Multifaith Information Gateway

The Missionary Church of Kopimism—as in, "copy-me-ism" - File Sharing Is Now an Official Religion In Sweden

2012-01-12T20:12:00.000-05:00

Extracts from news sites:

Welcome to the missionary church of kopimism. The swedish Constitution Act, Chapter 2. § 1 states that every citizen is against the government guaranteed freedom of ...

File sharing Is Not a Crime--It's an Official Religion

Legal Ramifications Of File-Sharing Now Being Religious ...

Piracy Becomes a Religion in Sweden - Missionary Church of Kopimism Approved by Authorities-1

The Missionary Church of Kopimism—as in, "copy-me-ism"—has sought official status in Sweden since 2010, and it's finally won the battle...

New Yorker on new Pirate Bay religion, the Missionary Churc

Culture Desk: The First Church of Pirate Bay : The New Yorker

On the same shelf:

A Guide to Buddhist Memorial Service for lost information, Daioh Temple, Kyoto, Japan (Anonymous) in Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives (2006)

Christmas Eve brings together Houston Jews, Muslims

2011-12-23T21:28:00.005-05:00

Kate Shellnutt, 12/21/11, Houston Chronicle (blog)
Kate Shellnutt is the web producer for HoustonBelief.com.

Extract:

About 50 Jews and Muslims will pray and light a menorah for Hanukkah during their interfaith Christmas Eve gathering.

...On Christmas Eve, Jews and Muslims may find themselves with nothing to do while Christian neighbors plan fancy dinners and special church services.

For the past two years, the Jewish and Muslim communities in Houston have taken advantage of their free schedules to gather together to learn about each others’ traditions and find commonalities as minority faiths. continue reading

[Info courtesy: Amin H Karim MD, WorldMemons@yahoogroups.com]

On the same shelf:

A Muslim Imam's Plea to Jesus Christ (Peace be upon him), by Imam Syed Soharwardy
[Info courtesy: Haider Ashraf Group: HaiderAshrafGroup@yahoogroups.com]

Dallas Morning News - How did your faith shape you in 2011. THE JOURNAL OF PLURALISM, December 20, 2011

For Muslims celebrating Christmas, it's a holiday, not a holy day, Los Angeles Times - 12/23/11

Extract:
At a time when Christmas is being pulled in different directions, it's not unusual for Muslims to use the occasion as an entry into American culture — no different from signing up their kids for Little League. But most clerics frown on the practice. ...

Sahira Traband, here with her sons Teo, 10, left, and Mikail, 6, is a Muslim who decorates her house for Christmas, hangs stockings and puts gifts under the tree. She views the holiday as a happy time that doesn't conflict with her faith in Islam. “The magic of Christmas is the part we celebrate,” said Traband, 45. “We didn’t get into the whole religious thing.” (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times / December 19, 2011)

Jews, Muslims continue volunteer alliance, WDIV Detroit - 12/23/11

Christmas fading in the Holy Land, Salon - 12/23/11
‎

Ottawa: Jews and Muslims present Comedy Show for Christmas‎ Canadian National Newspaper

Quran with Bhagavad Gita in a communal harmony class

2011-11-27T21:38:00.000-05:00

Monday November 21, 2011 10:27:29 AM, Asit Srivastava, IANS

Varanasi: Holding the Quran in one hand and the Bhagavad Gita in the other, Mukhtar Ahmad conducts "a class of communal harmony" at a madrassa in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi district to enable students to draw similarities between Islam and Hinduism.

Welcome to Bahrul-Uloom madrassa (Islamic seminary) in Chittanpura town where like Ahmad several other Muslim teachers are involved in imparting lessons of brotherhood and unity to inculcate "moral values" in their students.

"Our main objective behind teaching Hindu scriptures along with the Quran is to undertake a comparative study of the holy books of the two religions to enable our students to draw similarity between Islam and Hinduism," Ahmad, a teacher at the Islamic seminary, said.

"By drawing similarity between the two religions, students will be able to correlate the teachings of Quran with those of the Bhagavad Gita and other Hindu ancient text, which in turn would enable them to respect the two religions in the same manner," he added. continue reading

On the same shelf:

Quran with Bhagavad Gita in a communal harmony class, Mayank Kumar, Aaj Ki Khabar,

Quran with Bhagavad Gita in a communal harmony class, FnF Correspondent ,

Quran with Bhagavad Gita in a communal harmony class, Canada India Education Council

New Publications on the Theme: Cyber Worship and Online Religion

2011-11-23T22:01:00.002-05:00

On the same shelf (see below articles in Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet on the topic of online religion / cyber worship in different faiths, including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, etc.):

Vaishnava Cyber-Puja: Problems of Purity and Novel Ritual Solutions
by Karapanagiotis, Nicole, University Heidelberg Philosophische Fakultät. Institut für Religionswissenschaft 2010, in Online - Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet [Vol. 04.1 Special Issue on Aesthetics and the Dimensions of the Senses, ed. by Simone Heidbrink and Nadja Miczek ]

Seeing the Divine through Windows: Online Puja and Virtual Religious Experience
Author: Herman, Phyllis K. Year: 2010. [Vol. 04.1 Special Issue on Aesthetics and the Dimensions of the Senses, ed. by Simone Heidbrink and Nadja Miczek ]

Hindu Embodiment and the Internet, Author: Scheifinger, Heinz [Vol. 04.1 Special Issue on Aesthetics and the Dimensions of the Senses, ed. by Simone Heidbrink and Nadja Miczek ]

Introduction to the Special Issue: Religions on the Internet - Aesthetics and the Dimensions of the Senses, Author: Heidbrink, Simone ; Miczek, Nadja [Vol. 04.1 Special Issue on Aesthetics and the Dimensions of the Senses, ed. by Simone Heidbrink and Nadja Miczek ]

"Tweeting Prayers and Communicating Grief Over Michael Jackson Online"
by Jimmy Sanderson; Pauline Hope Cheong, The Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 30, no. 5 (2010): 328-340

"Sacred Island or World Empire? Locating Far-Right Movements In and Beyond Malta"
by Mark-Anthony Falzon; Mark Micallef, Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 16, no. 3 (2008): 393-406

"Spirituality, Religion, and Globalization" by Sudhir Kale, Journal of Macromarketing, 24, no. 2 (2004): 92-107

"Cyber Synagogues - On the Web, architecture students in Germany reconstruct houses of worship destroyed by the Nazis" by Daryl Scott Lindsey, Architecture : the AIA journal. 88, no. 10, (1999): 134

Cyber hymnal : dedicated to the glory of God.

Cyber cafe trades websites for worship: The Hard Disk Cafe doesn't look like your typical house of worship. By The Calgary Herald

Cybertheology Revisited

2011-11-09T16:10:00.000-05:00

What would Jesus hack?
Cybertheology: Just how much does Christian doctrine have in common with the open-source software movement?
Sep 3rd 2011 | The Economist
Extract:

"THE kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these,” Jesus said of little children. But computer hackers might give the kids some competition, according to Antonio Spadaro, an Italian Jesuit priest. In an article published earlier this year in La Civiltà Cattolica, a fortnightly magazine backed by the Vatican, entitled “Hacker ethics and Christian vision”, he did not merely praise hackers, but held up their approach to life as in some ways divine. Mr Spadaro argued that hacking is a form of participation in God’s work of creation. (He uses the word hacking in its traditional, noble sense within computing circles, to refer to building or tinkering with code, rather than breaking into websites. Such nefarious activities are instead known as “malicious hacking” or “cracking”.)..." Continue reading

First multifaith crematorium in UAE to open

2011-10-17T14:31:00.000-04:00

Extract:

gulfnews.com - Aftab Kazmi - ‎Oct 15, 2011‎

Ola Salem, Oct 17, 2011
AL AIN // Ten kilometres west of Hili border port in Al Ain, a multifaith graveyard and crematorium had sat for years, untouched and unused.

The cemetery occupies 40000 square metres and has a facilities building, including a church, a waiting room, and chambers of municipality services. Al Ain: The new crematorium in Al Foah district in Al Ain will shortly be... Continue

The facility included a church, a waiting room, and municipality services chambers and is equipped to allow the people perform their religious rites in accordance with best environmental practises.

The facility comes as a major relief especially to expatriates, who used to struggle due to lack of a place to bury or cremate their loved ones .. continue @ Zee News See also Gulf Today

More religious pamphlets for government workers

2011-10-11T01:18:00.000-04:00

By Tom Godfrey, Toronto Sun
September 27, 2011

Extract:

TORONTO - Ontario government officials say the success of an employee guide to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan has prompted other publications for workers who celebrate Diwali, Christmas and Easter.

A “Ramadan: the Muslim Month of Fasting” guide was issued to 67,000 Ontario government workers last July telling them to be “sensitive” to Muslim co-workers because they are fasting and praying from dusk to dawn.

The document advises managers to provide a safe room for Muslims to pray and that they may require to make more trips to the bathroom to wash before they pray. They are required to pray five times a day.

Jason Wesley, of the Ministry of Government Services, said similar publications have been sent to workers “explaining the significance of the Jewish observances of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.”

Wesley said guides to mark the Hindu festival of Diwali and Christian celebrations of Christmas and Easter are planned for release. continue reading

Meditation Builds Brain Cells

2011-07-13T12:20:00.000-04:00

info courtesy: Awakening Potentials

Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT) Meditation Found to Boost Brain Connectivity
ScienceDaily (Aug. 18, 2010) —

Just 11 hours of learning a meditation technique induces positive structural changes in brain connectivity by boosting efficiency in a part of the brain that helps a person regulate behavior in accordance with their goals, researchers report. continue reading

On the same shelf:

The changing face of the church in Andhra Pradesh, India

2011-07-12T12:53:00.000-04:00

Deccan Chronicle July 13, 2011

It’s a well-documented fact that people adopt aspects of other cultures around them. The churches in Andhra Pradesh are following this custom and Indianising some of practices. At St Andrew’s Orthodox Church, West Marredpally, a Dwaja Stambam has been erected. A common phenomenon in temples, and seen in the Kerala churches, it is the first of its kind in the state.

With a cross on top, bells and imprints of the saints, the bronze Dwaja Sthambam stands tall, highlighting how Indian Christians are adopting the religious customs of their Hindu brethren. During parish feasts the faithful light the multi-storied traditional lamp in front of it. Fr Koshy Thomas, the vicar at St Andrews, says, “The Dwaja Stambam flag pole is seen in Kerala churches but in Andhra Pradesh we are the first ones to have adapted this Indian tradition. For us, this is a flag-hoisting pillar, with a cross on top and imprints of the martyrs of the Church. A flag will be hoisted during festivals. This is one of our efforts to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord.”

Already, meditation rooms, small kiosks resembling Hindu shrines and lamps are a part of churches. Fr Anthony Raj, executive secretary of the AP Federation of Churches, which has conducted several inter-religious dialogues, says, “It is easy to relate Lord Jesus to local customs and traditions and the adaptation of these, by the Church, has been taking place from centuries.” Catholic historians say that there are striking similarities between the systems followed at shrines, in marriages and in pujas. Mr Gurram Pratap Reddy, a Catholic historian and writer, says, “Adopting Hindu customs, though not new, has taken a new shape with latest trends like the Dwaja Sthambam. In fact, French priests wore saffron dress, three hundred years ago and they are called Swamis. Even today, in villages, Fathers are called Swamuluvaru. In marriages too, several Hindu traditions are followed, like wearing a mangalsutra and tying the knot thrice. In a relatively recent trend, deekshas, similar to Ayyappa and Bhavani deeksha, are being taken up like the lent season.” He adds, “At Christian shrines, devotees break coconuts, and tonsuring has become common.”

Indians win faith fellowship for first time

2011-05-24T23:58:00.000-04:00

Horizons Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, May 17, 2011
Four Indians have been selected for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation’s youth leadership programme, Faiths Act Fellowship, the first time that the country finds representation among 30 fellows.

... The four Indian Fellows will work together in interfaith pairs with two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in New Delhi for the next year.

Aparajita Bharti, a 21-year-old Buddhist from Vikas Puri is going to be paired with Sarmistha Pattanayak, a 24-year-old Hindu from Bhubaneswar. Ayesha Nusrat, a 22-year-old Muslim from New Delhi will be linked with Rohit S, a 21-year-old Hindu from Bangalore. They will receive a month of training in London before starting their year-long interfaith service.

... The fellows are from a diverse cross section of the faith traditions: 10% are Hindu, 30% Muslim, 3.3% Sikh, 3.3%, 6.6% Buddhist, 3.3%, Bahá’í, 26% Christian, 3.3% Quaker and 17% Jewish, including the various denominations.
continue reading

On the same shelf:

Birmingham University student chosen for Tony Blair’s Faith Foundation Fellowship

An introduction to Islam for Jews - Reading now

2011-05-13T14:40:00.000-04:00

An Introduction to Islam for Jews by Reuven Firestone @ amazon.com Philadelphia : JPS/Jewish Publication Society, 2008. 298 p. ISBN: 9780827608641.

What do the reviewers say:

Herbert E. Shapiro - Library Journal
This well-written, scholarly book provides an overview of aspects of Islam that may be unfamiliar yet of interest to contemporary Jews.

AJL Newsletter - Rachel Simon
This authoritative and readable book is of value for students and general readers alike.

Midwest Book Review
An Introduction to Islam for Jews is perfect for any Jewish reader seeking an understanding of Islam... a scholarly yet accessible title.

Publishers Weekly
Firestone extends a real effort to be fair to both sides; in his discussion of Muhammad's massacre of between 600 and 900 Jewish men, for instance, he reminds readers that the Jews had committed treason and points to examples in the Hebrew Bible where Israelites engaged in similar tactics. Part two digs into the foundations of Islamic law and belief, discussing the Qur'an, the prophetic tradition, key doctrines and sharia law.

About the Author:
Reuven Firestone is professor of Medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles and director of the Institute for the Study and Enhancement of Muslim-Jewish Interrelations (ISEMJI), a program of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California

On the same shelf:

Did the Jews pray as Muslims do ?

CHRISTIANS AND JEWS ALSO PERFORM THE PRAYER (SALAT), SCIENCE-ISLAM

Do the Jews ever pray like the Muslims?

