Weird and Religious
The Inca of South America performed a ritual known today as capacocha, in which children considered physically perfect were taken to high mountains and left to die from exposure or were buried alive. This was done during important events such as the death of an emperor or natural disasters, as an offering to mountain spirits.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
2006, Iraq after the Samarra mosque bombing. Sunni and Shia Muslim militias carried out killings, kidnappings, and mosque attacks. Violence was justified as protecting Sunni or Shia Islam, avenging desecration of holy sites, and enforcing sectarian religious control over neighbourhoods.
Fact
In Sikhism, initiation into the Khalsa is significant for many, and Sikhism includes a ceremony in which individuals commit to a disciplined religious life.
Deluded prophets
Some so-called prophets sit uncomfortably between delusion and calculation. They may believe parts of their own narrative while shaping it to their advantage. Self-deception and manipulation are not mutually exclusive. Humans are remarkably capable of convincing themselves of their own righteousness while benefiting from it materially. Religion provides an ideal environment for this, as success is interpreted as divine favour and failure as divine testing. The feedback loop is perfect.
Quote of the day
“The easy confidence with which I know another man’s religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” Mark Twain.
Ask the right question
If sacred texts were preserved perfectly, why do we see variations, lost manuscripts and translation disputes?
Religious Crooks
Ravi Zacharias was a prominent Christian apologist whose ministry commissioned an independent investigation after his death, which concluded that he had engaged in sexual misconduct and exploited women while using his religious reputation as cover.
For more information, google the name.
Almost all of the crooks appearing in this section have their own wikipedia page.
If a real God existed, would he allow crooks to act on his behalf?