Weird and Religious
The ancient Norse believed that warriors who died bravely in battle were chosen by Valkyries and taken to Valhalla, where they would fight each other daily, die, come back to life, and feast every night. Eternal life was imagined as an endless cycle of violence and eating.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
1618, Bohemia in central Europe. Early Thirty Years War violence followed religious and political confrontation between Protestant nobles and Catholic authority. Each side justified armed action as defending the true Christian faith and resisting religious oppression imposed by rival confessions.
Fact
In Christianity, sin refers to actions and attitudes that separate people from God, and Christianity teaches that all humans are affected by sin.
Sacred texts
Sacred texts are presented as the strongest evidence religion has to offer. They are treated as the final word, the foundation, the proof that gods have spoken. When belief is challenged, scripture is raised like a shield. Read the book, believers say. The confidence is striking. It collapses quickly once the books are actually read with the expectation one would apply to any text claimed to be divine.
Quote of the day
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” Carl Sagan.
Ask the right question
How does the existence of severe natural disasters and childhood disease fit with the idea of an all powerful and benevolent deity?
Religious Crooks
John of God, born João Teixeira de Faria, was a Brazilian spiritual healer who claimed psychic surgery abilities and drew international followers, later convicted of sexual crimes, with long standing allegations that spiritual authority was used to exploit vulnerable people.
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.
If a real God existed, would he allow crooks to act on his behalf?