Prostration

Faithwise Review of the Week

2011-05-08T17:45:00.006-04:00

Messenger Muhammad Asks: Hey Osama.. Why Did You Kill? by Seckin Islamoglu
A survey about Islam, Muslim, Muhammad (sav), Jihad and Terrorism This book answers these basic questions: "What is Islam? Who is Muhammad (sav)? Who is called a Muslim? What is Islamic Struggle (Jihad)? Is Terrorism an Islamic method? Can those who apply non-Islamic methods be representatives of Islam and Muslims? Can one reach success and get Allah's consent with non-Islamic methods?" It tells the differences between Jihad (Islamic methods of struggle) and Terrorism (evil methods of struggle). It is an invitation to repentance for the cruel who use both individual (organizational) terrorism and state terrorism. And at the same time, it introduces the illuminating profile of the exemplifying life of Muhammad (sav); it is for those who seek the truth.
Osama Bin Laden Killed By U.S. Forces-Dallas Morning News Newspaper, Monday May 2, 2011, New, unread newstand copy.
Sustainable Peterborough (Ontario): United in Faith [An evening with Sustainable Peterborough, visioning our future through the eyes of faith. Share your ideas and hopes as input to the Greater Peterborough Area's Sustainability Plan.
Wed. May 18, 7-9 p.m., George Street United Church auditorium, 534 George St. N. ]
Is bin Laden Really Dead? Osama Bin Laden Death Skeptics Grow As Lynne Blankenbeker, New Hampshire State Rep, Voices Doubts
Hasidic Newspaper Photoshops Hillary Clinton Out Of Iconic Picture
World to end May 24 weekend: kook or prophet By Mark Dunn, Parliamentary Bureau, Toronto Sun
Halevi: The burial at sea and the history of Shariah. [Watery Grave, Murky LawBy LEOR HALEVI]
End of Mideast Wholesale, By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Know thy neighbours, Eboo Patel and Samantha Kirby, Hindustan Times [What can we make of this? Rev. Jim Wallis, a leading progressive evangelical voice in America, has a saying: “God is personal, but never private.” By imagining religion only as a private affair, we ignore the important public elements of faith — whether it means garnering strength from prayer during times of chaos or living out religious convictions by protecting others so they can practise freely]
Putting Multifaith Education at top of the Agenda: Henry Luce Foundation Awards $350,000 Grant to Episcopal Divinity School
Om shanti om! Deccan Chronicle
Extract:
According to the Vedas, the universe was created with the word “Om” and today, it is a proven fact that the beej mantra of Hinduism has several benefits for the body and the soul.

Chanting “Om” stimulates the central nervous system, giving relief from mental health issues including depression, anxiety and even epilepsy. The mantra has the potential to work on the Vagus nerve, stimulating the brain through its auricular branches. The Vagus nerve is one of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves and extends from the brain to the abdomen.

A team of researchers from the psychiatry department of the Advanced Centre for Yoga, attached to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, has concluded that the “Om” mantra has neurohaemodynamic potential i.e. improves blood flow to the brain, thus increasing brain function and that of the central nervous system.

Dr B.N. Gangadhar, one of the researchers, told this correspondent that stimulation of the Vagus nerve is used to treat depression and epilepsy. Since chanting the mantra stimulates the Vagus nerve, it can have a potential role in clinical practice.

Swimwear firm apologises for carrying Goddess images on bikini Deccan Chronicle
Extract: An Australian swimwear label company, which triggered a controversy by depicting an image of Goddess Lakshmi on a bikini bottom and front of a model, has apologised to the Hindu community for hurting their sentiments.

"We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway removed," said a statement issued by the Lisa Blue Swimwear.

Godmen of India again in news headlines

2011-04-24T20:02:00.015-04:00

Hindu holy man dies: Sathya Sai Baba had millions of followers, cbc.ca The Associated Press, Apr 24, 2011
Born Nov. 23, 1926, in Puttaparti, the guru was first named Sathyanarayana Raju.

In 1940, he declared himself an "avatar," or reincarnation, of another Hindu holy man called the Sai Baba of Shirdi, a town in the western Indian state of Maharashtra who had died in 1918.

Bhagwan Satya Sai: Faith Marginalizes Reason, Ram Puniyani, Communalism Watch, April 27, 2011

Sai Baba: Guru who didn't dabble in politics, TNN | Apr 25, 2011,

A chequered spiritual-philanthropic journey, S. Nagesh Kumar, The Hindu, Apr 25, 2011
HYDERABAD: Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the spiritual guru who passed away at Puttaparthi on Sunday morning, enjoyed a large following in India and abroad that cut across religious and national boundaries.

Corruption, Religion And God-men, Central Chronicle - 8 Apr 2011

Sathya Sai Baba’s death – no miracles Robert C Priddy

“Baba said he would return stronger
‎

No govt interference in Sai Trust: Baba Ramdev

Swamis, Celibacy And Sex Scandals. By Ram Puniyani. 21 March, 2010

Sathya Sai Baba Deceptions Exposed, Robert C Priddy

Miracles by 'Godman' just simple tricks, Montreal Gazette - Joe Schwarcz - 16 Apr 2011

Baba Ramdev: Yogi or Commissar? | TwoCircles.net By Ram Puniyani
‎

Sex scandals: a bad week for India's 'godmen'

The lust for a man-made god, Ha'aretz - Yaakov Meir
‎

Vamps and margins talk back Nisha Susan

Is Anna Hazare the new Gandhi? by Asghar Ali Engineer

Anna Hazare's Campaign: truly Gandhian, truly evil, Radha Rajan

E=mc^2: Why Anna Hazare will fail!

Anna Hazare Movement: Its' Project Brahmanism! By Goldy M. George

Modi Godman sex scandal

Of Ali Baba, Yahoo Baba and Forty Thieves: Sid Harth

India's God Krishna Was the King of Jerusalem | Krishna.com

SAIBABA AND OTHER GODMEN by asghar ali engineer
Extract: A real religious person is not builder of empire but subvert it. Whosoever built empire failed in spiritual sense and whosoever subverted established empires became great.

Blah Blah Ramdev and India's love for nonsense Raheel Khursheed

Guru or seth? Business Standard, Jun 19, 2011

Right on top of Swami Ramdev’s hate list are corrupt politicians (hang them, he says), followed by homosexuals (cure them, it’s a disease) and multinational corporations (drive them out of our pious land). Manipulative multinationals, says the yoga guru and crusader, suck out more money than they bring in, and take jobs away from local artisans and craftsmen. In his utopian scheme of things, there is no role for multinationals — the Rs 300,000 crore worth of black money stashed abroad is back in the country to run its power plants, build roads and reach water to the fields; people do an honest day’s work, after an hour or two of Yoga in the morning, and read religious texts before they hit the bed... continue reading

Baba Ramdev and Sathya Sai Baba – The Saffron Criminals? By Sai Arjun, The Chakra News

On the same shelf:

Taxes: Buddhism and Fiscal Policy

2011-03-16T12:39:00.000-04:00

Birth, Old Age, Sickness, and Taxes: Buddhism and Fiscal Policy, State of Formation
Extract:

So, Asvaghosa equates excessive taxation with more personal transgressions, especially theft; Surata objects to the covetousness that high taxes inflict on a king and the financial pain they inflict on the citizenry; and, Nagarjuna objects to the financial and emotional pain that the undue hardship of high taxes cause. The renowned Nyingma Buddhist philosopher and teacher Jü Mipham Gyatso (1846-1912, Derge, eastern Tibet) nicely sums up all of these sentiments in his Advice on the Way of the King, saying,

Forcefully taking a reasonable tax from the wealthy,
even when they haven't offered it,
is like being compensated.
This is not “taking what hasn't been given.”

Forcefully taking from the poor
can be either a wrongdoing or not a wrongdoing:
In order to prevent gamblers and prostitutes
from wasting the wealth obtained illicitly,
if you take from them, it is said to benefit both
and is not a wrong-doing.
When someone has lost property through fire, etc.,
tax them lightly.

If one doesn't care for the sentient beings
who haven't any means, this is a wrong-doing.

Later, he reiterates,

If one doesn't collect taxes which are reasonable,
and not take equally from the rich and poor
according to their situation, is that just?
From all subjects who pay taxes
take in accord with their land,
the season, and their wealth, without harming their home.
Do not burden them unbearably.
In the manner of a cow eating grass

On the same shelf:

What a Rabbi Learns from Muhammad: IslamiCity

2011-03-15T10:23:00.000-04:00

By: Rabbi Allen S. Maller
IslamiCity

Extract:
I first studied Islam when I was a student at UCLA almost 50 years ago, Then again while I was in Rabbinical school. Over the years I continued to read the Qur'an and other Islamic books. I read these books as the Prophet taught his followers in a Hadith "not as a believer, and not as a disbeliever". What does that mean? ...

...I would like to begin by sharing my understanding of several Ahadith that have taught me about my own religion. My understanding is reflected in my application (gloss) of each insight from my perspective as a Liberal/Reform Rabbi.

...Most Americans that I have spoken are amazed to hear such liberal and flexible statements coming from a religion that they think is ridged and fanatical.

...Nevertheless as a Reform Rabbi, I realize that in many ways Muhammad showed seventh century Jews in Arabia how to reform Orthodox Judaism to bring it back to the simpler rules of the Torah.. continue reading: What a Rabbi Learns from Muhammad @ IslamiCity* -

On the same shelf:

A Reform Rabbi Learns from Muhammad, By Rabbi Allen S. Maller, in The Fountain Magazine, March - April 2008: Issue 62.

Understanding Islam: The First Ten Steps [Written by a Fellow in Christian-Muslim Relations]

Do I Kneel or Do I Bow?

Did the Jews pray as Muslims do ?!

Cyber Worship Revisited - Need to sort out your sins? There's an app for that

2011-03-08T23:42:00.000-05:00

Herald Tribune, Thu 10 Feb 2011

Can your iPad or iPhone bring you closer to God? A new application for the devices aims to help Roman Catholics who haven't been to the confessional booth in a while keep track of their sins, one Commandment at a time. The $1.99 "Confession: A Roman Catholic App" can't grant forgiveness -- you still need to receive the sacrament from a real, live priest like always. The app's designers and some believers see it as a way to spur Catholics back into the habit of repenting. "There's a reason we designed it for these mobile devices: We want you to go to confession," said Patrick Leinen, one of the developers and a co-founder of the company Little... continue reading: Herald Tribune,

More Online Confessions, Resources here:

Here is a sample from inside the Book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives--full of resources that will facilitate building bridges in a Multifaith society. Table of Contents / Reviews

Chapter 2. 'Cyber Worship as-is On the Web'

Resource of the Week is: Museums of World Religions (see description, reviews, etc., page 70). Order with Publisher:

My book Talk

My related posts:

Special Issue from Religious Studies Review on Religion & Internet

Cybersins and Digital Good Deeds

Christian Librarianship

Web Vastu or A Spiritual Worldview for Marketing Website

Online - Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet

Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives

Understanding Islam: The First Ten Steps - Reading now

2011-02-18T11:51:00.005-05:00

About the book:
"The faith of a billion Muslims today, developed over fourteen centuries, is sympathetically and skillfully presented in this marvelous introduction. Hewer's extensive knowledge and contextually sensitive presentation yield an exceptionally rich and faithful account, presupposing no prior knowledge of the traditions, without orientalist, Western, or Christian biases. Includes diagrams, glossary, and easy to follow references to the Qur'an."

What others say about this book:

"Understanding Islam is a model in the genre. --Yahya Michot, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Oxford University

"This is a clearly written and well-organized book that is a fine introduction to Islam. The author ably shows how the rich heritage of Islam is celebrated and expressed in the faith lives of Muslims." --John Kaltner, Rhodes College, author of Islam: What Non-Muslims Should Know.

Written by a Fellow in Christian-Muslim Relations (St. Ethelburga's Centre, London) with twenty years' experience, Understanding Islam is an introduction to Islamic theology, customs, philosophy, worldview, culture, scholarship, and history, accessible to lay readers of all backgrounds and featuring a fair amount of black-and-white photographs. ... Understanding Islam is as unbiased as humanly possible in its straightforward presentation. Enthusiastically recommended particularly for public libraries, and also as a detailed primer for anyone from lay people to scholars seeking to educate themselves about Islam and the people who practice it. - By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)[source: Amazon.com]
Related links:
C. T. R. Hewer, Understanding Islam: An Introduction
Presence & Engagement Network: Understanding Islam Course: A ten-week course offered free throughout Greater London
Review by Burkhard Weitz, Journal of Ecumenical Studies, Wntr, 2008
More reviews, here

Understanding Islam by Dr. Chris Hewer, Fortress Press (2006, fourth impression: 2010), 244 pages.

Contents
Introduction
Chapter One: The wider picture: creation from a Muslim perspective
Chapter Two: Muhammad, the last in the chain of Prophets
Chapter Three: The Qur’an, the Revealed Word of God
Chapter Four: An overview of Islamic history
Chapter Five: The central beliefs of Islam
Chapter Six: The principal practices of Islam
Chapter Seven: A Muslim life
Chapter Eight: Living constantly remembering God
Chapter Nine: Islam and other faiths
Chapter Ten: Muslims in Britain and Western Europe
Glossary
Further reading
Extract:
Each salat (the five times each day ritual prayer) is made up of number of cycles of prayer, called rak'at.
... Each rak'a comprises recitation of the Qur'an, bodily postures and prayers, said aloud or silently (p. 102).
Previous posts on the same shelf:

Reading now: Do I Kneel or Do I Bow?

Did the Jews pray as Muslims do ?!

Online religion and social media - The Church of Facebook

2011-02-11T20:23:00.002-05:00

The Church of Facebook: How the Hyperconnected Are Redefining Community by Jesse Rice, David C. Cook; (2009)

Strength:

Overall it is very well researched and offers good insights that show whats-up in terms of the emotional and spiritual dynamics of Facebook (albeit, limited to Christian perspectives):

CPA - Continuous Partial Attention - This is the impulse to constantly check Facebook, Twitter, email, etc. It's motivated by the desire to not miss anything. It creates an artificial sense of crisis. It can cause a person to become over stimulated and unable to focus on what's right in front of him. (P 102)

"In affect the hyperconnection of Facebook changes the nature of our relationships by turning our friends into audiences and us into performances... Our actions are often based on what we think our invisible entourage might like best." (P 112)

People can become dependent on Facebook for their identity, self-worth, and decision making. (P 145, paraphrase)

"[Genuine] community is less about `best-friendship' and more about intentional engagement with the people in our lives... maybe it's not the increasingly online nature of our relationships that is affecting our relationships most. Perhaps it is our `relational consumerism' that needs changing." (P 172 & 173)

"Life can all to often feel like little more than a knee-jerk reaction to urgent emails, phone calls, meetings, and decisions." (P 190) -- extracts courtesy: Paul Steinbrueck "LiveIntentionally.org" (Safety Harbor, FL)

It shows the how Facebook is also allowing the open society to turn closer to God (this book is not about evils of Facebook)

Weakness:

Misleading title: For those who want to see the vertical religious resources (such as, Online Access to God, Online Temple, they have to go elsewhere); See my book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives and then go to the cited links for an online Temple, For a Online Ritual),

The book is simply about communitas (borrowing a title of scholarly book on online religion); but here communitas is just about the horizontal connection between the people (not necessarily faithful; and not necessarily congregational get-to-gether-ness)

On the same shelf:

The Church of Facebook: How the Hyperconnected Are Redefining Community [Unabridged] [Audible Audio Edition]

When Religion Meets New Media

Social Media and Religion @ Facebook

Pope Blesses Social Networking

Thy Kingdom Connected: What the Church Can Learn from Facebook, the Internet, and Other Networks (mersion: Emergent Village resources for communities of faith)
Dwight J. Friesen

GOD's FACE IN FACEBOOK - A Fascinating True Encounter, Joseph Rubbens

Who's In Your Orbit?: Beyond Facebook Creating Relationships That Matter, Mike Muhney

Vatican bans confession by iPhone / Vatican bans iPhone 'God app'

Cyberspace Personality Who Moved the Hearts of the Chinese in 2010

2011-02-08T17:05:00.001-05:00

Kebab vendor, chinadaily.com.cn Updated: 2011-01-28

Better known as Alim, the 40-year-old had been selected as the "Cyberspace Personality Who Moved the Hearts of the Chinese in 2010" for his decade-long help for needy people.

