Weird and Religious
In ancient Mesopotamia, people carried small clay statues of gods in their homes, but if disaster struck they sometimes punished the statue, even throwing it away, as though the god had failed in its duty. The relationship with the divine could be treated like a contract.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
1992 to 1995, Bosnia. Serb Orthodox, Croat Catholic, and Bosniak Muslim forces committed ethnic cleansing, sieges, and massacres. Religious identity markers were used to justify expulsion and killing, portraying war as defence of faith communities and sacred national heritage.
Fact
In Buddhism, chanting is often practised, and Buddhism uses repeated recitation of teachings or sacred phrases to focus the mind and cultivate devotion or mindfulness.
Numbers don't matter
Truth is not determined by consensus. Something does not become true because many people believe it. History is filled with widely accepted falsehoods that collapsed under evidence. People once widely accepted that the Sun revolved around the Earth, that disease came from bad air rather than invisible microbes, and that stomach ulcers were mainly caused by stress or spicy food. Religion often appeals to tradition, numbers, or longevity as proof. These are social facts, not indicators of accuracy. The universe does not adjust itself to human agreement.
Quote of the day
“What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence.” Christopher Hitchens.
Ask the right question
Why do religions warn against doubt rather than encouraging open and critical examination of their claims?
Religious Crooks
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s case is highly contested and usually treated as a theological dispute rather than fraud, so instead a clearer example is Wayne Bent, leader of the Lord Our Righteousness Church, who claimed prophetic authority while controlling followers’ lives and finances, later convicted on charges related to abuse of minors.
For more information, google the name.
Almost all of the crooks appearing in this section have their own wikipedia page.
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.