Baron Samedi is an important spirit in the African diasporic religion of Haitian Voodoo. The Baron is a Loa. In Haitian culture, this means that he is a spirit that is responsible for assisting humans in the transition between the human world and the afterlife. Haitian Voodoo Haitian Voodoo (or Vodou) is a mixture of […]
Baron Samedi: Haitian Father of the Underworld Read More »
No, the Diet of Worms is not a literal consumption of worms — although that wouldn’t be too bad since they are a great source of protein and macronutrients! The Diet of Worms was actually an assembly of Catholic leaders in 1521 to discuss the unorthodox opinions of Martin Luther, a German religious leader. The
Diet of Worms: The Birth of Lutheranism and Protestantism Read More »
The Church is supposed to be about love and worship. So, how did it end up in the middle of a war that lasted for three decades? The Thirty Years’ War is considered one of the most devastating wars in Central Europe. It caused the death of 4 to 12 million people from 1618 to
The Thirty Years’ War: Catholics Vs. Protestants Read More »
On March 26, 1997, the San Diego police received a disturbing call from someone who had just discovered 39 dead bodies in a mansion located in a luxurious gated community. As the police descended on the mansion it soon became clear that within this nondescript house, something sinister had taken place. Laid out before them
The World of Marshall Applewhite: UFOs, Suicide, and Cults Read More »
There are few images more moving and more influential than that of Thich Quang Duc and his symbolic self-immolation. In the turbulent landscape of early 1960s South Vietnam, this poignant moment of protest left the world both astonished and captivated. Thich Quang Duc was a devoted Buddhist monk, living in a nation torn by turmoil
The Self-Immolation and Protest of Thích Quảng Đức Read More »
Social scientists and philosophers have long argued that “god” is nothing more than a construct of the primitive human mind. A result of the fundamental need to explain the unexplainable. But could it be that a specific area of the brain is responsible for triggering spiritual and religious thoughts? Could humankind’s relationship with “god” be
Are Humans Hard-Wired for Religion? The “God Module” Read More »
The so-called “Summer of Love” took place in San Francisco, California in 1967. It turned the San Francisco Bay area into a tourist destination for the curious and thrill-seeking; those wanting to witness the “Hippie” phenomenon for themselves. The newspapers made it sound like the media event of the year. On February 6, 1967, Newsweek printed a
The Life of Anton LaVey: Self-Ordained High Priest of Satan Read More »
Judas Iscariot is infamously known as being the guy who ratted out Jesus and sent him to his death on the cross. He’s so well-known that even people who know nothing about the biblical story still know that anyone who’s a traitor can be called a “Judas.” But if Judas is so notorious, then why
The Death of History’s Notorious Traitor: Unraveling Judas’ Mysterious End Read More »
According to the Gospel of Luke, three women visited Jesus’ tomb very early on the Sunday morning after his crucifixion. They brought spices with them and were planning to anoint his body before burial. They were shocked, however, to find that the giant stone that had been used to seal the entrance had been rolled
The Puzzling Search for the Tomb of Jesus Read More »
Pontius Pilate was a Roman prefect whose name has become forever entwined with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Despite being a central figure in a story that has been told for over two millennia, we know little about the man himself and the events that shaped his life after the crucifixion. Early works by Josephus,
What Happened to Pontius Pilate, the Man Who Condemned Jesus? Read More »
