Most people practice a religion, and most of us know our own religion quite well. We also think that we have a pretty good grasp of the general facts around us, even if they’re not entirely relevant. However, religion is one area where more likely than not, when it comes to religions not our own, we are just stuffed full of misconceptions.
10. Catholic Priests Are More Likely To Be Pedophiles Than “Normal” People
The Catholic Church sex abuse scandal is well known and caused a lot of damage to the church’s reputation. Many people, at least temporarily, lost faith in the church and were bothered not just by how many children were abused, but by how it was handled. Today jokes about Catholic priests being pedophiles are common – and it’s become a popular belief among many – that even if most Catholic priests wouldn’t do such a thing, they’re more likely to be a predator than your neighbor Doug, the accountant.
However, as they often say, it is not the crime, but the coverup. The real problem with the sex abuse scandal was the way it was covered up, and the way priests were shifted around so they could keep abusing. This doesn’t mean it is okay that the children were abused, or that the church wasn’t responsible go above just punishing the offenders with something more severe than a slap on the wrist, but the stats don’t lie. The evidence shows that Catholic priests are no more likely to be pedophiles than anyone else who ends up with a position of power over a child.
9. Many Believe Hindus Worship Many Gods But It Is More Complicated
Most people have heard of Hinduism, the majority religion of India, and thus have their impression of it. The most commonly held belief is that Hinduism is a polytheistic religion with many, many gods, almost more than anyone outside of a dedicated follower could ever keep track of. Because it’s not as dominant a religion in the Western World, people have little exposure to it in English-speaking countries and thus maintain this belief.
However, this is a misconception based on a lack of understanding of how their religion works. Hinduism is not polytheistic, but henotheistic. Now, this distinction is so little known among many in the West that a lot of spell checkers will ask you if you meant monotheistic, but they are not the same thing. Monotheism means you simply believe in one God and polytheism is many gods, but henotheism is the belief that there is one divine being, but still other gods that can be worshiped. It’s complicated, as it’s a very ancient religion with many branches, but the divine one God is present in all beings, even other gods, and Hindus believe there are many paths to reaching oneness with their God.
8. There Is Still A Lot Of Confusion About Papal Infallibility
It used to be that a lot of people believed that Catholics were a bunch of sillies, because they let their pope say anything he wanted whenever he wanted, and these statements were considered infallible. Making fun of papal infallibility was always one of the favorite attacks on Catholics by those not of their religion until the myth-busting days of the internet started to clear things up. However, that doesn’t mean the misconception has been entirely cleared up.
Most people are now aware that the Catholic pope is only considered infallible when making very special statements on matters of faith and morals. However, it’s still more complicated than that. These statements are rarely ever made and most popes go their entire careers without doing so. Furthermore, the process is more complex than the pope carefully considering an issue, praying to God, and then making a decision. Such things are actually presented before the entire body of cardinals in the Vatican and are thoroughly debated and voted on before anything is actually done.
7. Aztecs May Have Been Way More Cannibalistic Than You Imagined
The Aztecs are one of the most fascinating, and also the most horrifying of all of the ancient cultures. The facts that we can be sure of are that to worship their gods, especially Quetzalcoatl, the serpent god, they sacrificed countless human beings. They did so in a very public and purposefully bloody manner that even the most vicious cultures today could probably hardly even imagine. What many people have assumed, however, is that apart from a little ritual heart-eating, they didn’t eat the bodies.
Now, perhaps most kids were not taught about this in history class because it’s just a bit disturbing for children, but there’s more than enough evidence that the Aztecs were practicing quite a bit more ritual cannibalism than just eating the victims’ hearts. There is historical evidence that they were cooking body parts in pots and that noblemen probably got the spoils the most. The more interesting question here is why. Some historians believe that a big reason for them doing this was to commune with their gods and this is supported by the fact they did not just eat people during famine. On the other hand, some argue that even on non-famine days, they ate people for protein.
6. Puritans Were Not As Puritanical As You May Think
Puritans are now a group from history that’s so well known for being straight-laced and morally strict that the term “puritanical” was based on their behavior. The expression is generally used to define someone who is excessively prudish about sex, who thinks anything outside of pleasureless missionary for making a baby is a sin.
However, the funny thing is that Puritans were not nearly as puritanical as many people think they were. Firstly, they believed that sex between a husband and wife was more than just a means of procreation, but a way to develop a stronger bond of love between the couple. They believed that all things God created are good, so sex was good too, under the right circumstances. There is also reason to believe they had a decent bit of premarital sex and were freer with sex than people may have been led to believe from their public front. Historical records show as many as a third of Puritan women in Colonial New England were already pregnant when they got married.
