Weird and Religious
Some early Christian monks believed that demons caused distracting thoughts, including ordinary desires or random ideas. A stray thought about food or comfort could be treated as a literal attack by an invisible being rather than a normal mental process.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
2020, Cabo Delgado in Mozambique. Islamist Muslim insurgents attacked villages, beheaded civilians, and displaced thousands. The group justified violence as jihad to establish Islamic rule, punish those cooperating with the state, and cleanse society of un-Islamic influence.
Fact
In Jainism, monks and nuns follow very strict rules, and Jainism includes careful walking and filtering of water to prevent accidental harm.
Religion and politics
As political systems evolved, religion adjusted to remain aligned with them. When monarchies consolidated power, gods became kings of heaven. When empires expanded, gods became universal rulers. When empires fractured, religions splintered into competing authorities. When modern states appeared, religion shifted from direct rule to moral influence. The form changed, but the function did not. Religion has always attached itself to the dominant structure and sanctified it. The same pattern continues today. Religious language is used to justify laws, restrict rights, and mobilise voters. God is invoked to oppose equality, control bodies, and defend tradition. The tone is gentler, but the purpose is identical. Divine authority still shields human power from examination, and political ambition still hides behind holiness.
Quote of the day
“You can safely assume that you have created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.” Anne Lamott.
Ask the right question
If a soul is immaterial, how does it interact with the physical brain without violating what is known about physics?
Religious Crooks
Sun Myung Moon founded the Unification Church and built a global religious and business empire, facing tax evasion conviction in the United States and long running allegations that followers were subjected to heavy financial pressure.
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.