Weird and Religious
Some medieval Christians believed in “corpse medicine.” Powder made from human skulls or fat from executed criminals was used as a cure, based on the idea that life force or spiritual power remained in the body.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
2005 to 2014, northern Nigeria. Boko Haram carried out bombings, massacres, and mass kidnappings, including schoolgirls. The group justified violence as rejecting Western education, enforcing strict Islam, and punishing Muslims and Christians seen as collaborators, promising divine approval for warfare.
Fact
In Buddhism, compassion is a major virtue, as Buddhism encourages concern for the suffering of all living beings and the wish to reduce that suffering.
Religion and Storytelling
Storytelling is central to religion. Humans do not think in statistics but in narratives. A story with characters, motives, and consequences is easier to remember and transmit than a complex explanation or an honest admission of ignorance. Gods became characters in humanity’s longest-running story. They explained the seasons, justified suffering, and promised resolution. Each retelling polished the narrative. Gaps were filled, contradictions ignored, and authority added. Over generations, stories turned into myths, myths into doctrines, and doctrines into sacred truth. The original fear that inspired them was forgotten, but the structures remained.
Quote of the day
“The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a lunatic asylum.” Thomas Paine.
Ask the right question
Why should extraordinary supernatural claims be exempt from the same standards of evidence used in every other field?
Religious Crooks
Edd Branson is a Zimbabwean prophet known for prophecy and miracle branding, with critics alleging that religious image and promises are used as part of a money generating enterprise.
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.
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.