Weird and Religious
In ancient China, oracle bones were used to ask questions of ancestors or gods. Priests carved questions onto animal bones or turtle shells, then heated them until cracks formed. The pattern of cracks was read as an answer from the spirit world, making burnt bone a decision making device.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
2018, Burkina Faso. Islamist militants attacked churches and Christian villages. Groups justified violence as jihad, targeting Christians and local Muslims who cooperated with the state, aiming to impose their version of Islamic rule.
Fact
In Islam, fasting during the month of Ramadan is required for able adults, and Islam links this to self discipline, reflection, and awareness of the needy.
God needs prophets
Religion does not spread itself. It requires messengers. Gods do not announce their will directly to crowds. They speak to individuals who then speak for them. These individuals are called prophets, messiahs, seers, or chosen ones, but the pattern is consistent. A human claims exclusive access to divine truth and demands belief, obedience, or authority as a result. When examined closely, those who claim to speak for gods fall into a narrow and revealing range of human types. Some are sincere and mistaken, others are manipulative and others sit uncomfortably between delusion and calculation.
Quote of the day
“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.” Karl Marx.
Ask the right question
If revelation is the most important knowledge, why is it not delivered in a way that removes all reasonable doubt?
Religious Crooks
Robert Tilton is a US prosperity preacher who raised large sums through television appeals, later facing lawsuits and media investigations alleging deceptive fundraising and staged prayer practices.
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.
History tells us that wherever fools gathered, there was always a religious crook to take advantage of them. The best way to stop the crooks is not to be a fool.