Weird and Religious
Some Islamic teachings describe paradise as containing rivers not only of water but also of milk, honey, and wine that does not intoxicate. The afterlife environment is portrayed with physical pleasures that do not behave according to normal earthly rules.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
1979, Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Islamist militants seized the Grand Mosque, leading to fighting and executions. The group claimed rulers were corrupt and un-Islamic, justifying rebellion as a religious obligation to purify Islam and restore true Islamic leadership.
Fact
In Confucianism, self control is important, and Confucianism links restraint and moderation with moral development.
Free Will collapse
Believers are trained to stop questioning at the point where logic becomes uncomfortable. Mystery is invoked, faith is praised, and doubt is moralised, and the contradictions are not solved because solving them would collapse the belief structure entirely.
Free Will, in particular, functions as a universal excuse. It is used to absolve god of evil, justify punishment, and preserve the illusion of moral responsibility, yet it cannot coexist with omniscience, divine planning, or eternal judgement, and it collapses under even minimal examination.
Quote of the day
“The fact that a believer is happier than a sceptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one.” George Bernard Shaw.
Ask the right question
Why do claims of demons, spirits and possession decline as medical and psychological knowledge increases?
Religious Crooks
John of God, born João Teixeira de Faria, was a Brazilian spiritual healer who claimed psychic surgery abilities and drew international followers, later convicted of sexual crimes, with long standing allegations that spiritual authority was used to exploit vulnerable people.
For more information, google the name.
Almost all of the crooks appearing in this section have their own wikipedia page.
Throughout history and still to this day, there has never been a shortage of religious leaders who were not always following their own spiritual advice.