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
2018, Burkina Faso. Islamist militants attacked churches and Christian villages. Groups justified violence as jihad, targeting Christians and local Muslims who cooperated with the state, aiming to impose their version of Islamic rule.
Fact
In Wicca, seasonal festivals called Sabbats are observed, and Wicca marks changes in the year such as solstices, equinoxes, and harvest times.
The comfort of certainty
Religion offers a moral framework that simplifies choices. Clear rules about right and wrong remove the burden of moral reasoning and replace it with obedience. For many, this produces a sense of clarity and integrity. Life feels easier when every decision has a prescribed answer. The price is the loss of independent moral growth, but the psychological reward can still be significant. In highly prescriptive systems, moral guidance extends into the smallest details of life, relieving people of responsibility while granting them the comfort of certainty.
Quote of the day
“Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.” Napoleon Bonaparte.
Ask the right question
Why do prophecies in religious texts tend to be vague, symbolic or written after the events they appear to predict?
Religious Crooks
Keith Raniere led NXIVM, a group framed in part with spiritual and self improvement language, and was convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking, with the organisation described as using quasi religious authority to control and exploit members.
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.
Religion is supposed to bring morality but it also seem to bring a lot of crooks who take advantage of people.