Stupid things religious people say

[Fake Messiah]

Here are some sayings by Frank Turek. He is celebrated in Christian circles as some sort of a thinker.

And although his claims are all obviously absurd, I commented few in the brackets.

●Even skeptics have faith. They have faith that skepticism is true.

●Likewise, agnostics have faith that agnosticism is true.

●In other words, atheists, who are naturally skeptical of Christianity, turn out to be true believers in atheism.

●As a Christian apologist, author, and native of India, Ravi Zacharias travels the world giving evidence for the Christian faith. He has an incisive intellect and an engaging personality, which makes him a favorite on college and university campuses.

(Of course, who else can be an admired teacher of Christianity if not a sexual predator.)

●The God of the Bible is not like Zeus, Apollo, Baal, and the rest, or even what the Bible calls an “angel.” God is not a created being among other beings inside the universe.

(Even the Bible describes Yahweh as just another god among other gods who frequently wants certain tribes of people to worship exclusively him or along with other gods. Even so, there is nothing that stops Zeus, Apollo, Baal, and etc. from being a "non-created being among other beings inside the universe.")

●If atheism is merely a lack of belief in God, then rocks, trees, and outhouses are all “atheists” because they, too, lack a belief in God.

●To claim that atheism is not a worldview is like saying anarchy is not really a political position. As Bo Jinn observes, “An anarchist might say that he simply ‘rejects politics,’ but he is still confronted with the inescapable problem of how human society is to organize itself, whether he likes the idea of someone being in charge or not.”

(No. Even though some people "bring god" into politics and create theocracies, that doesn't mean that belief of god is in any way needed to organize society. Neither is that an "inescapable problem". Even many religious politicians don't mix god in laws or any kind of politics.)

●Atheists can say they just “reject God,” but they are still confronted with the inescapable problem of how to explain ultimate reality.

(God is not needed to explain reality. It's like a Santa Claus believer claiming that without the belief in Santa Claus you cannot explain who brings presents on Christmas.)

●Dr. William Lane Craig asks an excellent question: If atheists are going to claim that things can pop into existence uncaused out of nothing, then why doesn’t everything do so? Why don’t iPads, Teslas, atheist books, and pizzas pop into existence out of nothing? If you’re hungry for a pizza right now, does it make more sense to order one or just wait and hope? Talk about faith.

[Fake Messiah]

Pastors in Ghana make female members remove their underpants during service and shave their pubic hair for easy deliverance of the Holy Spirit.

[Fake Messiah]

The ‘exorcism economy’ is flourishing – with consults starting at £100

According to reports in Russian media outlets such as Gazeta.ru, thousands of people in Russia are actively discussing exorcisms on social media. This is a spiritual ritual performed by a handful of Russian priests to expel spirits or demons from a person who is believed to be possessed.

Some people are travelling to well-known “exorcism destinations” such as Oryol Oblast about 400km south of Moscow. A priest there called Father Igor, the official exorcist of the local diocese, performs a ritual called otchitka. The ritual involves the priest reciting a set of prayers to help those deemed to be under the influence of spirits.

Other people are turning to the informal “exorcism economy”, which is offered by local mediums. Some have reported paying between 10,000 rubles (£98) and 20,000 rubles (£196) just for an initial consultation to determine whether they are truly possessed. Russia’s Orthodox Church warns that exorcism attempts should be left to members of the clergy.

Exorcism is embedded in the Orthodox tradition, with exorcism prayers first brought into Russian religious practice in the 17th century by Archbishop Peter Mogila. However, exorcisms remained rare until the late Soviet period.

Media reporting suggests that the business of “banishing demons” seen in present-day Russia is also reflective of a society under strain – but, in this case, one grappling with the effects of the war in Ukraine.

The Russian Orthodox Church’s appointment of Vladimir Putin as “chief exorcist” in 2022 could also help explain why some Russians have been drawn into a fight with their inner demons. The Russian president’s appointment came after the Kremlin called for Ukraine to be “desatanised”.

Russian audiences have spent nearly two decades watching the popular television show, Battle of the Psychics. This show showcases the supposed paranormal abilities of self-proclaimed healers, witches and mediums in various competitive challenges. A recent episode even featured a live exorcism.

Just as Battle of Psychics spawned a multimillion-ruble industry of celebrity healers, Russia’s wartime exorcism surge reveals a similar monetisation of fear and uncertainty. What was once a localised ritual appears to be evolving into a structured commercial service – a phenomenon I call “exorcism tourism”.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world...03879.html