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 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.
The podcast covered a range of topics, including a weed co-op for getting closer to God, staring at a hot wife, cultural misunderstandings, and ethnic changes as one travels further from home.
The speaker reminisces about his desire to fight and his religious curiosity.
The podcast host wonders how religion has aided people living in war-torn countries where death is omnipresent and the future is uncertain. He acknowledges that it's difficult to think about death and wonders if religion has implications for regulating aspects of everyday life.
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.
In this episode, the concept of eternal verities is discussed, along with the ways in which humans often fall short of them. The conversation also touches on the dangers of dogmatic religion and its potential to produce atrocity.
The podcast discusses how pagan celebrations and rituals were incorporated into Christian traditions and how certain practices were viewed as sacrilegious by the church.
The fact that most religious people are good doesn't mean that God exists. It's inaccurate to label all religious people as bad based on the actions of a small minority.
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.
Sam Harris and David Wolpe discuss the difficulty of having a conversation about religion without arousing strong emotions and how differing beliefs can lead to challenging discussions.
Tracy, a woman charged with prostitution, has been barred from using a religious freedom defense in her trial. The judge ruled that her beliefs cannot be used as a justification for breaking the law, even though she's still allowed to bring up her beliefs on a case-by-case basis.
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.
The speaker shares a vision of Jesus coming before his second coming to establish his people and appreciating their righteousness. The text also includes an ad for Athena Club's razor kit, which has skin guards to prevent razor burn and comes with blade heads, a magnetic hook, and a handle color of choice.
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.
Father Mike Schmitz discusses the mysteries of Jesus's public life, emphasizing the importance of faith and belief in his actions.
The podcast discusses the difficulty of reconciling religious beliefs with scientific evidence and how this affects people's views of the world.
A person shares their experience of seeing a band with a mix of ages, and later contrasts it with their visit to a Catholic church, before discussing what they have learned about Hillsong.
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.
Amidst a wave of consumerism in the 1980s, a religious awakening swept across Japan leading to the formation of numerous new religions, catering to people eager to embrace spiritual practices. One of the leaders, Shoko Asahara, initially drew inspiration from Chinese astrology and Taoism before delving into yoga, meditation and other secret traditions.
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.
A conversation about the difficulty in pronouncing the surname Schlesinger turns into a discussion about assumptions and stereotypes surrounding race and religion.
