Most religions have one or two unusual practices or devices but occasionally you find one which is just completely weird. This list contains ten of the more unusual things found in modern religions.
1. Mormom Temple Garments [Wikipedia]
In some denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement, the temple garment (or the Garment of the Holy Priesthood, or informally, the garment or garments) is a set of sacred underclothing worn by adult adherents who have taken part in a ritual ceremony known as washing and anointing ordinance, usually in a temple as part of the Endowment ceremony. Adherents consider them to be sacred and may be offended by public discussion of the garments. Anti-Mormon activists have publicly displayed or defaced temple garments to show their opposition to the LDS Church.
According to generally-accepted Mormon doctrine, the marks in the garments are sacred symbols (Buerger 2002, p. 58). One proposed element of the symbolism, according to early Mormon leaders, was a link to the “Compass and the Square”, the symbols of freemasonry (Morgan 1827, pp. 22-23), to which Joseph Smith (creator of Mormonism) had been initiated about seven weeks prior to his introduction of the Endowment ceremony.
2. Scientology E-Meter [Wikipedia]
An E-meter is an electronic device manufactured by the Church of Scientology at their Gold Base production facility. It is used as an aid by Dianetics and Scientology counselors and counselors-in-training in some forms of auditing, the application of the techniques of Dianetics and Scientology to another or to oneself for the express purpose of addressing spiritual issues.
E-meter sessions are conducted by church employees known as auditors. Scientology materials traditionally refer to the subject as the “preclear,” although auditors continue to use the meter well beyond the clear level. The preclear holds a pair of cylindrical electrodes (”cans”) connected to the meter while the auditor asks the preclear a series of questions and notes both the verbal response and the activity of the meter. Auditor training describes many types of needle movements, with each having their own special significance.
A 1971 ruling of the United States District Court, District of Columbia (333 F. Supp. 357), specifically stated, “The E-meter has no proven usefulness in the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of any disease, nor is it medically or scientifically capable of improving any bodily function.”
3. Exorcism [Wikipedia]
Exorcism is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed (taken control of). The practice is quite ancient and still part of the belief system of many religions, though it is seen mostly in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Solemn exorcisms, according to the Canon law of the church, can only be exercised by an ordained priest (or higher prelate), with the express permission of the local bishop, and only after a careful medical examination to exclude the possibility of mental illness. The Catholic Encyclopaedia (1908) enjoined: “Superstition ought not to be confounded with religion, however much their history may be interwoven, nor magic, however white it may be, with a legitimate religious rite”.
To listen to two authentic recordings of exorcisms, visit the Top 10 Incredible Recordings.
4. Jewish Kaparot (כפרות) [Wikipedia]
Kaparot is a traditional Jewish religious ritual that takes place around the time of the High Holidays. Classically, it is performed by grasping a live chicken by the sholder blades and moving around one’s head three times, symbolically transferring one’s sins to the chicken. The chicken is then slaughtered and donated to the poor, preferably eaten at the pre-Yom Kippur feast. In modern times, Kapparos is performed in the traditional form mostly in Haredi communities. The ritual is preceded by the reading of Psalms 107:17-20 and Job 33:23-24.
On the eve of Yom Kippur 2005, more than 200 caged chickens were abandoned in rainy weather as part of a Kaparot operation in Brooklyn, NY; some of these starving and dehydrated chickens were subsequently rescued by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Jacob Kalish, an Orthodox Jew from Williamsburg, was charged with animal cruelty for the drowning deaths of 35 of these chickens. In response to such reports of the mistreatment of chickens, animal rights organizations have begun to picket public observances of kaparot, particularly in Israel.
5. Shamanism [Wikipedia]
Shamanism refers to a range of traditional beliefs and practices concerned with communication with the spirit world. There are many variations in shamanism throughout the world, though there are some beliefs that are shared by all forms of shamanism. Its practitioners claim the ability to diagnose and cure human suffering and, in some societies, the ability to cause suffering. This is believed to be accomplished by traversing the axis mundi and forming a special relationship with, or gaining control over, spirits.
Shamans have been credited with the ability to control the weather, divination, the interpretation of dreams, astral projection, and traveling to upper and lower worlds. Shamans were used in Tibetan Buddhism as a form of divination by which the Dalai Lama was given prophesies of the future and advice.