When Alimjan Halik touched down at Urumqi, capital city of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, he was feted like a returning hero. Better known as Alim, the 40-year-old had been selected as the "Cyberspace Personality Who Moved the Hearts of the Chinese in 2010" for his decade-long help for needy people.

During that time, he donated almost all of his earnings - more than 100,000 yuan ($15,000) - from his humble kebab business in Bijie, Guizhou province.

Born into a poor family with six siblings, Alim left home to earn a living in 1997 with only a kebab roaster. In Bijie, someone reached out and gave him a helping hand. As the city found a place in its heart for Alim, its citizens developed a taste for his lamb kebabs. But he seldom spends money on himself, preferring a simple meal of noodles and bread, sometimes leftover kebabs. He lives in a rented room in a shabby house, his leather shoes rescued from a rubbish bin.

Over the past decade, Alim has helped more than 200 students from poor families, and 10 of them have entered university.

On the same shelf:

85 tribal Muslim and Hindu couples tie knot chinadaily.com.cn

Marriage bells toll in cyber churches chinadaily.com.cn

Gandhi, Akbar among world's top icons: Time Magazine

2011-02-06T15:23:00.000-05:00

Mahatma Gandhi, Mughal emperor Akbar and Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama have been named by Time magazine among the world's top 25 political icons.
Deccan Herald, New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS)

"Though the country was later divided (and Gandhi assassinated), his role in the bloodless revolution ... paved the way for other social movements including America's struggle for civil rights," Time added.

The magazine said Akbar helped a fragile collection of fiefs around Delhi to grow into what became the Mughal empire. He presided over a flourishing of the arts, sponsoring artisans, poets, engineers and philosophers.

Calling him a "canny warlod", Time said that while he was a Muslim, Akbar was spiritually curious and hosted religious scholars from Hindu gurus to Jesuits, besides trying to meld Hinduism and Islam.

"While the creed no longer lingers, the ethos of pluralism and tolerance that defined Akarb's age underlines the values of the modern republic of India."

The Dalai Lama, Time said, is "not only the greatest and most public advocate for Tibetan rights and the virtues of Tibetan Buddhism, but also for interfaith tolerance and peace as well to people around the world.

"To countless Tibetans, the Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader and a head of state in absentia. For decades - and from exile since 1959 - he has worked to resolve tensions between Tibet and China.

"And like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. before him, the Dalai Lama done so in a manner defined by non-violence and tolerance.

"The Dalai Lama's humility has endeared him to presidents and religious leaders of several countries, affording him the opportunity to raise awareness and drum up support for Tibet on a global scale," the magazine said.

Top 25 Political Icons
Feb. 6 marks the 100th birthday of the late U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Few political figures in recent memory have matched the Gipper's charisma or enduring appeal. We look at other world leaders whose legacies have stood the test of time

Full List
Some Famous Folk

Mohandas Gandhi
Alexander the Great
Mao Zedong
Winston Churchill
Genghis Khan
Nelson Mandela
Abraham Lincoln
Adolf Hitler
Ernesto "Che" Guevara
Ronald Reagan
Cleopatra
Franklin Roosevelt
Dalai Lama
Queen Victoria
Benito Mussolini
Akbar the Great
Lenin
Margaret Thatcher
Simón Bolívar
Qin Shi Huang
Kim Il-Sung
Charles de Gaulle
Louis XIV
Haile Selassie
King Richard the Lionheart &
Saladin

Give Respect and Get Respect - Excellent insights

2011-01-11T21:11:00.000-05:00

Here is what I found on the subject of Respect:

“Hey you! RESPECT Me!!!” …(No! It doesn’t work that way now)

Kinds of Respect:

RESPECT FOR CULTURE

RESPECT FOR THE NATION

RESPECT FOR SUPERIORS

RESPECT FOR RELIGION

RESPECT FOR PARENTS AND ELDERLY

Julia Roberts’s conversion is among top ‘religion stories’ of 2010

2011-01-01T14:33:00.000-05:00

Jan 1, 2011, DNA India

Extract:

The conversion of Oscar-winning Hollywood actress Julia 'Pretty Woman' Roberts to Hinduism is among the top-20 '2010 Religion Stories of the Year' list created by the Religion Newswriters Association (RNA).

In this list, Roberts, the only Hollywood personality to make the list, is in the company of Pope Benedict XVI, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, and the Reverend Franklin Graham (son of Billy Graham), among others.

An RNA release on the subject said: "Hinduism gains more of the spotlight through the... word of star Julia Roberts's conversion to it."

Roberts, who grew up with a Catholic mother and Baptist father, became interested in Hinduism after seeing a picture of Hanuman devotee Hindu guru Neem Karoli Baba, who died in 1973 and whom she never met.

A Christmas Greeting From a Muslim Daughter

2010-12-30T12:31:00.000-05:00

By: Kari Ansari
The Huffington Post @ IslamiCity 12/22/2010

Extract:

When I became a Muslim thirteen years ago this month, I left behind the Christmas traditions my family celebrated every year of my childhood. My mother was able to transform our Southern California home into a Winter Wonderland as soon as we walked in the door; it may have been 75 degrees and sunny outside, but inside we felt we were in a Currier and Ives world of red velvet beribboned pine boughs, twinkling lights and beautiful music. I loved it. The Christmas season and our small traditions remained the same no matter how many years passed. My mother worked extremely hard to build warm, and loving holiday memories, and I sincerely cherish them.Like many American homes, there wasn't much Christ in my family's Christmas. There would always be some discussion surrounding the reason for our celebration, but we didn't attend church services or talk too much about what my parents believed. The beautiful nativity on the mantle, hand-painted by my grandmother, was flanked by tasteful, secular decorations. This led to a kind of vague confusion between the miraculous birth of Jesus, and the magical feat of Santa Claus zipping around the world in one night.

Nostalgia not withstanding, thinking about Christmas is now far more meaningful to me on a spiritual level than it was when I was young. The fact that Muslims accept and believe in the virgin birth of Jesus has been a golden thread that links my childhood Christmas memories to my very fulfilling adult life as a Muslim. continue reading @ IslamiCity

Give Respect and Get Respect - Excellent insights

2010-12-11T21:11:00.000-05:00

Here is what I found on the subject of Respect [image courtesy: www.slumdogging.com]:
“Hey you! RESPECT Me!!!” …(No! It doesn’t work that way now)

Kinds of Respect:
RESPECT FOR CULTURE
RESPECT FOR THE NATION
RESPECT FOR SUPERIORS
RESPECT FOR RELIGION
RESPECT FOR PARENTS AND ELDERLY

Can spirituality control scams?

2010-12-02T00:05:00.001-05:00

by Gautam Chikermane on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, Hindustan Times Blog

Bottom line (extract):

If we have to fight this out as a nation, I think we’ll have to do with our spirit. The spirit will infuse our minds with a force that we once carried. It will dust off the ennui our bodies have been steeped in for decades now and perhaps open new doors to freedom.

Earlier this month, I was tailing the Dalai Lama as his shadow for the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. Among the many things he said, I pick up one here. Buddha was a great soul, he said, and Buddhists have a great religion. But the Buddha could not protect Tibet from China, he said. Action was needed, we need to act.

In the deep silence of his presence, I found his words hugely inspiring. Could the spiritual destiny that once belonged to us, be the vehicle for India’s redemption?

On the same shelf:

Google for more on spirituality & scam

Corruption needs to be uprooted: Baba Ramdev, DailyIndia.com - Vipul Kumar Shah - 23 Nov 2010

Seven big Indian corruption scandals
REUTERS - India has been rocked this year by a series of corruption scandals that have embarrassed the ruling Congress party, rattled markets and delayed reform bills as the opposition stalls parliament.

The country, 87th in Transparency International's rankings based on perceived levels of corruption, is no stranger to scandals.

Here are some of the biggest in the last two decades:
1. 2010 -- LOAN BRIBERY CASE
2. 2010 - TELECOMS LICENCE ROW
3. 2010 - COMMONWEALTH GAMES
4. 2010 - HOUSING SCAM
5. 2009 - SATYAM
6. 1992 - SECURITIES SCAM
7. 1986 - BOFORS GUN DEAL [also @ Deccanchronicle.com ]

Newsweek has named Obama "god of all things" on its cover

2010-11-21T00:07:00.004-05:00

Image @ Kauai's Hindu Monastery; Read more here: Newsweek Has Obama Channeling Lord Nataraja? or here
The picture of Lord Nataraja, here:
Extract:
"The latest issue of popular American news magazine Newsweek has on its cover page US President Barack Obama in the pose of Lord Nataraja.

In its November 22, 2010 issue, Obama has been shown by Newsweek on its cover page with multiple arms balancing several policy issues while raising his left leg mimicking the cosmic dance of the Hindu deity; considered a manifestation of Lord Shiva. Continue reading: The Times of India

On the same shelf:

NEWSWEEK: India: A Delicate Dance, by John Barry Oct 30, 2010

Obama on the cover of Newsweek as SHIVA the DESTROYER, [SHIVA the DESTROYER in the "Dance of Death"; SHIVA is also depicted in front of CERN Laboratory in Geneva.]

Being religious improves happiness, Dan Buettner

2010-11-09T17:07:00.002-05:00

Finding the Happiest Place on Earth
Mon Nov 8, 9:31AM PT - ABC News @ Yahoo! News Video
Dan Buettner traveled all over the world to find the best places to live.

"Unraveling the story of each "hotspot" like a good mystery, Buettner reveals how he discovered each location and then travels to meet folks who embody each particular brand of happiness. He introduces content, thriving people in Denmark, in Singapore, in northeastern Mexico, and in a composite "happiest place in America." In addition, he interviews economists, psychologists, sociologists, politicians, writers, and other experts to get at what contributes to each region's happiness.

Buettner's findings result in a credible, cross-cultural formula and a practical plan to help us stack the deck for happiness and get more satisfaction out of life. According to Buettner's advisory team, the average person can control about forty percent of his or her individual happiness by optimizing life choices. These aren't unreasonable demands on a person's lifestyle, and they often require only slight changes. They fall into three categories that make up the way we live our lives: the food we eat, the way we exercise, and the social networks we foster. It's all about nourishing the body and the spirit. Heeding the secrets of the world's happiness all-stars can help us make the right choices to find more contentment in our own lives and learn how to thrive."

Bottomline:
page 145... Indeed, worldwide research shows that religious people are happier than nonreligious ones.
page 166 ... religious people tend to be happier than nonreligious people, …
page 225 …study done on the connection between religion and well-being, shows that the two go hand in hand.

On the same shelf:

There’s more to the story when reporting on religious violence
by Samiaji Bintang, Common Ground News Service 23 November 2010

Wind could have parted Red Sea for Moses: Report - thestar.com

2010-09-22T14:51:00.000-04:00

Toronto Star, Sep 21 2010
Extract:
“The parting of the waters can be understood through fluid dynamics. The wind moves the water in a way that’s in accordance with physical laws, creating a safe passage with water on two sides and then abruptly allowing the water to rush back in.”

Religious texts differ a little in the tale, but all describe Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt ahead of a pharaoh’s armies around 3,000 years ago. The Red Sea parts to let Moses and his followers pass safely, then crashes back onto the pursuers, drowning them...

“This land bridge is 3-4 km long and 5 km wide, and it remains open for 4 hours,” they wrote in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE.

“People have always been fascinated by this Exodus story, wondering if it comes from historical facts,” Drews said. “What this study shows is that the description of the waters parting indeed has a basis in physical laws.”
continue reading

See also on the same shelf:

Moses parting the Red Sea: it could have happened. Probably didn't, but could have

Leave quotation of sacred texts to theologians

2010-09-14T12:41:00.000-04:00

By Haroon Siddiqui Toronto Star, Sep 12 2010
Extract:

"Pastor Terry Jones wanted to burn the Qur’an because he believes it preaches violence. That, in fact, has been an article of faith for critics of Islam post-9/11. “See, it says right here,” they say, pointing to the “Sword Verses,” of which they are a dozen. They quote them selectively, as does Osama bin Laden — he to justify violent jihad, they to demonize Islam...

In fact, Philip Jenkins, professor of religion at Penn State University and author of Jesus Wars and Dark Passages, has argued that “the scriptures in the Qur’an are far less bloody and less violent than those in the Bible. There’s a specific kind of warfare laid down in the Bible which we can only call genocide..." continue reading

On the same shelf:

Is The Bible More Violent Than The Quran?
by Barbara Bradley Hagerty

Extract: "Much to my surprise, the Islamic scriptures in the Quran were actually far less bloody and less violent than those in the Bible," Jenkins says.

Jenkins is a professor at Penn State University and author of two books dealing with the issue: the recently published Jesus Wars, and Dark Passages , which has not been published but is already drawing controversy.

Violence in the Quran, he and others say, is largely a defense against attack.

Philip Jenkins:
"The book I am working on right now is called Dark Passages: How Religions Learn to Forget Their Bloody Origins..."

India: A Glimpse of Multifaith Composite Culture

2010-09-13T23:14:00.004-04:00

Note: This post coincides with the world wide celebrations of Hindi Day, a language that co-exists in the name of Hindustani, more here and here: Simplify Hindi news to reach masses: Ambika Soni

On the same shelf:

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Multifaith Perspective

Faith and the city: Just one prayer away from God

According to the Quality of Life survey by DNA and AZ research, overall 55% of adults in the city pray, whereas the number of people who meditate is seen to be rising, especially in Mumbai city. In fact, the survey findings indicate that meditation as a habit has become quite popular in central suburbs and central Mumbai.

DECCANI HINDI GAVE BIRTH TO URDU

Chowk: Books Arts & Culture: Story of Hindustani II

Hindi or Hindustani -the Differences in Various Forms of Hindi Spoken And Written in India

Hindi Day celebration from Sep 14, 2010

Mind Your Language: Needed, a National Script! by Rajinder Puri

Elegy for India, by Gamal Nkrumah, Al-Ahram Weekly

US gives India high marks on religious freedom

Building on Faith in Lower Manhattan

2010-09-08T12:50:00.000-04:00

By FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, September 7, 2010
- NYTimes.com

Extract:

Above all, the project will amplify the multifaith approach that the Cordoba Initiative has deployed in concrete ways for years. Our name, Cordoba, was inspired by the city in Spain where Muslims, Christians and Jews co-existed in the Middle Ages during a period of great cultural enrichment created by Muslims. Our initiative is intended to cultivate understanding among all religions and cultures.

