Parents in the Sitapur district of the Uttar Pradesh, a populous state in northern India, had their four year old daughter beaten, killed and burned in the hopes of becoming rich:
Parents sacrifice 4-yr-old girl to become rich
The couple, identified as Srikrishna and Ramdevi, were told by a “tantrik” (exorcist)that they would become rich if they [...]
This is terrible. If this doesn’t show what a crock of shit religion is, I don’t know what will.
Priest drowns baby during baptism:
Police are investigating Father Valentin for accidential homicide after witnesses at the ceremony said the priest did not cover the baby’s mouth during the ritual, The Sun newspaper reports.
Father Valentin had denied being responsible [...]
by VorJack
I’ve occasionally complained about the spread of magical thinking and belief in angels and demons. It seems to me that such ideas, which were once unfashionable, are becoming more widespread in America, particularly among the Pentecostal sects.
I think the very extreme end of this spectrum are visible in parts of Africa. [...]
We’ve all experienced pareidolia — we see elephants in the clouds or Jesus on a marmite lid — but rational folks realize it’s just our brains grasping for patterns.
And then there are the religious nutballs, who think that sewer stains on a wall is Jesus revealing himself.
Why does this happen? David McRaney explains:
Carl Sagan was one of the first scientists to [...]
The NYT Health blog has an article on how most Americans think a god is involved in our personal affairs:
When the “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell recently predicted the departure of the contestant Jermaine Sellers, the young singer shook his head in disagreement. “I know God,’’ he replied, pointing upward.
Two days later, when Mr. Sellers [...]
No, says atheists. Yes, says Christians. No, says Satanists. Yes, says Spiritual Satanists:
DOES SATAN EXIST?
Yes. He interacts with his Disciples and followers. Many of us have seen him, we have witnessed the so-called supernatural, and we have been given abilities way beyond that of the average person. When we ask, we get answers. Unlike other religions, [...]
Tim Challies, a Christian blogger, has been reading through the New York Times bestsellers at 10 Million Words. He recently reviewed a book on the science of near death experiences and concluded:
Of course as a Christian I have to grapple with asking exactly what a NDE [Near Death Experience] is. It seems irrefutable that many people, [...]