6. Hindu Dowry [Wikipedia]
The practice of dowry exists across India. Despite laws against dowry, the practice continues. The girl child’s dowry and wedding expenses often sends her family into a huge debt trap. As consumerism and wealth increase in India, dowry demands are growing. In rural areas, families sell their land holdings, while the urban poor sell their houses.
To curb the practice of dowry, the government of India made several laws detailing severe punishment to anyone demanding dowry and a law in Indian Penal Code (Section 498A) has been introduced. While it gives boost to a woman and her family, it in the same time also put a man and his family in a great disadvantage. Misuse of this law by women in urban India and many incidents of extortion of money from the husband done by the wife and her family (this is called sowry) have come to light.
7. Mormon Baptism of the Dead [Wikipedia]
Baptism for the dead, vicarious baptism or proxy baptism is a religious practice of baptising a living person on behalf of an individual who is dead; the living person is acting as the deceased person’s proxy. It has been practiced since 1840 in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where it is also called temple baptism because it is performed only in dedicated temples.
In the practice of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a living person, acting as proxy, is baptized by immersion on behalf of a deceased person of the same gender. The baptism ritual is as follows: after calling the living proxy by name, the person performing the baptism says, “Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you for and in behalf of [full name of deceased person], who is dead, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” The proxy is then immersed briefly in the water. Baptism for the dead is a distinctive ordinance of the church and is based on the belief that baptism is a required ordinance for entry into the Kingdom of God.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints vicariously baptizes people regardless of race, sex, or creed. This includes both victims and perpetrators of genocide. Some Jewish survivors of the Holocaust and their supporters have objected to this practice.
8. Jainist Digambaras [Wikipedia]
Digambar also spelled Digambara is one of the two main sects of Jainism. Senior Digambar monks wear no clothes, following the practice of Lord Mahavira. They do not consider themselves to be nude — they are wearing the environment. Digambaras believe that this practice represents a refusal to give in to the body’s demands for comfort and private property — only Digambara ascetics are required to forsake clothing. Digambara ascetics have only two possessions: a peacock feather broom and a water gourd.
The native Jain communities of Maharashta, Bundelkhand (MP/UP), Karnataka, Tamil Nadu are all Digambaras. In north India, the Saravagis and the Agrawals are also Digambaras. In Gujarat and Southern Rajasthan, the majority of Jains follow the Svetambara tradition, although some Jain communities of these regions like the Humad are also Digambaras.
9. Islamic Niqab (نِقاب) [Wikipedia]
A niqab is a veil which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women as a part of sartorial hijab. It is popular in the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf but it can also be found in North Africa, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
The niqab is regarded differently by the various schools of Islamic jurisprudence known as madhahab. Some see it as obligatory, or fard , while others see it as recommended, or mustahab, and a few see it as forbidden. The majority of scholars believe hijab is required, but only a few see niqab as required, although this is not the common perception among the general population.
10. Jehovah’s Witnesses Refusal of Blood Transfusions [Wikipedia]
A fundamental doctrine of the Jehovah’s Witnesses teaches that the Bible prohibits consumption, storage and transfusion of blood, including in cases of emergency. This doctrine was introduced in 1945, and has been elaborated upon since then. Although accepted by a majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses, evidence indicates a minority does not wholly endorse this doctrine. Facets of the doctrine have drawn praise and criticism from both members of the medical community and Jehovah’s Witnesses alike.
In 1964, Jehovah’s Witnesses were prohibited from obtaining transfusions for pets, from using fertilizer containing blood, and were even encouraged to write to dog food manufacturers to verify that their products were blood-free. Later that year, Jehovah’s Witnesses doctors and nurses were instructed to withhold blood transfusions from fellow Jehovah’s Witnesses. As to administering transfusions to non-members, The Watchtower stated that such a decision is “left to the Christian doctor’s own conscience.”
