6 Religious Movements of the Modern Era

New religious movements have never had it easy. Historically, they have been met with skepticism, anger and scorn by those of more mainstream faiths, but have none the less continued to arise at a steady clip for as long as the concept of religion has existed. While all of the major religious movements began at this stage at one time, the reality is that most budding religions die out (or are stamped out) before they ever get the chance the gain traction outside of their first few groups of followers. It may be the government, other religions or simple disinterest that finally does them in, but for those that can survive past their founding phase, a never ending battle for relevance and existence awaits. While many new religious movements of the modern day have been labeled cults or suffered damaging exposes and defections, the best example being Scientology, there are a handful that have gained decent traction in certain parts of the world and seem like they may have staying power. Below are six of these new religious movements, along with an overview of their history and basic beliefs. Enjoy.

1. Caodaism

Caodaism is a Vietnamese religious movement that blends elements of Christianity, Buddhism and traditional Vietnamese beliefs. The religion was founded in 1926 after the founder, Le Van Trung, claimed that several local mediums had contacted god, an entity that identified itself as Cao Dai, and revealed the blueprint for a new religion to them. Along with twenty seven others, Le Van Trung grew the movement to around a million people by 1940. Subsequent conflicts with the French and then the Communists drove the movement underground by the mid-seventies. It has only been since 1997 that the religion has again been given legal recognition.

The official name of the religion roughly translates to ‘The Third Great Universal Religious Amnesty’, a title that reflects Caodaists belief that we are currently living in a period of intense religious activity that they believe will ultimately lead to a period of divinely inspired human unification and peace. Cao Dai is god in their cosmology and he rules over the 36 planes of heaven, 10 realms of hell, 72 planets, 3000 worlds and 4 cosmic regions. He and Duc Phat Man, the Holy Mother, are the divine representations of the forces of yin and yang, with Cao Dai also representing the heart of the universe and the Holy Mother being considered the giver of form, consciousness and emotion. The Caodaists also believe in bodiless spirits that serve as communicators of god’s will and a pantheon of Saints that include Mohammad, Jesus, Buddha, Shakespeare, Louis Pasteur, Victor Hugo and Joan of Arc. A devote member of the faith professes to renounce materialism, take responsibility for the well being of those around them, venerate their ancestors and Cao Dai, and regard the soul of every living thing as part of Cao Dai. One of their most important symbols is the divine eye, an image meant to remind them that Cao Dai is always watching them and present in their lives.

The religion itself is organized much like the Catholic Church. There are priests, bishops, cardinals and even a pope who resides in his own Holy See northwest of Saigon. Communities with at least five hundred members justify the construction of a temple. Caodaists are expected to worship four times a day, either at the local temple or at home at their personal altar, and worship sessions generally consist of prayers to Cao Dai and offerings to one’s ancestors. Caodaists believe that men and women should hold equal places in society, though they do not let women in the highest ranks of the clergy since, in their belief system, Yang (male) cannot be dominate by Yin (female). The exact number of total Caodaists is unknown, but the Vietnamese government claims it is somewhere between four and six million people in Vietnam. The number outside of the country is small, only in the tens of thousands, if that, and it seems that Caodaism, while not in danger of dying out in the immediate future, holds little chance of spreading outside of Southeast Asia.

9 Intriguing Pre-Socratic Philosophers

Socrates is such a monumental figure in Western philosophy that all of the great thinkers of ancient Greece that came before him have been lumped into a group known as the Pre-Socratics or, the guys before Socrates. This use of Socrates as benchmark for when Western philosophy really took off makes it easy to assume that all of the men that came before him were some how less interesting or important than he was. In reality it was these men who provided the ‘great’s’ like Socrates, and by extension Plato and Aristotle, the material that large swathes of their works are based on. In fact most of what we know of these early philosophers and their ideas comes not from their own works, which have largely been lost, but from the references to them in the famous works of other, later Greek thinkers. Below are nine examples of philosophers from ancient Greece that predate this rise of Socrates and the ideas they’ve left behind. Enjoy.

1. Thales

Thales is considered by some, including Aristotle, to be the first philosopher of the Greek, and therefore Western, tradition. He lived between 624-546 BCE in Miletus, a Greek city-state in modern day Turkey, where he founded the Milesian school of philosophy. Thales was one of the first men in ancient Greece that we know of that openly wanted to eschew the old, mythic explanations of the world and instead try to see things as they really were. One of his most famous and important ideas was that the world, and everything in it, was all made up of a single ‘ultimate substance’. This idea took hold and became a major focus for many Greek philosophers. For Thales, this substance was water. Thales believed water held a special importance in the world and based his hypothesis on his observations that all life needed water to exist. Thinking water connected to the ability to give life and that it was present, if not the essence, of all things, Thales believed that all matter was literally alive. He also believed that the earth sat atop a massive body of water and that earthquakes, a common and unexplainable problem for the ancient Greeks, were caused by waves disturbing the land. While his ideas have ultimately been disproved, or improved upon (depends how you look at it), by modern science, Thales proved to be an important figure for the ancient Greek philosophers and his ideas permeated their own to a degree that makes him as important, if not more so, than Socrates or his students in the context of ancient Greece.

