Weird and Religious
Early Christianity had groups who believed extreme self denial brought them closer to holiness. Some hermits lived on top of pillars for years, exposed to the weather, preaching to people below. These “pillar saints” thought physical suffering purified the soul.
Religious image of the day.
In the name of religion
2014, Syria and Iraq under Islamic State expansion. The group massacred Shia Muslims, Christians, and others, destroying shrines and churches. It justified killings and enslavement through extremist interpretations of Islam, claiming divine command to eliminate unbelief and establish a caliphate.
Fact
In Buddhism, monasteries function as centres of learning and practice, and Buddhism relies on these communities to preserve teachings and provide guidance.
Different approach
Science welcomes the unknown and does not fear gaps in knowledge but identifies them as problems to be solved, treating the unknown not as sacred but as provisional, since every unanswered question is an invitation to investigate rather than an altar to kneel before, while religion does the opposite by declaring the unknown off limits and calling that declaration wisdom.
Quote of the day
“The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself.” Richard Francis Burton.
Ask the right question
Why would an eternal, self sufficient being create humans at all, and what need would that fulfil?
Religious Crooks
Theodore McCarrick was a high ranking Catholic cardinal who was laicised after church investigations concluded he had sexually abused adults and minors, with findings that his senior religious position enabled misconduct over decades.
For more information, google the name.
Religion is supposed to bring morality but it also seem to bring a lot of crooks who take advantage of people.