Our broader mission — to strengthen relations between the Western and Muslim worlds and to help counter radical ideology — lies not in skirting the margins of issues that have polarized relations within the Muslim world and between non-Muslims and Muslims. It lies in confronting them as a joint multifaith, multinational effort.

From the political conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians to the building of a community center in Lower Manhattan, Muslims and members of all faiths must work together if we are ever going to succeed in fostering understanding and peace.

At Cordoba House, we envision shared space for community activities, like a swimming pool, classrooms and a play space for children. There will be separate prayer spaces for Muslims, Christians, Jews and men and women of other faiths. The center will also include a multifaith memorial dedicated to victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. continue reading

Five myths about mosques in America

2010-08-28T03:18:00.001-04:00

By Edward E. Curtis IV
Sunday, August 29, 2010
washingtonpost.com

1. Mosques are new to this country.
2. Mosques try to spread sharia law in the United States.
3. Most people attending U.S. mosques are of Middle Eastern descent.
4. Mosques are funded by groups and governments unfriendly to the United States.
5. Mosques lead to homegrown terrorism. Continue reading

On the same shelf:

No grounds for ‘mosque’ hysteria, Faisal Kutty.com

The not so great Islamist menace
By Dan Gardner, Ottawa Citizen, January 5, 2011
Extract:

As for who's responsible, forget Islamists. The overwhelming majority of the attacks-- 237 of 294 -- were carried out by separatist groups, such as the Basque ETA. A further 40 terrorist schemes were pinned on leftist and/ or anarchist terrorists. Rightists were responsible for four attacks. Single-issue groups were behind two attacks, while responsibility for a further 10 was not clear.
Islamists? They were behind a grand total of one attack. Yes, one. Out of 294 attacks. In a population of half a billion people. To put that in perspective, the same number of attacks was committed by the Comite d'Action Viticole, a French group that wants to stop the importation of foreign wine.

The Sacred Art Of Fasting (Preparing to Practice)

2010-08-05T14:57:00.003-04:00

Multifaith Calendar (sample):

August 1: Fast in honor of Holy Mother of Lord Jesus - Orthodox Christian

August 11: Ramadan begins - Islam through September 10 (date mostly decided by the local communities based on the moon sighting)

Nov 15: Nativity Fast through December 24 - Orthodox Christian

A video compilation about Ramadan, 9th month of the Islamic calendar. Background nasheed by Zain Bhikha.

Welcome to the spirit of fast, so common in most of the religions, mostly observed in combination: fasting with prayer (where fasting is a physical discipline, and praying is a spiritual discipline). Read the book: The Sacred Art Of Fasting

"One of the book's strengths is its evenhanded introduction to each of the six religions it covers (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Mormonism) and the inclusion in each chapter of a "living voice from the tradition." These narratives allow adherents from each religion to speak from their own belief and experience, and they range in style from simple exposition to personal essay and interview format. The chapter on Christianity is slightly partial toward the author's own Catholicism, but the principles it explores are broadly inclusive. Another gem is the chapter with suggestions for keeping the spirit of a fast even if actual abstention is not physically possible for health reasons. This is a much-needed treatise that will attract believers from all faiths. (From Publishers Weekly @ Amazon.com)

Table of Contents:
Introduction ix
1 In Search of Fasting as a Spiritual Practice 1;
2 Judaism: Purification, Mourning, Atonement 13;
3 Christianity: Mystical Longing, Liberation through Discipline, Work of Justice 35;
4 Islam: Allah-Consciousness, Self-Restraint, Social Solidarity 67;
5 Hinduism: Purity, Respect, Penance 91;
6 Buddhism: Purity of Body, Clarity of Mind, Moderation 103;
7 Latter-day Saints: Offerings for Those in Want, Strengthening in the Faith 113;
8 What Makes Fasting a Sacred Art? 129;
9 Preparing to Practice 141;

See also:

Ramadan Highway Code - Visualization - Do's & Don'ts

I'tikaf: Spiritual Retreat for Women at Home?

I`tikaf City of Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI)

Itikaf; Spiritual Retreat

N.J. school district to observe Muslim and Hindu holidays

Ramadan: How non-Muslims can approach the Koran

Extract: "Just as Ghazi recommends non-Christians or Jews start reading the Bible by going first to poetic and inspiring sections such as the Psalms -- rather than the dry, difficult books of Deuteronomy or Leviticus -- she suggests some sections of the Koran are more accessible than others, passages such as Sura 1, titled "Fatiha;" Sura 12, titled "Joseph," or Sura 97, titled "El Qadr."

Ghazi urges readers to avoid thinking that the Koran is to be read "literally," the way a Protestant fundamentalist might approach the Bible -as historical, scientifically established fact.

Since the Koran is often highly symbolic, filled with sacred teachings that come across like poetry, Ghazi says it is impossible to read literally. It is always subject to interpretation. Grave misunderstandings can be avoided by reading a reliable translation, with commentary."

Mahatma Gandhi and the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH)

2010-08-04T09:45:00.001-04:00

By Asghar Ali Engineer

Note: This imaginary dialogue between Gandhiji and the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) is to clarify many misunderstandings which are being spread about Islam and Muslims. My mission in life is to promote peace and inter-religious understanding and to struggle against religious fanaticism and extremism. As I have deep conviction about teachings of Islam, I am also great admirer of Gandhiji and his philosophy of non-violence. (A.E.)

Gandhiji: I have drawn inspiration from Islam as much as from Christianity. Islam’s emphasis on justice, equality and human dignity has always attracted me as love and forgiveness of Christianity. The Sermon on the Mount specially attracted my attention. As you know I am deeply committed to philosophy of non-violence and it is in this respect that I am approaching you to know more in depth about Islam’s teachings about non-violence. It is necessary as Islam and terrorism are being equated by some anti Islamic forces and it is you who can help dispel these attacks on Islam. Who can be the better person than you, O Prophet of Islam.

Prophet: I am so much pained that Islam is under attack today whereas 21st century should have been the most appropriate period to appreciate its teachings. Yes, I admit there are all kinds of people in any religion and some may be motivated by their own selfish interests and indulge in violence or other misdeeds but a religion should be judged by its core teachings, not by what some followers do. I hope you will agree with me.

Gandhiji: Yes I do agree with you sir, the great Prophet of Islam. continue reading: Gandhiji and the Prophet (PBUH),

Prophet: You would agree with me no religion can teach violence and be followed by millions of people. The very purpose of religion is to refine morals and guide its followers to a purposeful and meaningful life with inner peace and deep conviction. Islam is a religion of surrendering to Allah and Allah is Compassionate and Merciful (Rahman and Rahim) and in your devotional song you also mention Ram and Rahim. All Muslims are supposed to invoke Allah, the Compassionate and Merciful before they begin their work (bism Allah al-Rahman al-Rahim). It is very central to Islam. Also one of Allah’s name in Qur’an, you must have noted, is Salam i.e. Peace.

Gandhiji: I understand true meaning of religion and its need for human beings in life. Inner convictions play important role in giving meaning and direction to human life. I have always relied on my own inner convictions before I took any decision. But I want to understand Islam in all its comprehensive way so that there is absolutely no confusion and it would certainly reinforce my own conviction in non-violence.

Prophet: Look when I was chosen by Allah to be His prophet the conditions in Mecca was extremely precarious. There was moral chaos in society, the tribal chiefs were growing wealthier and wealthier as they controlled international trade and were becoming arrogant and neglecting all their moral obligations towards weaker sections of society, the poor, the orphans, the widows, the needy and, in order to achieve greater grip over the minds of people, were promoting all sorts of superstitions and irrational beliefs. All this disturbed me deeply and I retired to the cave of Hira where I received revelation.

The Qur’anic revelation dealt with the situation on two levels: first, it promoted concept of one God – Allah- the creator of all and worship Him alone thus uniting entire human kind and on social level it strongly condemned accumulation of wealth and predicted it will turn into hell fire if the weaker sections of the society are neglected and injustice and oppression prevails. Thirdly, it gave equal rights to women who were denied all rights and treated as mere chattels. Fourthly, it stressed need for knowledge (‘ilm) and compared it with light (noor) and ignorance as darkness.

Gandhiji: How like Upanishads. Upanishad too compares gyan with light and one of its prayers says lead me from darkness to light.

Prophet: Yes indeed, this prayer exists in the Qur’an too. And one other prayer says rabbi zidni ‘ilman (O Sustainer of this Universe increase me in knowledge). Indeed religions (not to be confused with customs, traditions and cultural institutions) do not contradict each other but compliment and stress same values.

Gandhiji: In Hindu tradition we maintain entire humanity is one family (Vasudhaiva kutumbakum).

Prophet: Yes I too have said in one of my hadith al-khalq-u-‘ayalullah (entire creation is Allah’s family.)

Gandhiji: How similar are teachings of two of our great religions. But, Hindus often complain that Muslims call us kafirs. Sir, are we kafirs?

Prophet: No, no. there is great misunderstanding about kufr among Muslims and others. In Qur’an kafir is one who hides truth and actively opposes it. Every religion is embodiment of truth and in every religious tradition Allah or God or Ishwar’s name is Truth, In Qur’an one of Allah’s name is Haq (Truth). So those who hide truth and actively oppose it is a kafir, not one who believes in it and strongly affirms it.

Gandhiji: We Hindus do believe in truth and indeed I always said Truth is God.

Prophet: Yes, yes, how can you be kafir. All those who affirm truth, truth of values and right path cannot be kafirs. Qur’an teaches that every qaum (nation) was given truth through prophets and I have said that Allah has sent 1,24,000 prophets and Qur’an also says “We have sent prophet for every nation.” And some of the Sufis in your country have said Allah must have sent prophets to Hind also to fulfill His promise in the Qur’an. However, I know some Muslims, either out of arrogance or ignorance, call others kafirs. Do not worry about them. Then even one Muslim sect in my ummah, unfortunately call followers of other sects as kafirs. It is nothing but false sense of superiority over others.

Gandhiji: May I request you sir to further throw some light on concept of kafir in Qur’an as there is so much confusion about it among people.

Prophet: When I began to invite people of Mecca to Islam, a religion of truth revealed by Allah to me and it invited the powerful leaders of Mecca too, to accept Islam, their ego as well as their powerful interests were deeply hurt and they began to actively oppose Islam. Firstly they felt how can an orphan, without any wealth and social status could tell us what is the right path and ask us to deviate from the path of our forefathers. Secondly, Qur’an, as I pointed out, attacked accumulation of wealth neglecting weaker sections of society.

This deeply disturbed them as wealth was their main power and there was no state machinery in Mecca to tax them so the Qur’an proposed a voluntary contribution and called it zakat which literally means to purify. The zakat is meant to be distributed among the weaker sections of society, the poor, orphans, widows, needy, travelers and liberating slaves and prisoners. Thus economic justice will prevail and their wealth will be purified. However, so far they had only accumulated wealth and never spared anything for the weaker sections of society. This also created strong resentment among the wealthy of Mecca and they began to actively oppose me and my followers and even using their power persecuted me and my followers, torturing them in most inhuman manner. They even did not allow us to enter Ka’aba, our holy shrine for centuries.

The Qur’an condemned them as kafirs because they actively opposed the truth knowing fully well that I was bearer of truth from Allah. Their arrogance and their pride in their wealth blinded them. It indeed was not their ancestral religion but their arrogance and false pride in wealth which was the problem.

There were those Arabs who did not accept Islam but at the same time did not oppose Islam and hence Qur’an said for them that “O unbelievers for you is your religion and for me is mine”. Thus you will see religion was indeed not the problem, power, wealth and arrogance was. Also, the Qur’an says la ikrah fi’ al-din (i.e. there is no compulsion in matters of religion). No one can be coerced into believing as religion is matter of conscience and deeper conviction. Even an idol worshipper cannot be coerced into abandoning his way of worship. If a kafir (which only means non-believer in Islam) desires to live in peace with Muslims his way of worship has to be respected and protected along with his life and property. Qur’an calls them dhimmis (i.e. those whose responsibility of life and property) is on Muslims and those who harm them amounts to harming me and those who harm me they harm Allah.

Gandhiji: This completely clarifies the meaning of kafir. It is indeed very humane and in keeping with the contemporary world which believes in freedom of worship and freedom of conscience and freedom of religion. Unto me is my religion and unto you is yours. What more one can expect from any religion.

So sir it is not in keeping with the teaching of Islam that one should use sword to preach Islam. This misconcept is so widespread in the world today.

Prophet: This is sheer monstrosity. How can Qur’an which teaches freedom of conscience can teach such a thing. Qur’an says, on the other hand, call people to the path of Allah with wisdom and goodly words. Those who went out with swords were conqueror of territories, not conquerors of hearts for Allah.

Gandhiji: This clears many of my doubts and my countrymen’s doubts. I always thought Qur’an and Prophet of Islam can never allow such things. Religion is a moral force and can never permit coercion, let alone violence, for its acceptance. The conqueror may coerce some to convert but a religious person can never. Those conversions will be more for political than for religious conviction. In India most of the conquerors also hardly ever used coercion to convert Hindus though many of them supported various Muslim rulers militarily and politically. There may have been few instances but generally Hindus and Muslims lived in peace and harmony and evolved a composite culture.

Prophet: Yes indeed you are right and my mission (da’wah) was generally accepted by weaker sections of the society. In Arabia too it is poor, slaves, women, orphans and widows who responded to my mission promptly. In your country also, it is low caste Hindus who suffered indignities who responded readily as Islam stands for social justice, equality and human dignity.

Gandhiji: Now it brings me to the question of non-violence which I have practiced in my life, even for liberation of my own country from the British rulers. Does Islam accept non-violence as a basic doctrine? Or it accepts it only tactically in certain circumstances as many Islamic theologians maintain?

Prophet: Truth, as you know is very basic to the Qur’an as I told you and it is also one of Allah’s names. Another important names of Allah and Qur’an’s fundamental values are compassion and mercy. Now put all of them (truth, compassion and mercy) together and tell me how violence can ever be part of Qur’anic teachings? It is not merely tactical but non-violence is most fundamental to Islam.

You evolved the concept of satyagraha (insistence on truth) for practicing non-violence for liberation of Hind. Truth and non-violence go together and can never be a sundered apart. One who insists on truth, as you tried to do, can never resort to violence. Truth reflects our deeper conviction and is mirror of our pure conscience and you would agree with me conviction and coercion are poles apart.

Also, truth needs certain virtues most of all patience (sabr) and control over ones anger, desire and greed without which one cannot practice it. Qur’an also lays great emphasis on these virtues, as you also do. In one of the chapters of Qur’an it has been said, “By the time! Surely man is in loss, except those who believe and do good, and exhort one another to Truth, and exhort one another to patience.”

Thus it will be seen that truth requires tremendous patience and patience, in turn, curbs anger and desire. Those who have patience cannot be provoked. To practice truth you need these qualities. And hence where there is truth, there will be no violence. Violence is result of impatience, anger, greed and desire.