8 Provocative Thought Experiments

Maybe the most common way most of us have engaged with philosophic ideas is through some sort of thought experiment. Two of the most well known and common examples are the Ship of Theseus and what has come to be known as the ‘Trolley Problem’. The first asks you to consider whether a ship, replaced plank by plank overtime, is actually the same ship once the transition has been completed while the second asks you to decide whether you would switch the route of a train from a set of tracks full of people to a set of tracks with only a single person on it. Neither question has an easy answers, or even a right answer, and neither is really about the surface subject. The Ship of Theseus helps us to discern our own criteria for what makes something ‘itself’ while the trolley problem forces us to consider our views on morality and the degree of our utilitarianism. The below eight thought experiments present different problems and scenarios while hopefully provoking a similar degree of introspection. Enjoy.

1. Evil God Challenge

What if God was evil? This is the question posed by the ‘Evil God Challenge’, a thought experiment put forth by numerous philosophers over the years, and one that has gnawed at people’s minds ever since. The challenge essential boils down to the idea that there is no reason to believe that God has anymore likelihood of being all good than all evil. Devoted followers of a particular religion may look to their holy texts and religious traditions to refute this claim, but someone arguing the opposite side could easily just say that these people are being lied to and led astray by the all-evil, or omnimalevolent, god and they would be hard pressed to refute the claim. The argument hinges on the same double sided coin. Believers in an all-evil god can point to the horrors of the world and say ‘How could an all-good being let this happen!?’ while those in the all-good camp can say, ‘Well what about the obvious instances of good in the world? How could that happen with an all-evil god?’ There is no answer to this endless, and largely pointless, debate. All it is good for is to test just how optimistic or pessimistic you are about the idea of an all powerful being creating and influencing the world around you.

7 Modern Forensic Methodologies

Investigating a crime has gotten far more complex than it was prior to the 1960’s thanks to a slew of new technologies that have allowed investigators to analyze every inch and aspect of a crime scene. While these techniques are undeniably valuable to local and federal law enforcement, over-the-top television procedurals like CSI have made them seem nearly infallible which is far from the case. Outside of finger printing and DNA analysis , many of these methods rely on a fair degree of interpretation by an expert or analyst and, as this list will demonstrate, many times these experts openly disagree in court using the exact same data. It is important to understand that even though these various methods and techniques have their uses and strong points, many of them are also lacking in ways that could negatively effect the goal of the entire court proceedings; justice. Below are seven forensics methodologies, how they work, their strengths and their weaknesses. Enjoy.

1. Blood Pattern Analysis

On it’s surface blood pattern analysis seems fairly straight forward. Based on the blood splatter and pools left behind at a violent crime scene, blood pattern analysts claim to be able to use mathematical calculations, usually with the help of special software, to determine not just where the blows came from, but when and how they were delivered. The practice has always existed in it’s most basic, intuitive form. Before modern forensics, constables, sheriffs and local authorities would use blood left behind at the scene to hypothesize what had happened; the modern day blood pattern analyst simply continues this tradition with the power of the lab and computing power on his/her side. While the first study on blood stains happened back in 1895, it was first used in court in 1954 when Sam Shepard was accused of killing his wife. During the trial a county coroner asserted that based on the blood stain on the pillow, he could say with certainty what type of weapon has killed Mrs. Shepard. Dubious assertions like this have plagued the practice ever since. The way the method works is by taking into account the spherical shape of blood and how that shape would cause the blood to angle. Once this angle is determined for a number of different splatter and stain points, a point of origin is calculated, helping investigators determine where the victim was when they were struck. While this basic triangulation method can be helpful, how that data is interpreted in court has made the field less than reputable in recent years. In numerous cases, each side of a case can produce an analyst with the exact same credentials as the opposition to disagree on what the analysis proves or doesn’t prove. This makes bringing in a blood pattern analyst virtually useless in many instances. In a famous case, David Camm was tried multiple times for the murder of his family because blood pattern analysts could not agree on the origin of a mere eight drops of blood on his shirt and one of the analysts, Robert Stites, turned out to be a fraud with no training or expertise of any kind (Camm was eventually acquitted). After years of issues like these, the National Academy of Sciences released a report in 2009 formally citing issues in both the methods themselves and the tendencies of analysts to overstate their qualifications and the certainty of their findings.

7 Essential Power Tools

Home renovations and projects are serious business and can require some serious tools to get the job done. Power tools provide users with increased power and precision while lightening the workload on most jobs considerably. That being said, these are dangerous machines that, if handled incorrectly, can maim or kill a careless or inexperienced user. A healthy respect for these machines and their potential to inflict damage is essential before you ever plug-in or turn on your first device. The below guide will hopefully shed some light on the various uses, techniques and safety procedures associated with some of these indispensable tools and be of use to both the novice home renovator and the eternally curious. Enjoy.

