A CEO shares how his studies with a rabbi led him to see that the point of religion is to create and build things, emphasizing the importance of connection and productivity.
People who handle snakes religiously do it through total and complete faith, a practice known as holiness serpent handling. The handling of snakes in this way is rarely seen in person but considered a sacred act for the participants.
The guest emphasizes the power of religion not just in providing answers to cosmic questions but also in elevating individuals beyond their ego and enabling contact with other things.
The speaker reflects on the pointless work of Jewish concentration camp prisoners and how it relates to questioning the belief in a loving, protective God after experiences of tragic loss such as 9-11 or the pandemic.
The foundation for the Ten Commandments may have been laid in Egyptian wisdom literature, which does not imply a contradiction with the Christian faith as all religions may be telling the same story. The story of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai may be traced back to his knowledge of Egyptian royalty's rights and wisdom literature.
Comedian Pete Holmes discusses personal faith journeys and the transitions made by his own family members, including his father's shift to Orthodox Judaism.
The speaker reminisces about his desire to fight and his religious curiosity.
The speaker believes that as we move forward, there will be a movement that puts more emphasis on life than death and that there will be a shift away from traditional religions.
A group is being accused of making members sign lifetime vows of obedience and giving collateral to join. One young woman was excitedly told by her master that she had to give collateral to join.
This essay recounts the history of the Unification Church's (aka the Moonies) business ventures, including the founding of the American Tuna fishing company, and reflects on the author's personal experience with the church's influence in his family's life.
The podcast host and guests discuss how their views on religion have evolved and how it has impacted their relationships with others. They share personal experiences and insights on the challenges of questioning and challenging religious beliefs.
A discussion about the mental gymnastics involved in using God as a justification for extreme actions, including murder and child marriage, as well as claims of divine revelation about game show appearances.
Some argue that delivering food or medicine might be more helpful to impoverished countries than donating Bibles, but others insist that eternal salvation is more important.
Nicole shares her experience working briefly at the temple and how things started to change after the Phoenix New Times article came out. She was not getting the training she had signed up for so decided to leave before she heard about the raid.
The human concept of an all-powerful, omnipotent being is limited by our own physical form and perspective, making it impossible for us to truly comprehend what it means to be God-like.
In this episode, the speaker talks about their first encounter with a sex magazine and how it opened up a world they didn't even know existed due to the strict religious upbringing they had.
The guest speaker shares his thoughts on the importance of maintaining objectivity in spiritual and religious practices and how formalized religion can act as a middleman in connecting with a higher power.
Punishing children with religion may give them a negative image and cause spiritual trauma, defeating the purpose of the religion.
Patience and eagerness are key when seeking to understand God's revelation through scripture and tradition, and trusting that answers will come in due time.
The speaker shares their experience growing up in a Pentecostal Christian family and attending Berea Christian Church and later Hillsong, where some feel that the wealthy and good-looking are given priority seating.
The podcast discusses the difficulty of reconciling religious beliefs with scientific evidence and how this affects people's views of the world.
Native peoples took on some religious beliefs of the Christian settlers. A woman who lost her partner to death due to frigid weather was afraid of becoming a windigo if she ate his flesh, and she left him in her shelter due to her beliefs.
A man recalls a conversation with Father Williams, who made fun of his height and commented on his friend's mother in a derogatory manner, while also referencing inappropriate comments made by Father Dub towards his friend.
A woman shares her custody battle experience and how her husband didn't want their sons to attend any religious services, which led to a court allowing supervised visitation for a certain timeframe while she was at church.
Despite financial challenges and personal obstacles, Jim, a pastor in a low-income community, puts his heart and soul into his church with the help of his dedicated partner.
