Weird and Religious
The ancient Maya performed bloodletting rituals on themselves, including piercing tongues or genitals, because blood was thought to feed the gods and open portals to the spirit world. Pain was treated as a communication tool with the divine.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
7 October 2023, southern Israel near Gaza. Hamas militants carried out mass killings, kidnappings, and assaults on civilians in homes, roads, and at a music festival. The attack was justified by Hamas using Islamist language about jihad, liberation of Muslim land, defence of Al Aqsa, and religious duty tied to the belief the land is an Islamic trust.
Fact
In Islam, financial dealings are regulated, and Islam forbids interest based lending in traditional interpretations while encouraging trade, charity, and fair contracts.
Acceptance, not evidence
There is a distinction between claims that matter and those that do not. Everyday assertions are often accepted without scrutiny because the stakes are low. If someone claims there is an ant under the carpet, few people demand proof. If someone claims a god exists, dictates morality, judges behaviour, and determines eternal fate, the burden of proof is immense. Extraordinary claims that carry extraordinary consequences require extraordinary evidence. Religion offers none, yet demands acceptance.
Quote of the day
“I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.” Susan B. Anthony.
Ask the right question
Why would a god allow false religions to flourish for thousands of years and mislead billions of people?
Religious Crooks
Herbert W. Armstrong founded the Worldwide Church of God, preaching apocalyptic messages while building a media and education empire funded by tithes, with later internal scandals and financial controversies after his leadership period.
For more information, google the name.
Every country in the world has its fair share of spiritual crooks.
That was just a tiny case in a vast ocean of religious crooks.