Gandhiji: You are very right O Prophet of Islam. I also always emphasized truth, non-violence and simple living. Without non-violence truth is not possible and without simple living too, non-violence is not possible. It is greed and desire which leads to more and more violence. In the twentieth and twenty first century more and more consumerism has meant more and more raw materials and western powers in collaboration with the native ruling elite plunder third world countries and for that they have to suppress people and displace them from their ancestral properties resulting in great deal of violence. The naxalite violence in my country is because tribal are being displaced without any dignified rehabilitation in the hunt for minerals.

Prophet: Yes, you are absolutely right. In Mecca when I exhorted the rich and powerful not to neglect the poor and needy and leave life of luxury they turned against me and persecuted me. My emphasis was on simple life and I set a rigorous example of simplicity. I am also known to Islamic historians as kambliwala i.e. one who used rough blanket and often wore patched clothes and used pillows stuffed with just palm leaves.

We have all this in common. But the powerful merchants of Mecca had greed for profit and were used to high life style and accepting my teachings would have meant giving up all this. When finally I left Mecca and migrated to Madina they pursued me and attacked me and first battle of Badr took place. It was the first battle ought by Muslims. It is Meccan merchants who were aggressors. I had to defend.

Absolute non-violence is not possible in the world where injustices abide, inequality and human lust is widespread and powerful are ever ready to exploit and deprive people of their rights and dignity. Violence is not our choice, it is often inflicted on us without we ever desiring it. I, along with my followers left Mecca quietly and yet the Meccan merchants inflicted war on us.

It was in this condition that the Qur’an permitted us to defend ourselves. The permission was granted conditionally that we do not commit aggression. Thus the Qur’an said that fight in the way of Allah against those who fight you and do not be aggressors as Allah does not love aggressors. If we had not defended ourselves we would have been wiped out. Non-violence should essentially mean absence of violence of aggression. And for Qur’an it is matter of basic principle that Muslims should not be first resort to violence..

Gandhiji: I am in perfect agreement with you honourable Prophet. I would also like to know more about the concept of jihad. It is highly misunderstood both among Muslims and non-Muslims. I hope it does not mean war and violence but I want to hear from you.

Prophet: You are right jihad does not even remotely mean war or violence. It means struggle for truth and truth prevails, as we discussed earlier, if we suppress our unjust desires, anger and passion for possession. Thus real jihad means to struggle against ones own selfish desires and this is most difficult struggle. I call it jihad-e-akbar i.e. the greatest jihad. Then I also have said that most meritorious jihad is speaking truth in the face of a tyrant risking ones own life.

People cannot wage such jihad, such struggle as it entails great sacrifices, they wage wars for selfish desires, kill innocent people and exploit the poor and call it jihad to legitimize it. Wars of aggression and territorial possessions can never be called jihad. Some of my followers in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and some other places are killing even fellow Muslims through terrorist attacks and call it jihad. Terrorism is terrorism and most condemnable act of cruelty. How can it be called jihad which is very noble act of upholding truth even at the cost of ones life. It entails self sacrifice and not killing innocent people.

Islam opposes violence of aggression in every form and respects life of even enemy and that is why the Qur’an says with great emphasis that if you kill one person without justification it amounts to killing the whole humanity and if you save one life as if you have saved entire humanity. If this principle is universally accepted there will be peace on our earth.

Gandhiji: Indeed the concept of jihad is very noble as explained by you O Prophet. I wish all Muslims and non-Muslims follow this noble principle and instead of attacking others and launching wars of aggression fight against their own selfish desires and greed for consumption and more and more possession. I have always believed that real peace is inner peace, borne by giving rather than taking from others

Prophet: Yes indeed Qur’an also says that give away what is more than what is left after your basic needs are met. Do not accumulate. It is desire to accumulate that leads to war and violence. Accumulation robs you of inner peace. Inner peace and satisfaction is real paradise as Qur’an says enter (paradise) with complete sense of peace and security. It is our desire for wealth which turns into hell.

Gandhiji: I also advised my followers to serve people and not run after power and self. I even advised Congressmen to turn themselves into an organization of serving people after independence rather than fight for crumbs of power. Serving people by sacrificing our own selfish desires is the highest goal of life. It gives you inner joy and makes your life meaningful.

Prophet: But the modern economy isn’t need based but greed based and hence so much violence in modern world despite so much talk of human rights and dignity, peace and security. It will never be realized until we wage real jihad for these noble ideals of human equality, dignity and justice.

Gandhiji: O Prophet of Islam, it was indeed very ennobling to have the honour of having talked to you. In the end I would thank you profusely for enlightening me on all these issues which have been causing so much confusion in minds of several Muslims and non-Muslims. May Allah’s peace be upon you. Your contribution to culture of justice, peace and human dignity has indeed been immense. ----END-----

Tyson's Spiritual Journey

2010-07-31T09:30:00.003-04:00

Vince Thomas | Jul 13, 2010
"my whole life has been a waste – I've been a failure."

Extract: "The picture taken of "Iron" Mike Tyson in front of the holy Ka'aba reminds believers the reason that Muslims make the pilgrimages: it is a time for deep personal reflection and growth. After the life Tyson has led, is there anyone more deserving?" continue reading

See also:

MIKE TYSON'S SPIRITUAL JOURNEY‎ Saudi Gazette - 4 Jul 2010, By Majed Al-Suqairi
"MADINA – Former US heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, who is on a visit to the Kingdom to perform Umrah, Sunday prayed at the Quba’ and Qiblatain mosques..."

Mike Tyson, en peregrinación a Arabia Saudita Diario las Américas

Info courtesy: Mohammed Ibrahim

Terrorism is not a Muslim monopoly, Times of India

2010-07-06T23:54:00.001-04:00

Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar, TNN, Jul 23, 2006,

"All Muslims may not be terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims." This comment , frequently heard after the Mumbai bomb blasts implies that terrorism is a Muslim specialty, if not a monopoly. The facts are very different. continue reading

Info courtesy: Mrs. Elizabeth Rahman, CEO of Metamorphosis Translation Services, and co-hosts the Annual Abraham Festival in Peterborough.

Google is neither God nor Satan - Thought for the day

2010-07-03T00:08:00.003-04:00

Picture (Some Questions Can't Be Answered by Google) courtesy: TameBay : eBay news blog

The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, Nicholas Carr (W. W. Norton & Company 2010; ISBN: 0393072223)

"Google is neither God nor Satan, and if there are shadows in the Googleplex they're no more than the delusions of grandeur. What's disturbing about the company's founders is not their boyish desire to create an amazingly cool machine that will be able to out think its creators, but the pinched conception of the human mind that gives rise to such a desire." (in Chapter Eight: The Church of Google, p. 176)

Review: The New York Times - Jonah Lehrer
While Carr tries to ground his argument in the details of modern neuroscience, his most powerful points have nothing do with our plastic cortex. Instead, The Shallows is most successful when Carr sticks to cultural criticism, as he documents the losses that accompany the arrival of new technologies.

Contents:
Prologue; The Watchdog and the Thief; One Hal and Me; Two The Vital Paths; a digression on what the brain thinks about when it thinks about itself; Three Tools of the Mind; Four The Deepening Page;a digression on lee de forest and his amazing audion; Five A Medium of the Most General Nature; Six The Very Image of a Book; Seven The Juggler's Brain; a degression on the buoyancy of IQ scores; Eight The Church of Google; Nine Search, Memeory; a digression on the writing of this book; Ten A Thing Like me; Epilogue Human Elements

Coalition Calls for Boycott of Comedy Central Over Cartoon Depicting Jesus

2010-06-04T14:52:00.001-04:00

By DAVE ITZKOFF, NYTimes.com, June 3, 2010
" A coalition of organizations that seek to promote what they see as religious values and family-friendly programming said on Thursday that they were calling on prospective sponsors to boycott advertising on a planned Comedy Central animated series that would satirize Jesus Christ.
The group, which calls itself the Citizens Against Religious Bigotry and includes leaders from the Media Research Center, the Catholic League and the Parents Television Council, said the series represented a double standard in light of the network’s decision to censor an episode of “South Park” that mocked the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam." continue reading

On the same shelf: UKRANIANS PROTEST AGAINST FRENCH CARTOON OF JESUS CHRIST

Jihad jitters at Comedy Central

2010-04-25T00:01:00.002-04:00

Margaret Wente,, The Globe and Mail, The Globe and Mail

Why do we allow ourselves to be spooked?

What’s the lowest point in the history of American TV? The censorship of South Park could be it.
South Park is a hilarious, profane and potty-mouthed cartoon show that has been airing on The Comedy Network for nearly 14 years. This week’s Wednesday episode, featuring an irreverent treatment of the Prophet Mohammed, was altered by a frightened network. The network cancelled replays of the show and took it off the website. Episode 201 of South Park has officially ceased to exist.
The network did this in reaction to a single threat from a tiny group of nut-bars calling themselves Revolution Muslim. Here’s where things get surreal. This group was reacting to the episode of the week before – which dealt in a satirical way with threats over depicting the figure of Mohammed. continue reading: Jihad jitters at Comedy Central

Reading now: Do I Kneel or Do I Bow?

2010-04-24T20:46:00.021-04:00

Do I Kneel or Do I Bow?: What You Need To Know When Attending Religious Occasions (Simple Guides)by Akasha Lonsdale, (Kuperard, 2010)

About the Author:
AKASHA LONSDALE is an Interfaith Minister. Her two-year seminary training in London included instruction in the major religions and sacred traditions of the world, and her vocation brings her into frequent contact with people of every faith and none.

Product Description:
In today’s multicultural society we are increasingly likely to meet and become friends with people from different religious backgrounds, and to find ourselves attending an unfamiliar ceremony. When this happens, there can be few of us who know exactly what to expect, or are confident about how to behave.

Each religious occasion is categorized in a helpful sequence. For e.g., Buddhist ceremonies (p. 298) > festivals and holy days (p. 314) > Wesak, Vesak, Vesakha (Buddha Day) What do I do? (p. 317) ... Similarly, Sikh ceremonies (p. 260) > Vaisakhi, Baisakhi (what do they do) (p. 281);

You will find description of each faith's practice, theology, what do I do, What happens, and much more...

In terms of coverage of ceremonies, Western Christianity gets the largest share: 60 pages; Orthodox Christianity: 20 pages; Jewish: 50 pages; Muslim: 25 pages; Hindu: 50 pages; Sikh: 38 pages; and Buddhist: 30 pages.

"Armed with this basic information, you will feel relaxed enough to enjoy the occasion–and perhaps inspired to discover more about the spiritual world view of another cultural tradition. "

Strength:

It is a 'how to' manual for those desiring to understand seven faiths' religious occasions.

It is easy to read, easier to follow and educating everyone.

Each faith (except Christianity) ends with a glossary ('Some Useful Words & Phrases').

It has a detailed Table of Contents, equally detailed index and a useful list of resources (Further Readings)

Weakness

The background information of each faith takes away precious space, and this factor makes the book bulky (336 pages); Just the details of 'Bow, Kneel, Prostrate and Hand Shake' would have taken only 200 pages, making it cheaper, handy and unique. In a future revision, the author / publisher may consider a more appropriate title for this book, such as, 'Bow, Kneel, Prostrate and Hand Shake: unique and common practices in major theistic religions of the world.'

This book’s wonderful detailed description of faith practices is simply short of visuals.

Missing in glossary: Sajda, singular (prostration) in Muslim practice; Eight-limbed (ashtanga pranama) and five-limbed (panchanga pranama) prostrations in Hinduism; “Bet-Resh-Kaf (Knee) The words barukh and berakhah are both derived from the Hebrew root Bet-Resh-Kaf, meaning "knee," and refer to the practice of showing respect by bending the knee and bowing.” See here more on: Did the Jews pray as Muslims do ?!

Recommendation:
This book is a handy resource for the following: (a) you, to understand the other and learn how best to accommodate; (b) any one interested in building bridges (or interested in comparative religion, interfaith dialog, etc.), c) a teacher who can use it as textbook to learn and teach 'what do I do' 'when invited to attend their ceremony.'

In short, all school libraries and public libraries must have a copy. This is a valuable reference source. Read other reviews, here: Simply Divine Ceremonies
On the same shelf:

French Catholic church warns against burqa ban

2010-02-07T22:07:00.000-05:00

Daily Times

PARIS: The French Catholic church warned Paris on Monday against banning the burqa and said France must respect the rights of Muslims if it wanted Islamic countries to do the same for their Christian minorities. Bishop Michel Santier, the top French Catholic official for inter-religious dialogue, said very few women in France wear full veils and Muslim leaders agree it is not obligatory in Islam. If Paris passed a law, Santier said, “The result could be the opposite of what is desired and lead to a reaction that increases the number of women wearing the burqa. “The French, including the Catholics among them, should not let themselves be gripped by fear or a ‘clash of civilisations’ theory,” he said.

continue reading French Catholic church warns against burqa ban

See also on the same shelf:

France to refuse citizenship to men who make wives wear burqas
Veil ban would harm Christians in Muslim countries, French church warns
We must respect Muslim rights if we want Islamic countries to respect our rights Daily Mail
France: Catholic Church Rejects Ban on Full-Face Veils
New York Times - ‎Feb 1, 2010‎
view: The French burqa ban —Ishtiaq Ahmed, Daily Times
The (French Parliamentary) commission recommended that if the government was going to ban the burqa, it should compensate by declaring as public holidays the religious festivals of Muslims and Jews. It also recommended that steps be taken to integrate Muslim and other minorities into the French mainstream
French Catholics Warn Against Muslim Veil Ban, IslamOnline.net & News Agencies
...French Jewish leaders have already expressed concern about a veil ban.
...Prominent Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan has said that the French debate on the wearing of burka reflects growing self-doubts inside the society.
The French Catholic Church warned Paris today against banning Muslim full-face veils The Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne

Interfaith Alliance head protests Bible verses on military gun sights

2010-01-21T19:15:00.003-05:00

By Bob Allen, Thursday, January 21, 2010, Associated Baptist Press
WASHINGTON (ABP) -- A Baptist leader is calling on President Obama to conduct a formal investigation into revelations that a United States military contractor stamped references to Bible verses on combat rifle sights used, unknowingly, by troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Welton Gaddy, president of the Washington-based Interfaith Alliance, said the episode "is only the latest in a long line of violations of the boundaries between religion and government within the military." He urged Obama to develop guidelines that "ensure that religion no longer plays an inappropriate role in our armed forces."continue reading

See on the same shelf:

Justin Trottier: Weapons bearing scripture & google's Islam censorship: catch me tonight on the Michael Coren show CTS TV @ Facebook

Google struggles with religious sensitivity: "Google results offend Christians, but if you search for “Islam is” Google will give you no search suggestions.

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up—Bible Verses on Gun Sights Ronald A. Lindsay, January 21, 2010

More News via Google's images

Google struggles with religious sensitivity

2010-01-10T22:20:00.006-05:00

"Google results offend Christians, but if you search for “Islam is” Google will give you no search suggestions.

It wasn’t long ago experts claimed that we were entering the age of secularization. Instead the headlines of the new century have become dominated by religious fervor, not at least because of the rise of Muslim militants and 9/11." continue reading @ Pandia Search Engine News

See also:

Google favouring Islam? Matthew Moore, Expressbuzz, 11 Jan 2010
Google has denied favouring Islam over other religions in its suggested searches, after allegations that phrases criticising the faith had been censored.