译文:
10大不可思议的宗教习俗
大多数的宗教都有一到两个不同寻常的宗教习俗或信仰表现手法，你有时能发现有那么一个竟会是如此古怪致极。以下就列举了许多存在于现代宗教罕见习俗中的10种。
在参与过末世圣徒运动的一些教派中，有种圣殿服饰（或称圣司铎的服饰，通俗地称其为服饰中的服饰）它是一套神圣庄严的贴身衣服，成年的信徒们穿着圣殿服饰参加宗教仪式，像出生后的受洗，临终的涂油礼和圣餐式等，这些仪式通常在圣殿举行并作为恩道门仪式的一部分。信徒们认为他们是神圣庄严，于是公众对于圣殿服饰的讨论可能会触怒他们。反摩门教活动家为了表达他们对末世圣徒会的反对，曾在公众前展示圣殿服饰并当众毁坏。
根据被普遍接受的摩门教条，圣殿服饰的标记是神圣庄严的象征（柏格2002，P58）。据摩门教的领导者说，作为一个被提出的象征主义要素，圣殿服饰是一条纽带，它连接共济会(摩根 1827, pp. 22-23)的符号“罗盘和广场”。在开创恩道门仪式的七个星期之前，斯密约瑟（摩门教的创始者）就已经被其吸纳成为共济会一名成员。
电子仪表是在基督教科学派的在黄金基地（基督教科学派国际总部的官方名称）设备制造中心生产的的一种电子仪器。鼓吹通灵精神疗法的科学教派的辅导师和实习辅导师将其作为辅助工具用于审计（利用排除有害印象精神治疗法技术，使用测量阅读记忆痕迹的电子仪表进行科学主义的个人咨询）的过程中。而将此种科学和通灵术用于他人或自身的明确目的是为了输出具有负面影响的精神映像。
电子仪表此部分程序是由被称为审计员的教会圣职人员执行的。科学教派被审计的对象被传统地称为“清除前夕”的人，但是审计人员继续使用仪表，则已远超过于清除的层面。“清除前夕”的人带着一对连接于仪表上圆柱形电极（“罐头”），审计员向他们提出一系列的问题，记录下他们的口头回答和仪表上的反映。审计员的记录描述了指针的许多种运动状况，他们的每一种都有其特别的深远意义。
1971年美国的哥伦比亚地方法院（333F. Supp. 375）颁布了一条规定特别声明，“此电子仪表在诊断，治疗和疾病预防上未被证实有用，在医学上和科学上都并不能改善身体机能。”
驱邪招魂就是从一个认为被其操控的人体或地方将魔鬼或者其他邪恶的精神实体驱赶出去。这个仪式非常古老，尽管人们认为其通常存在于罗马天主教和东正教，但其仍是许多宗教信念系统的一部分。
根据宗规法规定,只有经仔细的医学检查排除精神疾病的可能，并在当地主教的明确允许后，庄严的驱邪术才能由被任命的牧师（或更高职位的高级教士）来执行。天主教百科全书（1908）嘱咐道：“无论迷信的历史中曾交织着多少合法的宗教仪式，也无论魔术可能是多么的纯洁，他们都不应该于宗教混为一谈。
加帕诺是一种传统的犹太宗教仪式。此仪式在赎罪日前后举行。传统至今，人们会抓一直活鸡及肩高举并绕着头转三次，象征着将人们的罪孽转至鸡身。随后，屠宰鸡后赠予穷人，最好是能在赎罪日禁食前夕的晚餐上吃完。近代，加帕诺仪式以传统的形式通常在Haredi社会上演。在仪式开始前，人们会念读圣经中的诗篇107:17-20和旧约33:23-24
在2005年赎罪日的前夕,作为在纽约布鲁克林的加帕诺仪式的一部分,200多只隔笼里的鸡被丢弃在了多雨的天气里; 一些饥饿脱水的鸡随后被美国社会为防止虐待动物协会拯救. 一个来自威廉斯堡叫Jacob Kalish的正统派犹太教徒被指控虐待动物:其中35只鸡因此溺水死亡.为了回应此类虐鸡报道, 动物权利组织几经开始对信徒执行加帕诺仪式加以布哨纠察,尤其是在以色列.
萨满指的是一系列传统的信仰和习俗,其与魂灵交流说相关联.在世界范围内存在许多萨满宗教的衍生变更体，可是所有的这些形式的萨满宗教都采纳了一些相同的信仰看法．萨满的创始人们声称能够诊断和治愈人类痛苦，甚至在一些萨满衍生宗教里声称有能力创造苦难。他们认为要穿过世界之轴并和灵魂建立关联或掌控灵魂，这才能得以实现。
人们认为这些萨满教的巫师已经拥有掌控天气,占卜,释梦,星际投影和飞天遁地的能力.藏传佛教将萨满用作其占卜的一部分,达赖喇嘛通过萨满得到有关未来的占卜和建议.
