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.
Religious institutions have played an instrumental role in expanding our moral circles beyond our immediate tribe, enabling cooperation on a larger scale and fostering the cultural evolution of morality. The significance lies in the fact that religion has historically facilitated the coordination of larger groups of people, which has paved the way for human advancements such as farming, and it continues to shape our moral mind today.
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 discusses two different experiences of intimate questioning in religious settings, including questions about sex, drugs, and masturbation.
In this podcast, the speaker discusses the concept of God and how it has evolved over time. The speaker explains that the highest sense of God is the spirit that one must emulate in order to thrive.
In this episode, Sam Harris discusses the idea that religious moderates shelter fundamentalism and extremism by insisting we respect religious faith. He argues that the disposition to force others to live by the lights of one's own religious worldview needs to be opposed, particularly in the Muslim world where secularism is almost nonexistent.
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.
The future of religion involves an open source, decentralized system where people can fork it and store value in new assets, similar to how cryptocurrency is used today. The leaders will also dress casually, like Supreme streetwear style pastors.
This episode features a conversation about why it's important to approach religion with inclusivity in order for everyone to be accepted. It also discusses the challenges that religion faces with conflict around the world and how policy-making can empower those caught in conflict in different countries.
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.
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.
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.
Podcast host expresses frustration with the prayer rules in the Bible, stating that some feel repetitive and unnecessary.
The speaker discusses the possibility of a religious school not wanting to be associated with the undead and uses the example of a gym without crosses in it.
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.
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.
The podcast discusses former televangelist Jim Baker's attempt at redemption and the challenges he faces in winning over a new, forgiving community.
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.
The speaker reflects on their experience as a church leader, likening it to handing out pizza, singing, and looking after people. They also express uncertainty about whether they will be admitted into heaven.
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.