Google 'censors its website so anti-Islam searches fail to appear Daily Mail Neil Millard

Google suggests Islam is nothing

"The metaphysics of search, The Register, 11th January 2010

Google's search Suggest function treats Islam a bit differently from the other major religions of the world. It's willing to suggest "Christianity is bullshit" or "Judaism is false," but if you begin to ask what Islam is, it won't suggest a thing..."

Is Google Censoring Islam Suggestions? Wired News

Proselytization, admittedly, is fraught with complications - Thought for the day

2010-01-08T13:57:00.000-05:00

By Michael Gerson, Friday, January 8, 2010 Washington Post:
"Proselytization, admittedly, is fraught with complications. We object to the practice when an unequal power relationship is involved -- a boss pressuring an employee. We are offended by brainwashing. Coercion and trickery violate the whole idea of free religious choice based on open discussion.

But none of this was present in Hume's appeal to Woods. A semi-retired broadcaster holds no unfair advantage over a multimillionaire athlete. Hume was engaged in persuasion.

"Persuasion, by contrast," argues political and social ethics professor Jean Bethke Elshtain, "begins with the presupposition that you are a moral agent, a being whose dignity no one is permitted to deny or to strip from you, and, from that stance of mutual respect, one offers arguments, or invites your participation, your sharing, in a community."

The root of the anger against Hume is his religious exclusivity -- the belief, in Shuster's words, that "my faith is the right one." For this reason, according to Shales, Hume has "dissed about half a billion Buddhists on the planet." Continue reading: Brit Hume's Tiger Woods remarks shine light on true intolerance

How to suppress American Muslims (and throw Sikhs and Jews under the bus)

2010-01-08T12:20:00.000-05:00

By Rajdeep Singh, January 8, 2010, Altmuslimah

"At a time of fear and hostility toward Muslims, ID documents offer bigots a simple way to wreck the socio-economic mobility of religious minorities (that Sikhs, Jews, and others might be impacted is usually an afterthought). The act of redefining photo ID standards by law to slam religious minorities has an economic dimension, but it also constitutes a form of dehumanization. For the faithful, religious headcoverings are not merely articles of faith but also integral and inseparable components of their identities as human beings. They are a source of self-definition and strength..." http://www.altmuslimah.com/a/b/a/3497/

Free to criticize religions but not with hate: Bombay high court

2010-01-06T22:09:00.000-05:00

Swati Deshpande, The Times of India TNN 7 January 2010, 01:11am IST
MUMBAI: In a significant ruling, a three-judge bench of the Bombay high court on Wednesday held that in India, criticism of any religion -- be it Islam, Hinduism, Christianity or any other -- is permissible under the fundamental right to freedom of speech and that a book cannot be banned on those grounds alone.

However, the criticism must be bona fide or academic, said the court, as it upheld a ban issued in 2007 by the Maharashtra government on a book titled `Islam - A Concept of Political World Invasion by Muslims.' The book contained was an "aggravated form of criticism made with a malicious and deliberate intention" to outrage the feelings of Muslims, the court said.

Delivering the landmark verdict on Wednesday, the court has in a rare instance upheld the state's ban on a book but at the same time brought joy to civil rights activists when it held that, "in our country, everything is open to criticism and religion is no exception. Freedom of expression covers criticism of religion and no person can be sensitive about it."

The bench, comprising Justices Ranjana Desai, D Y Chandrachud and R S Mohite, said, "Healthy criticism provokes thought, encourages debate and helps us evolve. But criticism cannot be malicious and must not lead to creating ill-will between different communities... (it) must lead to sensible dialogue." The courts must strike a balance between the guaranteed freedom and permissible restrictions, "a difficult task", as the 150-page HC verdict penned by Justice Desai observed...

A person may have a right to say a particular religion is "not secular", said the HC, but it cautioned against rabid contents "reeking of hatred for a particular community" and "malafide exercise to stir communal passions".

The HC also found "totally unacceptable" the author's argument that banning the book in the age of the internet is passe and pointless.

The book contains "highly objectionable and disturbing" statements about the author's wishful thinking of an impending war between Muslims and others and how Indian Muslims want to convert all Hindus, attack temples and Hindu women. Statements like these are "likely to incite people to violence and may promote violence, enmity or hatred". Full article

Atheists Celebrate First-Ever Invite to Mayor's Interfaith Breakfast

2010-01-05T17:42:00.000-05:00

By Roy Edroso in Citystate, Featured, Religion
Monday, Jan. 4 2010 @ 4:33PM
"Ken Bronstein was excited to notify us of a great coup: six members of his organization, the New York City Atheists, attended Mayor Bloomberg's annual Interfaith Breakfast this weekend. It's believed to be the first time nonbelievers have been invited, as nonbelievers, to the event.

We asked Bronstein why atheists would even want to attend an Interfaith Breakfast, seeing as they don't, in point of fact, have faith.

"Oh, we have faith," Bronstein told us. "Just not in God." continue reading

On the same shelf:

Annual Interfaith Breakfast on Parliament Hill Born

'I Sold My Soul on eBay' - Faithwise Review of the Week

Atheist, Naturalist, Secular humanist, Or None-of-the-above

93 pc of Britons to skip the church on Christmas, says Opinion Matters

2009-12-26T14:32:00.000-05:00

London, Dec 25 : A new survey has revealed that almost 93 per cent of Britons would be skipping the church on Christmas Day.

They would either be spending Christmas eating turkey, drinking champagne or opening presents - but will not attend the church.

The study by Opinion Matters only 11 per cent had the intention of attending Midnight Mass last night on Christmas Eve, while 86 per cent said they sent Christmas cards.

Daily Express columnist Ann Widdecombe told Express.co.uk: "If you''re not going to church on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day then why are you celebrating Christmas?" continue reading

Fox News angers Hindus with ‘India's Ganges river a disease’ remark

2009-12-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

Nevada (US), December 24: Hindus have filed a formal complaint with United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) against the Fox News remarks regarding India's Ganges river (considered holy by Hindus), which Hindus found denigrating and ridiculing.

Glenn Beck, talking about India in December nine segment titled "This is the best America has to offer?" of his opinion show "The One Thing" on Fox News channel, said: "One big river they have there, that sounds like a disease. Come on it does. I mean if somebody said, I am sorry, you have a really bad case of Ganges." continue reading

Hindus Still Upset Over Glenn Beck's "Denigrating" Ganges River Comments

Priest: Thou shalt not steal (unless it's from big business)

2009-12-23T14:38:00.003-05:00

London, England (CNN) -- A UK priest has defended his comments that it is acceptable to steal from large companies.

Tim Jones, parish priest of St Lawrence and St Hilda, told his congregation in York, northern England: "My advice, as a Christian priest, is to shoplift." continue reading @ CNN.com

Info courtesy: Dr Roderic Vassie + his comment:

Father Tim Jones ("It's okay to shoplift" December 21st 2009) has a point. The Bible teaches, in the Torah, that landowners should leave a portion of their crops to the poor, the needy and the traveller to enjoy, which is clearly distinguished from stealing (Leviticus 9:9-11).

In this context, anyone familiar with the Gospel stories (Matthew 12:1-2) will recall how, when Jesus's disciples picked ears of corn in a field, they were accused not of theft but of breaking the Pharisees' interpretation of the Sabbath laws.

Likewise, under Sharia law in Islam, a clear line is drawn between stealing to enrich oneself and "stealing" to preserve life. The former is punishable by the state, the latter not. Instead the state has the duty to ensure that everyone has enough to survive with dignity.

Perhaps the real problem is the inability of secular law to regulate greed of supermarkets which screw the people at the bottom of their supply chains so they can afford to destroy mountains of food, and still turn a healthy profit for their shareholders.

'It’s okay to shoplift' says Father Tim Jones, parish priest of St Lawrence and St Hilda
By Gavin Aitchison » 21st December 2009, York Press

WORSHIPPERS at one York church got a shock when their parish priest used the last Sunday before Christmas to advocate shoplifting.

Father Tim Jones, parish priest of St Lawrence and St Hilda, broke off from the traditional Nativity story yesterday, and said stealing from large national chains was sometimes the best option many vulnerable people had.

He told the congregation: “My advice, as a Christian priest, is to shoplift. I do not offer such advice because I think that stealing is a good thing, or because I think it is harmless, for it is neither.

“I would ask that they do not steal from small, family businesses, but from large national businesses, knowing that the costs are ultimately passed on to the rest of us in the form of higher prices. I would ask them not to take any more than they need, for any longer than they need.”
continue reading

See also:

Father Tim Jones was helping himself, but not helping the poor, Telegraph.co.uk - Liz Hunt
Not wholly Moses: British priest causes uproar by saying ...
Thou shalt shoplift, priest tells congregation
U.K. clergyman advises poor people to target large national chain stores
LONDON - For a priest in northern England, the commandment that dictates "thou shalt not steal" isn't exactly written in stone.

Bringing back lessons of haj -- Partners in Humanity, Muslim-Western

2009-12-21T22:56:00.002-05:00

by Kalsoom Lakhani
01 December 2009
"Washington, DC - Although the haj is a strictly Muslim experience, many hajis find it affects the way they also see interfaith relations. In "Estimating the Impact of the Hajj: Religion and Tolerance in Islam's Global Gathering", a 2008 study of Pakistani pilgrims by the Weatherhead Center of International Affairs at Harvard University, the authors found that performing the haj "increases pilgrims' desire for peace and tolerance toward others"–Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The study compared successful and unsuccessful applicants in a lottery used by Pakistan to allocate haj visas and the personal accounts of pilgrims..." continue reading @ - Common Ground News Service

* Kalsoom Lakhani is the director of Social Vision, the strategic philanthropy arm of ML Resources, LLC. She also runs the CHUP! - Changing Up Pakistan blog. This article first appeared in Washington Post/Newsweek's OnFaith and was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

see on the same shelf:

Hajj Steps - [visual map] by Baggia Travel, Toronto

Basic Hajj Map, by Shayistha Abdulla

Hajj 2010 - The Big Picture - Boston.com

Holy Water in News

2009-12-19T14:01:00.002-05:00

Christian: Holy Scams! Have A Wary Christmas

Mass holy water. Biggest scam ever? - MabinogiPlayer - Mabinogi / Peter Popoff's Miracle Holy Water Scam

Genuine Holy Water from Lourdes

Muslim: Fake Holy Water – The Zam Zam Scam

Buddhist: Wat Sanamchan temple [The temple is also in trouble over its holy water claims]
See also a Pathfinders To Detect Spam and Forwarded Email Scams @ To-forward or not-to-forward

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Forwarded, But no Luck: It's your Karma--they say in the spiritual lingo!!!

Chain emails - send it now to every one you love.... "If you need God to open some doors for you...send this on."

Saga of a "Pastor Scam" Against a Christian Business Owner

Lady discovers her spiritual gift is sending forwarded emails

Theological Discussions: Mmmm, Tasty Forwarded Emails Dipped in a Crunchy Shell of Misconceptions and Half-truths.

The Top 10 Signs of an E-mail Hoax

How an Enterprise SPAM Filter Works

Social : Let Us Fight Spam

why inspirational quotes on Twitter suck

A Quote To Live By: “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die”

2009-12-17T23:42:00.000-05:00

Death and dying is a subject that is a common concern of all religions and philosophies.

Reading a blog post by Lita C. Malicdem, 'To Live Meaningfully, Die for Others (Ampatuan Massacre),' reminded me in another context, death has positive side too. In this context I quote famous lines from The poems of Thomas Campbell (1777-1844): "To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die." (p. 249)

[info courtesy: Angel, Aasman Se Aaya ek Farishta]

What is Your One Main Failure of the Year 2009 - Are You Ready for the Year 2010?

2009-12-16T15:10:00.013-05:00

What will you say about yourself in 2009? ...

Lost battle? broken hearted? Cursed? Failed? ...

Are you ready for 2010? Take this as a moment of reflection and resolution for the year 2010
Note: At Blog Catalog you will find many responses: click here

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Bikini vs. Burka: The Debauchery of Women

2009-12-11T14:00:00.001-05:00

This is a chapter from the book: Cruel Hoax: Feminism and the New World Order, by Henry Makow (2007)

September 24, 2009 (Updated from Sept. 18, 2002)
By Henry Makow Ph.D.

"On my wall, I have a picture of a Muslim woman shrouded in a burka.
Beside it is a picture of an American beauty contestant, wearing nothing but a bikini.

One woman is totally hidden from the public; the other is totally exposed. These two extremes say a great deal about the clash of so-called "civilizations."

The role of woman is at the heart of any culture. Apart from stealing Arab oil, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are about stripping Muslims of their religion and culture, exchanging the burka for a bikini.

I am not an expert on the condition of Muslim women and I love feminine beauty too much to advocate the burka here. But I am defending some of the values that the burka represents for me...." continue reading

Christmas a time for bridge building, Abdul Malik Mujahid

2009-12-08T21:01:00.000-05:00

[Audio]
Treating Christmas with Respect:

"Christmas is an annual Christian religious holiday commemorating the birth of Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him. For many Muslims who do not even celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, it becomes an issue of what stand they should take."

continue reading Christmas a time for bridge building
12/10/2009 - Interfaith Religious Social - Article Ref: IC0612-3182
Number of comments: 14
By: Abdul Malik Mujahid
IslamiCity* -

What America Must Learn from India's 9/11

2009-12-01T20:32:00.000-05:00

By Forum Contributor
- FOXNews.com

"When religious-inspired terrorists use the Web to spread hatred it falls to religious leaders to respond by building bridges. But our efforts will fail unless misguided politicians refuse to stop cloaking the enemies of humanity behind a shroud of dangerous and false political correctness...." Continue reading

Ramdev's Yoga at Deoband's Islamic congregation steals limelight

2009-11-04T12:57:00.009-05:00

Updated November 03, 2009, Source: zeenews @ Youtube

Deoband: In a rare confluence, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev performed Pranayam while a Hindu Priest recited Vedic hymns at the largest congregation of Muslim clerics of the country here on Tuesday.

The 30th General Assembly organised by Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind at the Darul Uloom Islamic seminary was the first occasion when a Hindu religious figure addressed the audience, primarily comprising Muslim clerics. continue reading

The Future of Religious Leadership @ Elijah Interfaith Institute

2009-10-31T01:21:00.000-04:00

Religious Leadership Tested at Interfaith Conference
more here

newsletter

See also:
Finding common ground
A Jerusalem group brings together Jews and Muslims to educate people and show that an end to the conflict in Israel is possible. Jennifer Campbell explains.
By Jennifer Campbell , The Ottawa Citizen

Miracle or hoax? Russians puzzled as phrases from the Koran start appearing 'spontaneously' on baby's skin

2009-10-20T23:13:00.008-04:00

Amazing Video3 Child Verse Koran Coran Enfant Russe

Extract from: Mail Foreign Service
"A baby is sparking a wave of speculation in Russia after phrases from the Koran allegedly began appearing on his skin.
Sayings from the Muslim holy book are said to appear on nine-month-old Ali Yakubov's back, arms, legs and stomach - before apparently fading away and being replaced with new sayings.