5. Islamic Women Are Forced To Wear A Hijab By Their Cruel Husbands
Islam is one of the largest religions in the world, which is interesting considering that among those who don’t practice it, it is also probably one of the most misunderstood. One of the most commonly held beliefs about Islam is that women are forced to cover themselves, especially their heads, with something called a hijab. In some countries, there have been major controversies as the country or state tried to ban them, claiming them to be a symbol of religious oppression of women.
However, this is a misunderstanding of how the Islamic religion and associated cultures work. While some Islamic-majority countries make women cover their heads, the majority of them do not. Also, while the exact numbers vary from country to country, surveys have shown that while most people in Islamic countries think women should cover their heads, they also believe it should be up to the woman. Furthermore, there is little evidence the men are forcing them to wear them, as it is the women who protest and claim their rights are being oppressed to practice their religion when localities try to ban them freely.
4. Only Catholic Texts Blame The Jews For The Death Of Jesus
One of the most enduring myths about Judaism is that the Jewish people today are somehow responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. This form of Christian anti-semitism has been going on since the days of early Christianity, and it has caused a lot of strife between those of the Jewish faith and Christianity ever since. It is an accusation that probably every Jewish person has heard at least once in their life, from some ignorant bully of the Christian faith.
However, the interesting thing is that it’s not only Catholic sources that suggest the Jewish authorities were responsible for the death of Jesus. While only one version of the Catholic testament has the Sanhedrin saying “Let his blood be on us and on our children” (the most controversial part), the Talmud does give a Jewish council responsibility for his death. Some Jewish sources suggest that a Jewish council put him to death without the help of the Romans at all, and did so based on him being seditious and practicing sorcery. However, the Catholic Church, to begin healing old wounds, has declared that no Jewish people today, or any at the time apart from those directly involved, can be held responsible.
3. Wicca Is Not As Ancient As Many Believe
Many people today, once they’re sure you will not freak out at them over it, will explain that they follow the ancient religion of Wica. They will tell you that this religion is a revival of an old pagan faith and that it goes back to the ancient days of humanity, before Christianity. This likely makes them feel like it is a more legitimate religion, as things that have withstood the test of time tend to get more respect in general, but this is a misconception of ancient pagan religions and Wicca.
We’re not here to tell you that your religion is wrong, or right. Nor are we here to suggest that just because a religion is newer it deserves less respect than other religions. Every religion had to start somewhere, and most can trace their start back to a specific era. However, facts are facts, and Wicca is not ancient at all. While it has been pulled together from many ancient pagan traditions, it is not itself a revival of any specific tradition, but an amalgam. It was developed over a couple of decades by Gerald Gardner during the first part of the 20th century and its creation can very clearly be traced as taken from many different sources, and not from one revived religion.
2. You Can Be A Scientologist Without Being Part of The Church
Scientology is known for being one of the most controversial religions in the entire world, and likely won’t move from that status anytime soon. In some countries, like France, it has even been labeled as a cult, and convicted of fraud. Among their most controversial practices was something called Fair Game, where a suppressive person who tried to stop someone from being a Scientologist, could be dealt with in any way necessary. This practice has been officially disavowed, although some who have left the church claim that it is still done, and the disavowal is only for legal reasons.
However, if you are interested in the religion of Scientology, but you are wary of the church, there is still an avenue for you. Like all religions, there are seditious offshoots, and Scientology has been around long enough that it is no exception. There is a group who still consider themselves Scientologists, but have left the official church, and work to make sure those who want access to the religion’s tools have them without the requirements of the official church.
1. The Kentucky Snake Church Is Not About Snake Worship Or Even Snake Taming
Many have probably heard of the pseudo-legal church in Appalachian Kentucky that shows off the pastor, as well as select parishioners, dancing around like crazy while holding live, poisonous snakes. Some who haven’t looked further into the matter have guessed that this group somehow worships snakes, or perhaps is even trying to tame them to gain dominion over them. However, the truth is far more ridiculous even than that.
The truth is that they believe that since serpents are evil in the bible, by tempting evil creatures that can poison them to death to bite them, they are showing to others, and themselves how in favor they are with God. They jump around holding the snakes, just begging the snakes to bite them. The idea is that if the snake doesn’t bite, or does a dry bite, they are in favor with God. However, when the original pastor died from a snake bite at church, his family justified that it was just his time, and not because he was a sinner by their own rules. While this does give them an out, the son of the original pastor did get badly shaken up after he was badly bitten as well and almost died.