Weird and Religious
Some Islamic traditions hold that a specific black stone set into the Kaaba in Mecca came down from paradise and was originally white but turned black because it absorbed the sins of humanity. Pilgrims try to kiss or touch it during pilgrimage, not because the stone itself is worshipped, but because it is linked to a sacred story about the beginning of human history.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
1996, Afghanistan, including Kabul. The Taliban seized power and imposed severe punishments, public executions, and strict social rules. They justified coercion and violence as enforcing Sharia, purifying society, and restoring Islamic order after chaos, labelling opponents as un-Islamic or corrupt.
Fact
In Sikhism, the goal of life is union with God, and Sikhism presents this as achieved through devotion, ethical conduct, and constant remembrance.
Blessing violence
Wars most clearly demonstrate the partnership between religion and rulers. Religion has rarely restrained violence; it has sanctified it. Enemies were redefined as unbelievers, heretics, or infidels, and killing them became an act of virtue. Land was seized under divine approval, and atrocities were reframed as holy duty. Across cultures and centuries, the same pattern repeats. Whenever violence serves power, religion provides its blessing.
Quote of the day
“Where knowledge ends, religion begins.” Benjamin Disraeli.
Ask the right question
If a god is the source of truth, why do honest investigation and doubt so often lead people away from religion rather than toward it?
Religious Crooks
Cho Hee-sung, leader of a South Korean religious group sometimes called the Victory Altar, was convicted of fraud and also faced allegations of sexual misconduct tied to his position as a messianic figure within the movement.
For more information, google the name.
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.