Russian medics claimed they are puzzled over the cause of the marks on a baby's skin, which started when the word Allah apparently appeared on his chin within weeks of his birth."
view pictures:
Human Koran: Sacred sayings from the Muslim holy book apparently appear spontaneously on nine-month-old Ali Yakubov's body
One of the markings on the child's skin, which medics and his family say are genuine apparitions
Read complete article: By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 10:17 PM on 19th October 2009

When religion and immigration say hello

2009-10-03T20:01:00.007-04:00

"While at the Detention Watch Network conference to attack the detention crisis head-on (its more than 400,000 detainees a year – when will it stop growing?), I have met a number of faith-based organizations that are doing incredible work in their communities to advocate for fair and just immigration. "
continue reading Restore Fairness

On the same shelf: Month in Review: Faith Community Flexes Muscle on Immigration

Multi-faith Forum Focuses On Human Rights

2009-09-30T11:01:00.007-04:00

By Cindy Chan, Epoch Times Staff, Sep 20, 2009

"OTTAWA—A multi-faith expert forum is traveling across the country to call attention to human rights concerns facing various faith-based communities in Canada and abroad.

Co-organized by One Free World International (OFWI) and B’nai Brith Canada, the forum was held in Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto last week and will take place in Vancouver on Sept. 24." continue reading
On the same shelf:
Auckland Interfaith Council Multifaith Service
Multifaith Calendar - Human Rights Day (UN)
Multifaith Human Rights Symposia | Facebook

Swine flu is even changing some long-held religious practices

2009-09-28T00:04:00.003-04:00

Extract: "The Archdiocese of New York told Catholic New Yorkers they may refrain from the traditional handshaking at mass. One rabbi in Brookline, Mass., told National Public Radio that he was suggesting congregants at his temple greet each other with a “Buddhist bow” or an “Obama fist bump” during September’s High Holy Days.
Muslims celebrating Ramadan in Kuwait and Lebanon have been advised not to hug, and, if the flu outbreak worsens, mosques could consider asking people to bring their own prayer mats to services. In Spain, Roman Catholics are being asked to refrain from kissing a statue of the country’s patron saint, and Italy has banned the kissing of two vials thought to contain the blood of a saint." continue reading: It’s scarier than religion, by Editors, Health.com @ 8 Ways Swine Flu Is Changing Society

Prayer rug links high-tech, spiritual worlds

2009-09-16T16:18:00.004-04:00

eRug has built-in sensors that alert the user to prayer time

Shauna Rempel
Toronto Star
Name: Wael Aboulsaadat
Age: 36
Program: Fourth-year PhD student, department of computer science at the University of Toronto.
Thesis: Computer user interfaces for religious practice.
The device: Aboulsaadat has designed a prototype of a digital device called eRug that Muslims can use to enhance their daily prayers. The rug has built-in sensors, lights and a display screen to show scripture, alert the user to the next prayer time and find the direction of Mecca. "It will increase their understanding of the scriptures and the quality of the prayer," says Aboulsaadat. continue reading

Multifaith families and religious tolerance!

2009-09-01T11:50:00.002-04:00

Extracts: Ramadan in a multi-faith family:
"Ilana Alazzeh was born in San Francisco to an Israeli mother and Palestinian father. She currently attends Smith College in Massachusetts, where she stays active in community service and interfaith work, regularly speaking on panels regarding Islam and religious pluralism...."
"When my Israeli mother celebrates Ramadan, she always incorporates her heritage into the holiday. For example, while my Pakistani step-father is downstairs making pancakes, she will loudly sing Hebrew songs from her childhood to wake us up for Suhoor. Although she has converted to Islam, she still keeps her Jewish customs alive."
"Once, my mother’s father came to visit during Ramadan. He is a small, mischievous and comical man, a Palmach war veteran of Israel. Unlike my mother, he refused to celebrate Ramadan. He would begrudgingly come to the masjid with us, and even though he knew Arabic, he only spoke in Hebrew or English. While we were inside doing our night prayers, he would smoke outside with my step-grandmother: a Southern Baptist African American who converted to Judaism. It certainly wasn’t the traditional picture of Ramadan."
"But even though my grandfather did not celebrate with us, he did respect the holiday. I remember him giving my younger brother a clap for teasing me with food when I was fasting. Even though he wasn’t fasting with me, he honored my decision."
"I’ll never forget the night during Ramadan that my puzzle of a family and I piled into our van to see the Christmas lights. We sang Jewish, Christmas and Dawud Wharnsby songs. (Watch the YouTube video “We’ve scanned the sky Dawud Wharnsby.”) My family of different cultures and religions were all celebrating together, enjoying each other’s company and acknowledging our diverse faiths. Although our coexistence was rough at times, it was built out of respect and real love."
Continue reading: Ramadan is truly a month of diversity and spirituality, The Saudi Gazette, Tuesday, 01 September 2009 - 11 Ramadan 1430 H

U.S. Views on God and Life Are Turning Hindu ~ Newsweek

2009-08-18T19:38:00.005-04:00

We Are All Hindus Now
By Lisa Miller NEWSWEEK
Published Aug 15, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Aug 31, 2009
"America is not a Christian nation. We are, it is true, a nation founded by Christians, and according to a 2008 survey, 76 percent of us continue to identify as Christian (still, that's the lowest percentage in American history). Of course, we are not a Hindu—or Muslim, or Jewish, or Wiccan—nation, either. A million-plus Hindus live in the United States, a fraction of the billion who live on Earth. But recent poll data show that conceptually, at least, we are slowly becoming more like Hindus and less like traditional Christians in the ways we think about God, our selves, each other, and eternity." continue reading
on the same shelf:
Newsweek says “We Are All Hindus Now”August 18th, 2009 - 11:02 am ICT by sampurn
We are all Hindus now, so let's say 'Om': Newsweek, ZOPAG.com

Whatever has happened to Hell?

2009-08-15T11:08:00.009-04:00

Note: Visualization of spirituality / secularism with a different mindmap, as depicted by Susan White in the following. Read the note by Dr. Kumar, below on this mindmap.

by Dr. Sehdev Kumar Editorial. SouthAsianObserver.com

Extract: In the spirit of emerging Gaia consciousness - the earth consciousness - an Australian artist, Susan White portrays Seven Deadly Sins in a modern version: Indifference replaces Anger; Sucking Up Envy; Self-Effacement Pride; Celibacy Lust; Dieting Gluttony; Workcoholism Sloth, and Squandering Avarice, all watched by the all-seeing eye of Gaia rather than of God.

Yet despite all, on life’s slippery slopes, at some tortuous moments, hell does become an unbearable reality for all of us in one form or another. The Pursuit of Happiness seems so often an illusion; we are tormented by the meaninglessness of life, and by its frailty, and by its unexpected twists and turns. Sweet fragrance turns sour; youth slips away; innocence becomes icy; spring seems far, far away. One then looks towards the door on Dante’s Inferno, and reads a sign: “Abandon all hope ye who enter here”.

Life without Hope! Could this be the meaning of Hell? continue reading

On the same shelf:

The 7 Deadly Sins Sampler ~ Daniel Born

Pride • Envy • Anger • Sloth • Greed • Gluttony • Lust

Ten Things You Can Do to Build Religion-Labor Partnerships

2009-08-03T23:47:00.000-04:00

by Kim Bobo
Partnerships between the religious community and labor community are growing at an unprecedented pace. In 2001, seminary and rabbinical students worked directly for labor unions as part of the Seminary Summer program. An emerging network of labor coalitions around the country is systematically reaching out to people of faith in support of critical labor issues. Hundreds of cities participate in the Labor in the Pulpits program every Labor Day. The national AFL-CIO leadership has consistently met and worked with national religious leadership and has urged it's regional staff and affiliates across the nation to build partnerships. continue reading

Quality of Life -- Spiritual Thoughts Re-Visited

2009-08-02T23:41:00.002-04:00

"Spiritual well-being is considered by some to be the most significant dimension of quality of life, and may also be the least well understood. Until recently, the concept of spirituality was considered to be faith-based or religious in nature. Although religion may well be a part of the spiritual dimension of quality of life, there are many other aspects of this dimension to be considered. Spiritual well-being encompasses uncertainty, religiosity, the meaning of illness and suffering, the purpose of life, transcendence (lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience) and hopefulness. It is not difficult to see how a diagnosis of cancer can lead to self-doubt and conflict with one's beliefs. In contrast, some will find meaning and solace through reliance on their strong spiritual foundation." continue reading: From the desk of the Laura Hilderley, R.N., M.S., Member, Rhode Island Cancer Council, Inc. December 2001 Quality of Life

Solar eclipse scares Indian mothers-to-be

2009-07-21T10:28:00.001-04:00

By Harmeet Shah Singh, CNN
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- While many now recognize the scientific explanation for a solar eclipse, the phenomenon is still marked with tradition and sometimes suspicion in Hindu-majority India. continue reading

What Do Religions Believe? A Website with Answers

2009-05-14T13:54:00.002-04:00

By Jeninne Lee-St. John Tuesday, May. 05, 2009

Quick — what's the difference between Methodists and Presbyterians? (Presbyterians believe in double predestination; Methodists that free will can help you get to heaven.) Confused about how Hindus believe the world was created? (So are they; the religion has no single canon and there are many, sometimes conflicting, origin stories.) Why are so many celebrities drawn to Scientology? (A key teaching says personal success can help overcome the human condition.) ...

The vast majority of Americans hold some religious affiliation, but we're often too polite — or maybe too shy — to ask friends and neighbors about the nuts and bolts of their beliefs, let alone sneak into a service in a house of worship that we're not thinking of joining. Enter a new website that sets out to explain the differences among religions as well as illuminate the areas of common ground. Patheos.com, which is launching on Tuesday, is a mash-up of path and theos, the Greek word for "god." ... continue reading

An Interesting reflection: Slow Down Culture

2009-03-14T16:44:00.002-04:00

Info courtesy: 7 Colors of The Life

Googlization Revisited: faith-based Updates

2009-03-01T00:02:00.006-05:00

CATHOOGLE - CATHOLIC SEARCH ENGINE powered by Google - The Catholic Search Engine
ISLAMIC GOOGLE - Islamic Search Engine powered by Google -
Müslümanoogle

USE Blessle Make this your home page instead of Google - it gives an ayah from the Holy Qur'an in Arabic and English every day, then you can still search Google.
jgog @ When Religion Meets New Media / Jewgle / jewishgoogle.com
Can BuddhaGoogle Be Far Behind? I Surely Hope So!

See on the same shelf:

Burial Space in the News - Think Globally and Sync Locally

2009-02-22T00:34:00.003-05:00

Extract:
"In Europe and Asia, where people have been living and dying for a hell of a lot longer, traditional burial practices have given way to practical considerations. Grave plots are now commonly "rented'' for a fixed term, the remains later disinterred and placed in an ossuary or crypt. It's posthumous recycling, intended to prolong in perpetuity the "life cycle'' of a graveyard, which strikes me as an oxymoron.

In truth, if mortal congestion doesn't get you tossed from your mummy chamber, erosion, acts of God and global warming just might. I've seen, from flooding in New Orleans to earthquakes in Managua, entire cemeteries on the move. In Alaska, I watched ancient Inuit graves – originally dug far from the coastline – drop into the encroaching sea, no ice floe left to restrain wind and currents.

Some cultures have done us all a great favour by putting corpses to the torch as religious ritual. It's tidy and environmentally friendly. It's also becoming increasingly popular as a cost-conscious alternative in the West.

About half of Canadians now opt for cremation." continue reading: Burial space on my list of worries, by Rosie DiManno @ Toronto Star

LAW OF ATTRACTION -- Faith-based Resources

2009-01-16T18:29:00.003-05:00

Amazon.com Widgets

When a soldier prays ~~ India's Composite Culture Visited Again

2009-01-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, 30 December , 2008 @ Sify.com
Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhD,
"In the wake of allegations being made in the Malegaon blast case, aspersions are being cast on the secular credentials of the Indian Army. "

Extract:
"The Army has proved its secular credentials repeatedly during the last six decades of independence. It has been called for aid to civil authority to maintain law and order on numerous occasions. Not once has any finger been raised at its fair and just conduct. Even today, all citizens under duress demand presence of the olive green. Their faith in the neutrality of Indian soldiers is total.
The Army’s edifice of religious unity is too strong to be threatened by political expediency and divisive agenda of some self-serving entities. On the contrary, it is time all countrymen imbibe Army’s ethos of according supremacy to larger national interests.
Although religion is a matter of individual faith, emulation of Army’s practice of promoting jointness will help develop mutual understanding. Religious dissentions must be curbed as they weaken the country by giving rise to fissiparous tendencies." continue reading

Reconciliation (Mantra): This is what the Dalai Lama has to say for 2009

2008-12-28T21:26:00.054-05:00

Dalai Lama: "In today's highly interdependent world, individuals and nations can no longer resolve many of their problems by themselves. We need one another. We must therefore develop a sense of universal responsibility... It is our collective and individual responsibility to protect and nurture the global family, to support its weak members, and to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live." quoted @ Invitation to the United Nations' International Year of Reconciliation 2009

On the Web you will find a version that states: "Dalai Lama has to say for each year..."

Information courtesy: Jay Bee. Thank You.

See also Waht The Dalai Lama has to say for year 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Interesting poll, posted Nov 2008 (now open for you to join).

The Muslim Jesus: Mary in Islam

2008-12-27T14:30:00.004-05:00

Amazon.com Widgets

"If Humza and Maryam Javed Ismail had their way, they would ride by the big display of Christmas lights every day on Yeatmans Station Road that’s near their Landenberg, Pa., home.
The lights remind the children, who are 11 and 9, about the importance of Jesus and Mary in Islam."
“We believe in the goodness and purity of Mary,” says their mother, Dr. Sheerin Javed. “And sometimes we talk about this — that Jesus is a special prophet for Muslims so it makes us feel good to see him honored this time of year.” continue reading: The Muslim Jesus: Mary in Islam Posted on December 25, 2008 by Moin Ansari

DECEMBER FESTIVALS (2008)

2008-12-24T00:15:00.006-05:00

Info courtesy: www.FoundationforPluralism.com:

Eid-al-Adha, Hanukkah, Khushali, Pancha Ganapati, Winter Solstice, Christmas and Kwanza

Once we're dead, let's talk

2008-12-23T10:38:00.003-05:00

Vinay Menon Toronto Star
We're supposed to look our best ... even when we're dead?
I just finished reading a rather morbid story on msnbc.com titled, "Final Touch: A Cosmetic Lift for Your Funeral." And now I'm tempted to bleach my teeth, get laser eye surgery and do 1,000 abdominal crunches.
You know, just in case I expire tomorrow. continue reading
see also on the same shelf:
1st computerised Muslim graveyard in the making
Death and Dying - Multifaith Resource Series no.1

Stitched together ~~ India's Composite Culture Revsited

2008-12-17T12:48:00.015-05:00

Pradeep Magazine
December 16, 2008, Hindustan Times

"Among the many responses to the gruesome killings in Mumbai has been that of Muslims wearing black bands on Eid-ul-Adha. The act symbolised protest, pain and complete rejection of the killers.
But do Muslims need to go out of their way to proclaim to the world that the community does not endorse terrorism and are as angry and disgusted with what is happening as other communities in India? To have worn black bands on Eid was a touching gesture, akin to, say, Hindus doing the same on Diwali. But somehow, as a Hindu, I am disturbed to find my close friends having to wear bands to show their solidarity with the rest of India.