1. Jig Saw

The Jigsaw is one of the most versatile cutting tools available and gets it’s name from the up and down reciprocating cutting action that makes the saw such a multi-use tool. The jigsaw is basically just an electric motor embedded in a plastic handle that allows a thin steel blade to make a variety of cuts that would be far more difficult or even impossible with a traditional or circular saw. A large number of specialized blades in various formats, allow for the saw to cut through wood, tile, plastic and metal with ease. The orientation of the blade also allows for plunge cuts (cuts that go directly downward into a material), though you should try to drill and entry point for your cut if you can. The saw is commonly used to make curved cuts and reduces the risk of kick back found in other power saw options. Be careful of blade drift though. The thin blade is prone to moving off of it’s cutting path and with the delicate types of jobs these saws can be used for, that could be a very disappointing set back.

8 Cooking Methods to Try at Home

Everybody’s got to eat and most dietary experts agree that cooking at home is the best way to do that. Eating out is expensive, potentially filthy and, eventually, boring. Cooking at home may seem daunting to some, but instead of trying to accumulate a mound of tried and true recipes, it may help to focus on the various cooking methods available to you in your pursuit of a good meal. These methods are all common place in the professional kitchen, but can be easily accomplished at home with the right ingredients, tools and techniques. Below is a guide to eight of the most common cooking methods used today. Enjoy.

1. Grilling/Broiling

Grilling and broiling are simply to different ways to cook something with radiant heat. In grilling, that source is located below the meat in the form of charcoal, wood or a gas produced flame, while in broiling the source is located above the food in an oven or commercial broiler. This mono-directional heat is far hotter than temperatures used in roasting and is more suited to thinner, tender cuts of meat and fatty fish fillets. For successful grilling it is important to get the meat on the grill grates using the proper procedure. The grill should be preheated to loosen particles from previous foods, scrubbed with a wire brush and then lightly oiled with a rag and tongs. Once the grill is oiled and heated, the meats should be placed on the grill according to the level of heat needed to achieve the intended ‘doneness’. The hottest part of the grill should be used for searing and rare cooks, the medium heat for medium/medium-rare cooks and the low heat for warming and thicker cuts of meat. The meat should be left alone on one side for most of the cook, only being flipped when the meat freely pulls away from the grill. If it sticks, leave it alone (considering you oiled your grill well that is) and flip it when ready. This flipping and sticking can make certain flakier fish a nightmare on the grill and this is where broiling has an advantage. Broiled items can be placed on platters and slid under the broiler rack and removed without any flipping or sticking to worry about. The down side of broiling is that you largely miss out on the ability to use wood and other aromatics to season the meat like you can with a non-propane grill. When it comes to the decision to grill or broil it really comes down to this; how nice is it outside and do I want to heat up my house right now broiling shit? Answer those two questions and the decision makes itself.

8 Birth and Death Rituals from Around the World

The sentiment has been expressed many ways by many people, but there is at least some truth to the idea that the one thing all life has in common are the processes of birth and death. For humans, these momentous occasions in the life of an individual, their family and social network have, have, in almost every culture known to us in the modern day, been ritualized and ceremonialized to some degree to signify their importance. Since new life and death are a constant in any human society, these specific rituals may be the most often repeated and therefore some of the most important to the groups that practice them. Below are eight rituals, four to celebrate new life and four to commemorate the dead, that display the diversity in practice and intention when it comes to how birth and death are understood and acknowledged around the globe. Enjoy.

1. Akan Naming Ritual, Ghana

Naming a child is an important part of the time after birth, but the Akan people of Western Africa place far more significance around the naming process than most. After a child is born, the mother and infant are kept in seclusion from the rest of the community for a full week. The thought behind this is pretty morbid. Since the infant mortality rate is so high, the community and family decides not to form a bond with the infant in case it does not live through it’s first few days. However, once this period has ended, the child is ready to face the community, receive it’s name and join as a member. The naming ceremony takes place on the child’s eight day of life and is not only the first time the infant will face the clan of elders and neighbors, but the first time the child will be brought outdoors. Since the child will be communally raised, the entire community takes part in the naming of the new member. The community gathers at sunrise while the baby is washed and dressed in white, then the child is presented and after singing of songs, it’s name is announced for the first time, signifying it’s full entry into personhood. The names themselves are important and reflect family ties and the circumstances surrounding the birth. In many cases, at least four names are given (though the number can reach up to ten); the first to denote the day of the week the child is born on, the second name is either tied to the father’s clan or a person he admired, the third denotes the order of their birth amongst their siblings and the final name reflects something that was taking place around the time of their birth. The names given are important, not only for their symbolic meaning, but because they are thought to reflect a person’s chances and station in life. After the name has been chosen and announced, the child is given a sip of water and a sip of wine so that it can tell the difference between bitter and sweet, and therefore truth and lies. The remainder of the water and wine is given to the parents, who say a final prayer before accepting the congratulations of the community and joining them in a day long party celebrating the clan’s newest member.