Twenty strange religious beliefs

[Bubbles]

I saw this and thought it interesting

How many of them can you match up with a familiar religious tradition? (The answers are at the bottom.)

1.      The foreskin of [a holy one] may lie safeguarded in reliquaries made of gold and crystal and inlayed with gems--or it may have ascended into the heavens all by itself. (2)

2.      A race of giants once roamed the earth, the result of women and demi-gods interbreeding. (1, 6). They lived at the same time as fire breathing dragons. (1)

3.      Evil spirits can take control of pigs. (1)

4.      A talking donkey scolded a prophet. (1, 3)

5.      A righteous man can control his wife’s access to eternal paradise. (6)

6.      Brown skin is a punishment for disobeying God. (6)

7.      A prophet once traveled between two cities on a miniature flying horse with the face of a woman and the tail of a peacock. (4)

8.      [The Holy One] forbids a cat or dog receiving a blood transfusion and forbids blood meal being used as garden fertilizer. (7)

9.      Sacred underwear protects believers from spiritual contamination and, according to some adherents, from fire and speeding bullets (6)


10.  When certain rites are performed beforehand, bread turns into human flesh after it is swallowed. (2)

11.  Invisible supernatural beings reveal themselves in mundane objects like oozing paint or cooking food. (2)

12.  In the end times, [the Holy One’s] chosen people will be gathered together in Jackson County, Missouri. (6)

13.  Believers can drink poison or get bit by snakes without being harmed. (1)

14.  Sprinkling water on a newborn, if done correctly, can keep the baby from eons of suffering should he or she die prematurely. (2)

15.  Waving a chicken over your head can take away your sins. (3)

16.  [A holy one] climbed a mountain and could see the whole earth from the mountain peak. (1, 2)

17.  Putting a dirty milk glass and a plate from a roast beef sandwich in the same dishwasher can contaminate your soul. (3)

18.  There will be an afterlife in which exactly 144,000 people get to live eternally in Paradise. (

19.  Each human being contains many alien spirits that were trapped in volcanos by hydrogen bombs. (5)


20.  [A supernatural being] cares tremendously what you do with your penis. 1,2,3,4,6,7,8.

Key:  1-Evangelical or “Bible Believing” Christianity, 2-Catholic Christianity, 3-Judaism, 4-Islam, 5-Scientology, 6-Mormonism 7-Christian Science 8-Jehovah’s Witness


http://www.alternet.org/belief/20-weirdest-religious-beliefs

It's amazing what people can believe sometimes, but I suppose perhaps we all have our own " odd beliefs" , ones that others would find odd.

[Brownie]

I recognise them Rose but not all the descriptions are completely accurate.

Other people's beliefs seem strange.  Ours don't, to us.

[Bubbles]

I recognise them Rose but not all the descriptions are completely accurate.

Other people's beliefs seem strange.  Ours don't, to us.

True 

[Bubbles]

Here are some more strange groups

http://www.indiatimes.com/news/weird/13-religions-from-around-the-world-that-are-just-too-weird-to-be-mainstream-230890.html

It is interesting what people do believe though.

It shows how varied people's thoughts are.

[BeRational]

My beliefs are not strange!

I believe the Earth orbits the Sun.
I believe water is made of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom.
etc

[Udayana]

BeRational .. please post your location and we can dispatch a team to rescue you from that weird cult!

Atoms 

[BeRational]

BeRational .. please post your location and we can dispatch a team to rescue you from that weird cult!

Atoms 

My location is the real world. No strange beliefs.

[floo]

I think the 'born again' dogma is very strange indeed. The idea that anyone who converts will go to heaven, however bad they have been in this life, yet unbelievers will go to hell, however good and decent they are, is CRAZY!

[Udayana]

My location is the real world...

hmm .. doesn't seem to be on Google maps ... is it near Bournemouth?

Atoms may not seem strange to you, but could anything be stranger? Even the bits they are made up of may be up to something else when you are not looking?

Whizzing around, at over 30km/sec, a ball of hydrogen in the process of changing itself to something else - not strange at all?

It's all relative.

[BeRational]

hmm .. doesn't seem to be on Google maps ... is it near Bournemouth?

Atoms may not seem strange to you, but could anything be stranger? Even the bits they are made up of may be up to something else when you are not looking?

Whizzing around, at over 30km/sec, a ball of hydrogen in the process of changing itself to something else - not strange at all?

It's all relative.

Atoms themselves are strange, but belief in them is not.
This is because the belief is supported by vast amounts of testable evidence.

[jeremyp]

My beliefs are not strange!

I believe the Earth orbits the Sun.
I believe water is made of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom.
etc

Both of those beliefs are false, of course:

The Earth orbits the centre of mass of the solar system (as does the Sun).

Even a small drop of water has vastly more than two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom in it.

[BeRational]

Both of those beliefs are false, of course:

The Earth orbits the centre of mass of the solar system (as does the Sun).

Even a small drop of water has vastly more than two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom in it.

Agreed.

But telling people that the Earth and Sun are both in orbit of the mass of the solar system just confuses most people.

Indeed this is how we detect stars with planets by detecting the 'wobble'.

