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 speaker recalls a cringe-worthy conversation with a Catholic priest who asked about his plans for having children.
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.
A father struggles to discuss religion with his child due to the amount of pain and suffering it has caused throughout history.
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 speaker reflects on their relationship with their grandmother, their experience living with her, their career working in a nursery school for 30 years, and their understanding of God's inclusive nature.
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 speaker criticizes the extreme opinions of religious leaders like Paige Patterson and Paul Pressler, and mocks the lack of life experience of Mormon missionaries. They also make a disturbing comment about a fictional hierarchy of children on a private hunting preserve.
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.
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.
The church has always come together, invoked the Holy Spirit, and formulated a united faith that has been passed on throughout the world. As a mother teaches her children to speak, the church teaches us the language of faith and introduces us to the understanding and life of faith.
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.
The speaker recounts their experience doing stand-up and their preference for Jewish over Catholic theology due to the emphasis on questioning.
Punishing children with religion may give them a negative image and cause spiritual trauma, defeating the purpose of the religion.
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 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.
Comedian Joe Rogan and his guest discuss various religious views on bestiality and the consequences of engaging in such behavior.
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.