嫁妆的宗教习俗贯穿于整个印度.尽管法律反对要求嫁妆,但习俗仍继续存在. 女孩们的嫁妆或婚礼开销常使她的家庭陷入背上巨额负债的困境.随着消费主义盛行和印度的逐渐富裕,对嫁妆的索取也在增加.乡村的许多家庭卖地,而城里的则卖房子。
为了遏制讨嫁妆的习俗,印度政府制定了几部法律,它们逐项列出了对任何要求嫁妆的人的严厉处罚规定.而且,印度刑法典也将相关条例列入其中。尽管这对妇女和其家庭伸出了援助之手，但同时也使男性和其家庭陷入了巨大的不利局面。在印度都市，妇女滥用此法令，妻子们及其家庭从丈夫那敲诈金钱的事件已经暴露于光天化日之下了。
对死者的洗礼，称代替受洗或者代理受洗，是生者代表死者接受洗礼的一种宗教习俗；生者就饰演死者的取代物。这个仪式自1840年的耶稣基督末期圣徒会时期已实行，那时人们称其圣殿受洗，因为仪式只有在专用圣殿才能执行。
在耶稣基督末期圣徒会的这个仪式中，须和死者同一性别的生者作为死者的取代物，代表死者接受浸礼受洗礼。浸洗仪式是这样的：执行洗礼的执事会在呼喊生者的名字之后，说“我受耶稣基督的委任，以圣父，圣子，圣灵的名义为你所代表的死者[死者的全名]洗礼，阿门。”于是，代替者就暂时地浸没在水中。对死者的洗礼是教会独特的仪式，这是基于他们相信洗礼是使其进入神之国度的必不可少仪式.
无论种族,性别和教义,耶稣基督末期圣徒都会为他们施行洗礼。这其中包括种族屠杀的受害者和施暴者。一些大屠杀中的犹太幸存者和他们的支持者对此表示反对。
Digambar也被拼成Digambara,是耆那教的两个主要宗派之一。为了跟随主Mahavira苦修，高级digambar宗派的僧侣不穿衣服。 他们不把此视为裸体－－外界环境就是他们的衣服。Digambaras僧侣们相信，这一做法代表了拒绝自身对舒适安逸的追求和对私有财产的欲望——只有digambara修道者才必须抛弃衣物。修道者只能有两件物品：孔雀羽毛扫帚和一个水葫芦。
maharashta的本土耆那教团体，本德尔坎德（ MP /UP ） ，卡纳塔克邦，泰米尔纳德邦都属于digambaras宗派。在印度北部，saravagis和agrawals也属于digambaras宗派。在古吉拉特邦和拉贾斯坦邦南部，大部分的耆那教徒遵循svetambara（耆那教的另一个主要宗派）传统，虽然这些地区的许多耆那教团体，例如，Humad团体，也都属于digambaras宗派。
niqab是穆斯林妇女带着用于遮盖脸的一种面纱,它是作为叫希贾布"服饰的一部分.它在波斯湾地区的许多阿拉伯国家流行,但在非洲北部,亚洲东南部和印度次大陆也能看到.
伊丝兰法学,如madhahab学派,的各种学派对niqab有不同的看法。一些人将戴niqab面纱视作义务，或fard（强制：你必须穿戴它），然而另一些人视其为建议，或mustahab（建议：你应该穿戴它)。尽管普遍观念并非将穿戴niqab视作命令，而有少数一部分人则这样认为。
耶和华见证人的一个基本教义教导我们，圣经是禁止消费血液,储存血液和输血的,即使在紧急情况下亦如此.这条教义在1945年时生效,并在那之后做了详细阐述.尽管过半数的耶和华见证人接受,但证据表明,有少数人并不完全赞同此条教义.从不同层面来看此教义,医学界和耶和华见证人团体对它既有赞美也有批评.
在1964年，耶和华见证人禁止其成员为宠物输血,禁止其使用含有血液成份的肥料,甚至鼓励他们写信给犬食品制造商要求确认其食品中不含血液成份。该年后期，耶和华见证人命令其医生和护士停止为耶和华见证人团体的同人输血。为以管理他们输血给非成员，守望台社（代表耶和华见证人的法人团体）发表了声明称,此种决定就看"基督教医生自己的良心" 了。