Weird and Religious
In parts of Southern Africa, traditional healers called sangomas are believed to be chosen by ancestors through illness or disturbing dreams. Training involves learning to communicate with spirits, interpret bones thrown on the ground, and diagnose spiritual causes of problems.
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 Sikhism, initiation into the Khalsa is significant for many, and Sikhism includes a ceremony in which individuals commit to a disciplined religious life.
Divine mirror
God, the divine mirror, has never revealed anything new. It has reflected the human face enlarged and idealised, with every virtue and flaw preserved. Gods did not unveil humanity to the universe; humanity unveiled itself to itself and mistook the image for something greater. Once that recognition occurs, the illusion does not shatter in outrage but dissolves quietly, replaced by a steadier understanding. The gods were never above or beyond humanity. They were humanity, imagining itself vast and unbreakable because life felt too small, too brief, and too uncertain to face without a reflection grand enough to worship.
Quote of the day
“Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man.” Thomas Paine.
Ask the right question
If a prophet speaks for god, how can ordinary people reliably distinguish a true prophet from a deluded or manipulative one?
Religious Crooks
Wayne Bent, also known as Michael Travesser, led a small apocalyptic Christian sect, claimed prophetic authority, and exercised strict control over followers’ lives and resources, later convicted on charges involving minors within the group.
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.