But the fact remains that belief in orbits is not strange, even if what is being believed seems strange. The reason is that the beliefs are supported by evidence.
Contrast this with a belief in say aliens abduction. We know abduction happens, we understand that life could exist elsewhere, but belief that they are coming here to abduct people is still strange as the evidence to support it, is just anecdotal.

[Bubbles]

My beliefs are not strange!

I believe the Earth orbits the Sun.
I believe water is made of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom.
etc

Perhaps you have a few other beliefs that would rate as strange  .

Not relating to what is thought of as scientific facts 

People think about lots of other things 

I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't all have a couple of ways of seeing the world that could rate as odd

 

[BeRational]

Perhaps you have a few other beliefs that would rate as strange  .

Not relating to what is thought of as scientific facts 

People think about lots of other things 

I do not think so.

I do not have strange beliefs.

[Bubbles]

I do not think so.

I do not have strange beliefs.

( then maybe you are a bit strange, by default) 

'All the world is queer save thee and me, and even thou art a little queer'.

[BeRational]

( then maybe you are a bit strange, by default) 

But I would still not have a strange belief.

Also, by assuming that everyone believes strange things is I would say odd.

Why would you assume that everyone believes some nonsense?

[Bubbles]

But I would still not have a strange belief.

Also, by assuming that everyone believes strange things is I would say odd.

Why would you assume that everyone believes some nonsense?

Because I have found most people, even the most rational have their Idiosyncrasies

Even geniuses like Einstein did.

 

[BeRational]

Because I have found most people, even the most rational have their Idiosyncrasies

Even geniuses like Einstein did.

What nonsense did he believe?

[SusanDoris]

Because I have found most people, even the most rational have their Idiosyncrasies

Even geniuses like Einstein did.

I do not have any strange beliefs. I can imagine an infinite number of strange things, but know how to checke whether they are true or false - and that is much more interesting and exciting than believing things for which there is zeero evidence.

[Brownie]

I enjoy escapist fantasy and on the odd occasion when I can achieve it, it is bliss.  Not often I'm afraid.  I don't kid myself it's real but wish it was.
None of that is 'belief' though, that's a different kettle of fish.

[Bubbles]

What nonsense did he believe?

I didn't use the word 'Nonsense' I said strange, or odd.

There is a world of difference.

His beliefs about relationships and how they functioned seems very strange as does how he reacted to his oldest sons choice of wife.

http://www.neatorama.com/2007/03/26/10-strange-facts-about-einstein/


His sometimes weird behaviour indicates some ' strange ' perceptions/beliefs  around relationships.

Plus for some reason he apparently never combed his hair.

There must have been a reason, underlying it.


Also the contract he drew up with his wife shows some very peculiar beliefs about relationships.

The relationship progressed. Einstein became estranged from his wife. The biography reprints a chilling letter from Einstein to his wife, a proposed "contract" in which they could continue to live together under certain conditions. Indeed that was the heading: "Conditions."

A. You will make sure
1. that my clothes and laundry are kept in good order;
2. that I will receive my three meals regularly in my room;
3. that my bedroom and study are kept neat, and especially that my desk is left for my use only.
B. You will renounce all personal relations with me insofar as they are not completely necessary for social reasons...

There's more, including "you will stop talking to me if I request it." She accepted the conditions. He later wrote to her again to make sure she grasped that this was going to be all-business in the future, and that the "personal aspects must be reduced to a tiny remnant." And he vowed, "In return, I assure you of proper comportment on my part, such as I would exercise to any woman as a stranger." (Source)

http://www.neatorama.com/2007/03/26/10-strange-facts-about-einstein/

 
 

[BeRational]

I didn't use the word 'Nonsense' I said strange, or odd.

There is a world of difference.

His beliefs about relationships and how they functioned seems very strange as does how he reacted to his oldest sons choice of wife.

http://www.neatorama.com/2007/03/26/10-strange-facts-about-einstein/


His sometimes weird behaviour indicates some ' strange ' perceptions/beliefs  around relationships.

Plus for some reason he apparently never combed his hair.

There must have been a reason, underlying it.

These do not represent strange beliefs.

He had his opinion on relationships but so what.

His fashion was not to your taste, but then again so what.

[Bubbles]

These do not represent strange beliefs.

He had his opinion on relationships but so what.

His fashion was not to your taste, but then again so what.

An opinion is an expression of belief, it's how someone sees the order of things.

Odd habits often have their root in odd beliefs or perceptions.

[BeRational]

An opinion is an expression of belief, it's how someone sees the order of things.

Odd habits often have their root in odd beliefs or perceptions.

How people dress is not a belief, it is a personal taste.

People have odd strange tastes perhaps.

But I say again, I do not have any strange beliefs as far as I am aware.

If I am made aware of one, guess what, I will stop believing it.

[Bubbles]

How people dress is not a belief, it is a personal taste.

People have odd strange tastes perhaps.

But I say again, I do not have any strange beliefs as far as I am aware.

If I am made aware of one, guess what, I will stop believing it.

Be Rational, please don't take offence but you are too hung up about being "normal"

The occasional strange belief won't kill you 

Some of the greatest minds were eccentrics, which involves being a bit odd.

It's ok to be yourself and an individual. It's ok not to be 100% rational as long as you don't hurt someone else.

Let it all hang out, now and again 

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