Odd Spot

Former Google engineer’s AI church

Monday, December 4th, 2023

Anthony Levandowski, a pioneer of self-driving cars and controversial Silicon Valley figure, has announced the return of his AI-dedicated church. He originally started his “Way of the Future” church in 2015 while working as an engineer on Google’s self-driving project Waymo. “Here we’re actually creating things that can see everything, be everywhere, know everything, and Read more

Statue of Mary starts crying with real tears

Thursday, November 30th, 2023

In Mexico, a statue of Mary has been observed shedding real tears. The alleged miracle happened in a church in El Canal, located in the state of Colima. After reports of the incident surfaced, hundreds of curious believers and sceptics flocked to witness the event. Video footage shared on social media showed what appeared to Read more

Choose which word is the odd one out

Monday, November 27th, 2023

Consider the following words: cricket, affluence, deceit, corruption, fame, bribery, euphoria, herd instinct, patriotism, manipulation, politics, suppression, poverty, disappointment, gentlemen and religion. Which is the odd one out? Many would say that the odd word is the last one– religion. But how can an all-pervasive fixation like religion be totally forgotten when we discuss our worst Read more

Business that shreds wedding photos a great success

Thursday, November 23rd, 2023

A new business venture from Shandong Province in  China specialises in shredding wedding photos. Tearing up wedding photos after a failed marriage isn’t as easy as it sounds in China. In this country, it’s customary to immortalise wedding stills on tough acrylic canvases that are also very resistant to flames. That leaves divorcing couples with Read more

Famous statue of Christ dons a Taylor Swift T-Shirt

Monday, November 20th, 2023

Last week, Rio de Janeiro’s 125-foot Christ the Redeemer was illuminated with the image of a Taylor Swift T-shirt bearing a message welcoming the singer to the country for the latest leg of her Eras Tour. The rector of the sanctuary agreed to the Swifties’ request on the condition that they raise funds to buy Read more

Protein Desperately Needed With “Dramatic” Increase In Demand At Wellington City Mission

Monday, November 20th, 2023

A dramatic increase in demand at the Wellington City Mission is driving a plea to help bridge the gap to supply nutritious protein. Social Supermarket General Manager Jeremy Neeve said they see roughly 130 clients through the door a week, however that’s on the rise and numbers are growing every week. “We know the cost Read more

Mayor clamps down on pot and sex shops to protect elderly churchgoers

Thursday, November 16th, 2023

The mayor of Sorrento, a town on Italy’s Amalfi coast, says new measures to ban erotic goods stores and cannabis shops in the city centre are to ensure the safety of everyone, including the elderly. “Think about ladies of a certain age who go to Mass,” said Coppola, who was elected in 2020 as part Read more

DIY religion on the increase in USA

Monday, November 13th, 2023

According to a recent survey conducted by Pew, 72% of individuals who identify themselves as religiously unaffiliated still believe in a higher power. Furthermore, about 20% of these individuals also believe in the God depicted in the Bible. In her 2020 book Strange Rites, Tara Isabella Burton examined how an “eclectic spiritual hunger” is expressed Read more

Letting off fire crackers during religious services a no no

Thursday, November 9th, 2023

A judge in Kerala banned the use of crackers in religious places at odd hours saying there are no commandments in any of the holy books that mandate the bursting of crackers to please God. An order was also made to conduct raids at religious places and seize the “illegally stored crackers”. However, the Kerala Read more

Musical About St Bernadette of Lourdes violates principle of secularism

Monday, November 6th, 2023

French officials have prevented schools from taking pupils for free to a musical about Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, claiming it would contravene rules on keeping all religion out of education. The show’s producers were informed by mail that it was being excluded from a “pass culture” scheme that allows teachers to take groups to cultural Read more