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 questions the traditional celebration of Jesus' birthday and suggests a humorous scenario of Jesus blowing out candles and receiving wishes not to be crucified.
As we expand our knowledge and understanding of the world, the need for a "god bucket" to explain the unknown becomes less necessary. However, there may still be value in common myths and religion as a way to unify and connect people.
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.
A storyteller recounts their experience with a pastor's lecture and the thrill they felt from browsing the media feeds of various martyrs brigades.
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.
This podcast episode discusses the concept of religion and its association with nationalism and other beliefs like being a fan of a football team. The speaker also examines whether atheists can be more theocratic than religious people and talks about the origins of religion according to anthropology.
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 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.
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.
The speaker describes the negative feelings and belittlement experienced when facing control of one's personal relationships due to the influence of religious communities, and highlights the importance of personal responsibility.
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.
In this podcast episode, the speaker discusses the use of religious quotes and references in conversation and the strict practices of Coptic Christianity, including women being expected to submit to their husband's will.
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.
The speaker recounts their experience doing stand-up and their preference for Jewish over Catholic theology due to the emphasis on questioning.
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 speaker reflects on the idea of the rapture and how it influenced their perspective towards other people, and the manifestation of thoughts in different ways.
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.
This episode discusses how humans are religious beings by nature and vocation, meant to live in communion with God to find true happiness and fulfillment.
