorbed justice. Fertility gods absorbed family structure. Agricultural gods absorbed calendars and law. What began as narrow functions slowly turned into broader authority. This expansion was not driven by revelation. It was driven by social need. Religion followed power and necessity, not truth.
Quote of the day
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire.
Ask the right question
Why does divine revelation depend so heavily on the time, place and culture of the people receiving it?
Religious Crooks
Shin Ok-ju led the Grace Road Church movement linked to Fiji, presenting prophetic authority and was later convicted in South Korea for abuse of followers, with reports including coercion and mistreatment within a closed religious setting.
For more information, google the name.
Almost all of the crooks appearing in this section have their own wikipedia page.Every country in the world has its fair share of spiritual crooks.
If a real God existed, would he allow crooks to act on his behalf?