Weird and Religious
In 7th century Arabia, poetry was so culturally important that public recitations could raise or destroy a tribe’s reputation. Poets were seen as having almost supernatural verbal power, and verses could function like political weapons long before written law was widespread.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
2014, Syria and Iraq under Islamic State expansion. The group massacred Shia Muslims, Christians, and others, destroying shrines and churches. It justified killings and enslavement through extremist interpretations of Islam, claiming divine command to eliminate unbelief and establish a caliphate.
Fact
In Buddhism, monastic life plays an important role, with Buddhism establishing communities of monks and nuns who follow detailed rules and devote themselves to practice and teaching.
Imagination and ritual
Understanding the early gods of war, sex, and crops strips religion of its later mystique. These beings were never about cosmic meaning or universal ethics. They were attempts to control an uncontrollable environment using imagination and ritual. They were invented because humans needed leverage where none existed. That they later became moral judges and eternal creators does not erase their origins. It only hides them.
Quote of the day
“Where knowledge ends, religion begins.” Benjamin Disraeli.
Ask the right question
If sacred sites are special to god, why do they correspond so closely to places important in local history and politics?
Religious Crooks
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar leads the Art of Living Foundation, presenting spiritual and breathing practices worldwide, while critics have questioned the organisation’s finances, land use, and commercialisation of spirituality despite its charitable image.
For more information, google the name.
Today we took a look at yet another religious crook but there are hundreds of thousands of them. You could spend a lifetime researching the topic.