Weird and Religious
The Kaaba in Mecca, now the central shrine of Islam, contained many tribal idols before Islam. Pilgrimage to the site already existed, and different groups visited to honour their own gods. Islam kept the pilgrimage but removed the idols and redefined the focus to one God.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
1675, New England in colonial America. King Philip’s War involved brutal fighting between English Puritans and Native peoples. Puritan leaders described the war in biblical terms, portraying Native groups as heathens and the conflict as a providential struggle for a godly society.
Fact
In Christianity, the church is understood as a spiritual community, and Christianity sees it as the body of believers rather than only a building or institution.
Population control
Religion has always provided an efficient system helping rulers control populations. Fear of punishment extended beyond death, and eternal consequences made compliance cheap and effective. Surveillance became supernatural, as god was believed to see everything, and even thought became subject to moral scrutiny. This internalised authority reduced the need for constant force because people learned to police themselves. Guilt replaced chains, and confession replaced rebellion, moving power from the body into the mind.
Quote of the day
“Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned.” Anonymous
Ask the right question
Why are supernatural explanations usually replaced by natural ones as knowledge grows, but never the reverse?
Religious Crooks
Edd Branson is a Zimbabwean prophet known for prophecy and miracle branding, with critics alleging that religious image and promises are used as part of a money generating enterprise.
For more information, google the name.
Almost all of the crooks appearing in this section have their own wikipedia page.
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.