Weird and Religious
Among the ancient Greeks, the oracle at Delphi delivered prophecies while in a trance, possibly induced by gases rising from a geological fault. Her unclear words were interpreted by priests, giving divine authority to ambiguous statements.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
2016, Dhaka in Bangladesh. Islamist Muslim militants attacked a cafe, killing hostages including foreigners. Attackers declared allegiance to Islamic State and justified the act as jihad, targeting those labelled non believers and enemies of Islam.
Fact
In Taoism, leadership is ideally gentle, and Taoism often presents the best ruler as one who governs lightly and avoids harsh control.
Contradictions in religion
Religion presents itself as internally consistent and logically complete, yet it survives only by asking believers to hold mutually incompatible ideas at the same time. These contradictions are not minor theological quirks; they sit at the core of religious belief and cannot be resolved without abandoning either reason or honesty. The most common response is not to solve them but to normalise them, teaching believers that contradiction is mystery and confusion is depth. One of the clearest examples is the claim that god is all powerful and that everything happens according to god’s will while simultaneously insisting that god is not responsible for evil. If god controls all events, then god controls evil, and if god does not control evil, then god is not all powerful. There is no third option that preserves both claims.
Quote of the day
“No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says. He is always convinced that it says what he means.” George Bernard Shaw.
Ask the right question
If a god values honesty, why reward belief based on faith rather than evidence?
Religious Crooks
Efraín Ríos Montt is more political, so instead take Efrain Rios Montt style cases out and use José Mercau, a self proclaimed Catholic mystic in Argentina, who was convicted of sexual abuse after presenting himself as a spiritual healer with special powers.
For more information, google the name.
If a real God existed, would he allow crooks to act on his behalf?