Weird and Religious
Some strands of Buddhism in Japan developed warrior monks who took part in armed conflict. These monks combined religious life with military training and sometimes marched on cities to pressure political authorities, showing that monastic life did not always mean peace.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
622 to 630, Arabian Peninsula. Early Muslim community conflicts under Muhammad included battles such as Badr and the conquest of Mecca. Fighting was justified in Islamic terms as defence of the Muslim community, struggle against persecution, and establishing God’s rule over society and sacred space.
Fact
In Zoroastrianism, heaven and hell are part of belief, and Zoroastrianism links these states to the balance of a person’s moral life.
The ignorant Muslim
Islam provides a particularly clear case study of believers not knowing their own religion. Many Muslims proudly declare the Qur’an to be perfect, eternal, and unmatched, yet they have never read it in a language they understand. Large numbers cannot read Arabic at all. They recite sounds without meaning and are taught that the act itself is virtuous. Understanding becomes secondary. Submission is primary. This is not a flaw in the system. It is the system working as intended.
Quote of the day
“Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.” Blaise Pascal.
Ask the right question
If religious stories are symbolic, how does one decide which parts are metaphor and which are historical fact?
Religious Crooks
Peter Popoff is a faith healer who claimed divine revelations about people in his audience while using hidden radio earpieces to receive information, later declaring bankruptcy and then returning to television ministry selling “miracle” products.
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.