... But as an Indian I feel embarrassed to find one community having to wear ‘India’ on their sleeves, when we have all expressed our solidarity to fight this war together. I would feel humiliated if a day comes when, as a Hindu, I will have to wear black bands to proclaim to the world that I have nothing to do with Hindu surnames involved in acts of terror.
To my Muslim friends, all I can say is thanks for doing what you have done. But please don’t do it again. We are together in this fight against terror and for justice. " read full article

NB. Info courtesy: Ammar Ahtisham Ashraf

Hindu-Christian wedlock invalid & Avoid cow slaughter, Today's headlines in India

2008-12-06T20:23:00.027-05:00

Avoid cow slaughter on Eid-ul-Azha: Deoband to Muslims

"Leading Islamic seminary Dar-ul-Uloom has suggested to Muslims in the country that they avoid slaughtering cows on Eid-ul-Azha as a mark of respect to the religious beliefs of Hindus." Continue reading

Marriage between a Hindu and non-Hindu under Hindu Marriage Act not valid: High Court, Dec 31, 2010

Hindu-Christian wedlock invalid under Hindu Marriage Act
"Marriage between a Hindu and a Christian is invalid under the Hindu Marriage Act, as the Act provides for only Hindu couples to enter into a wedlock, the Supreme Court has ruled." continue reading

See also books @ Amazon on Hindu Marriage Act:

Libraries offer solace in hard times

2008-12-02T00:05:00.000-05:00

Sunday, November 30, 2008
Last updated: Sunday November 30, 2008, BY DENISA R. SUPERVILLE STAFF WRITER

PATERSON — Before heading to his job at a carpet company in Hackensack, Jorge Maradiegue stopped by the main library on Broadway to check out three DVDs and browse the Internet from his personal laptop.
"You know how much this [costs] to rent at Blockbuster?" Maradiegue asked, motioning to copies of "The Bourne Identity," "Las Mejores Canciones Del Mundo" and "Da Vinci Code" he had borrowed. "It's more than $4 [each]. That's a lot of money.
As consumers continue to look for ways to save money in a slow economy, more and more are heading to the local public library.
People who otherwise would have gone to Barnes & Noble to buy the latest thriller or to Blockbuster to rent a new release are now giving the public libraries a second look, library directors across Passaic County say.

...They are finding that the library is not just a place to get books. Some libraries now allow users to download entire movies online, something that was unavailable until recently, they said. Others offer yoga classes.
But if the downturn continues, libraries could see their funding decease while having to serve more people.
"If the economy is down and the tax base continues to dwindle, and you have to share services for the dwindling pie of funds, it's not a pretty picture," said Alire of the American Library Association. "We are all affected by the bad economy."... continue reading

Info courtesy: Gail Zimmer

A Quote To Live By: “Don’t worry, the first bullet will hit me,”

2008-11-28T14:55:00.004-05:00

Extract: The quote that stands out from the last three days is of the soldier who escorted to safety guests who had been herded into a salon in the Taj Mahal Hotel. “Don’t worry, the first bullet will hit me,” he said as he asked his frightened flock to follow him. That remark showed this unnamed hero's awareness that a wry sense of humour can help break the tension, it showed that he was not looking to his own safety, and it showed a confidence in his ability to manage the situation: he knew what he was doing. The question is, did the country’s leaders? @ T N Ninan: Failures at the top, Business Standard

Sunday: holy day &/or holiday

2008-11-24T23:44:00.003-05:00

Books explore the evolution of Sunday
From Sabbatarianism to shopping - and why there's no such thing as a Wednesday driver Today it floats between its religious past and its secular present.
Nov 23, 2008
Comments on this story (14) Ryan Bigge Special to the Toronto Star

"Journalistic ethics demand that I make clear my lack of objectivity when it comes to the day of the week known as Sunday. This essay about Sunday is, after all, being published on a Sunday, and should not be considered unbiased. In my defence, the publication of two recent books on the topic (The Peculiar Life of Sundays by scholar Stephen Miller and Sunday: A History of the First Day From Babylonia to the Super Bowl by Brigham Young University history professor Craig Harline) suggest I am not alone in my affinity for, and fascination with, the first day of the week.
While the trend of single-topic books like Salt or Cod is finally abating, thanks in part to Henry Petroski's 400-plus-page ode to the toothpick, published last year, Sunday's right to sustained examination is inarguable. (Whether it requires 750 pages spread across two books is a separate debate.) To put it another way, a book-length examination of any other day would be unthinkable. We might prefer Friday to Sunday, but only Sunday, with its mix of history, culture, religion, politics and emotion, could generate 750 pages of discussion." continue reading

RELIGIONS AND IDEOLOGIES ON TOYS ~~ With Malice towards None

2008-11-15T21:45:00.000-05:00

The following is by Phils Phun
Capitalism: He who dies with the most toys, wins.
Hari Krishna: He who plays with the most toys wins.
Judaism: He who buys toys at the lowest price wins.
Catholicism: He who denies himself the most toys wins.
Anglicanism: They were our toys first.
Greek Orthodox: No, they were OURS first.
Branch Davidians: He who dies playing with the biggest toys wins.
Atheism: There is no toy maker.
Objectivism: Toys are Toys.
Islam: You must force the world to play with this exact toy, other toys are forbidden. Polytheism: There are many toy makers.
Evolutionism: The toys made themselves.
Socialism: You will have toys eventually.
Taoism: The doll is as important as the dumptruck.
Mormonism: Every boy may have as many toys as he wants.
Fascism: We have ways of making you play with your toys.
Libertarianism: You can do anything you like with your toys as long as its consensual.
New Labour: We have firm evidence that masses of toys do exist somewhere.
Voodoo: Let me borrow that doll for a second...
Jehovah's Witnesses: He who places the most toys door to door wins.
Pentecostalism: He whose toys can talk wins.
Existentialism: Toys are a figment of your imagination.
Confucianism: Once a toy is dipped in water, it is no longer dry.
Buddhism: What is the sound of one toy playing with itself?

Racism was not... Thought for the day

2008-11-09T21:17:00.005-05:00

"A historic first, a newly minted coin, would be an election in which a candidate’s skin colour is as unremarkable as his or her hair colour. When a candidate’s skin colour passes unnoticed, that will be a historic first for America.
Not for all countries or all periods, by the way. Some had shortcomings galore, but racism wasn’t among them. The Umayyad Caliphate ruled a fair chunk of the world without racism. The Doge’s Venice was perfectly content to entrust its fleet and Desdemona to the “blackamoor” Othello. " in George Jonas: Obama victory no historic first, The National Post : November 08, 2008.

Depressed astronauts might get computerized solace

2008-11-01T01:02:00.007-04:00

Info courtesy: Janizarzagon

Indian festivals: Ethos and health impact

2008-10-29T00:09:00.002-04:00

Extract:
"Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated to commemorate the victory of good over evil, of knowledge over ignorance, of light over darkness and of hope over depression and despair...

Decoration with lights and bursting of crackers are salient features of the festival. However, excessive use of crackers has been a matter of concern. Firecrackers increase the concentrations of cobalt, nickel, chromium and cadmium in air. [2] Studies have also shown that there has been an increase in the particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and NO in air well beyond the safety ranges prescribed in the National Ambient Air Quality Standard [2],[3] The pollution induces susceptible individuals to develop irritation and inflammation of the respiratory tract and episodes of cough and wheezing. These episodes need to be prevented by minimizing exposure, introducing prophylactic therapy or enhancing doses of prophylactic medications. Besides, burns and a variety of ocular injuries have been reported and are a matter of concern. [4],[5],[6] Hospitals remain on guard to attend patients with burns and other injuries. Restrictions have been put on bursting crackers. Initiatives like 'noiseless' Diwali are also gaining ground..."

Yeolekar ME, Bavdekar SB. Indian festivals: Ethos and health impact. J Postgrad Med 2007;53:219-20 ...

See also:

Ethical Fashion Re-visited ~~ The Drapers Interview: Safia Minney

2008-10-20T10:22:00.021-04:00

How ethical is your fashion?
By Madeleine Holt, BBC News

The dilemma of ethical clothing at Primark
As Primark sacks three of its suppliers, is saying 'it's a complex issue' still a defence for our addiction to cheap clothes?... More

The People Tree founder recognises that ethical fashion must have trend credentials as well as principles to truly win over UK shoppers, and with its design-led collections she is determined that her brand will lead the way. Continue reading the The Drapers Interview

Other leads:

Gay sex: ‘Use science, not religion to justify ban’

2008-10-15T13:59:00.006-04:00

Expressindia » Story

New Delhi, October 15: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday pulled up the Centre for relying on religious texts to justify ban on gay sex and asked it to come up with scientific reports to justify it.
The court's observation came while hearing a PIL filed by gay activists seeking to decriminalise gay sex among consenting adults.
Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra, appearing for the Centre, cited an article which contained quotes from religious texts to justify the ban.
Not satisfied with the government contention, the Bench, also comprising Justice S Muralidhar, asked the government to show scientific proof that gay sex is harmful to society.
"This is just one-sided version of a religious body which cannot be relied upon. This is part of religious doctrine. Show us some scientific report which says that gay sex should be criminalised," a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice A P Shah said.
Earlier, the Centre had justified the criminal provision against homosexual acts and had said that it is required to curb the spread of HIV infection.
It had further said that homosexual behaviour is a reflection of a perverse mind and it could not be allowed in the society.
The petitioner, Naz Foundation, an NGO, had said that Section 377 which criminalises homosexual acts is unconstitutional and it should be amended to allow gay sex among consenting adults.

Muslim Holiday Recognized by America's Favorite Building

2008-10-06T14:13:00.007-04:00

Washington Post, United States
For the second year, the Empire State Building will shine its world-famous tower lights in green on Tuesday, September 30 and Wednesday, October 1, 2008 for its annual celebration of Eid-al-Fitr, the Festival of Fast-breaking, which marks the end of Ramadan.The lighting for Eid is an annual event in the same tradition of the Empire State Buildings yearly lightings for Christmas and Hanukah. The Empire State Buildings tower lights are world renowned for celebrating different nationalities, holidays, parades, and events of importance to the world.
Muslim Holiday Recognized by America's Favorite Building Washington Post, United States
The Empire State Building shines green for Muslim Holiday Eid Antara, Indonesia
Happy Eid! Today's a day of feasting and festivity worldwide Budget Travel, NY

Race divide fears over first Hindu state school

2008-10-05T00:32:00.000-04:00

Tim Ross, Education Correspondent, Evening Standard. 01.09.08
England's first Hindu state school opens its doors to pupils this month amid fears that it will fuel racial segregation. continue reading
See also on the same shelf:

Hindu state school opens- Uk to teach !! Black is bad karma

BARNET: UK's first Hindu school opens

Opening of first Hindu state school sparks fears it will fuel ...Daily Mail, UK - 1 Sep 2008

Hindu state school beginning work - BBC NEWS / EDUCATION:
FAITH SCHOOLS in UK
> 6,850 out of a total of 21,000 schools, large majority either Church of England or Roman Catholic
> 37 Jewish, 7 Muslim, 2 Sikh, 1 Greek Orthodox, 1 Seventh Day Adventist
> 1.7 million pupils
> 21% of faith school secondary pupils from ethnic minorities - 17% in non faith schools

This tiny little prayer ... Sent up to GOD.com

2008-09-17T16:33:00.016-04:00

Cyber worship (using cyber space for worship), continues to appear in different sites and appeal everyone. We have in the past included Rabbi offers prayer for Web porn surfers / God.com: Web Analytics Series no.2 / The Christian Prayer While Logging Onto the Internet. And, much more in my book: Cyber Worship.

Following is an interesting post by Bingkee:

"TO WWW.GOD.COM
An online buddy, John, at Multiply shared this little prayer with me. I intend to express this prayer by posting it here. Although the prayer is referring to online friends through email, I dedicate this prayer to all my friends, buddies, fellow bloggers and loyal readers I met here online through my blogsite and at Blog Catalog, MyBlogLog, Pijoo and Spicypage. Also my friends and readers from Friendster, Facebook, Multiply, Netlog, Moli, and Gather."

EXTRACT: And God, there is one more thing I wish that you could do. Hope you don't mind me asking, Bless my computer too.... When you update your heavenly list On your own CD-RomR emember each who've said this prayer. Sent up to God.com. Amen. continue reading

A note about This Tiny Little Prayer: Submitted By: Brenda S. (and I have no idea who that is...).

See the true colors of this tiny little prayer with background music

What has been done will be done again -- Thought for the day

2008-09-10T00:10:00.000-04:00

By JOSH L. DICKEY
Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - When a mysterious biblical philosopher wrote what would become Ecclesiastes 1:9, he may as well have been staring into the liquor cabinet: "What has been done will be done again," his thoughts roughly went. "There is nothing new under the sun."

Real desecration of Lord Ganesha!

2008-09-05T01:44:00.001-04:00

"IDOL worship? or IDLE worship? or IDEAL worship?" quotes Inbarajan S, based on emails circulating from a yahoo.group discussion board.
"Doll or Idol or Ideal... Which Worship?" Asks another blogger.
"Would you like your GOD's bulldozed like garbage...
and treated like this...
Maimed? Desecrated? And you create a hue and cry when some statue in the city gets desecrated?
We just got to Think, Decide & Act......... But it would be great if you can do it to avoid real desecration.
Respect Religion, Spirtuality not by celeberating it in a desecrated manner."

About Lord Ganesh and the sacred sphere:

Sisters use outreach work, blog to bridge religious divide

2008-09-03T11:08:00.001-04:00

By Kristy Locklin
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, August 21, 2008

A high school aptitude test told Judy Connor that she'd make a great nun.
Twenty years after that fateful trip to the guidance counselor's office, the once "sporadically practicing Catholic" took her vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in 2004 and became a Sister of Divine Providence in McCandless.
continue reading

Funeral Etiquette

2008-08-08T23:24:00.000-04:00

When a friend or colleague (or a colleague's family member) dies, it's human to consider 'what can I do to make him / her feel better?' And, in the case of others, we need to ask or know: is there a specific practice, custom or behavior that I should be aware of?

And, for this if you are looking for Funeral Etiquettes (To Do and NOT to Do, Dress, What to say, Gifts and other expressions of sympathy, appropriate behaviors to observe) in Islam / Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Baha'i, or in any faith, religious / spiritual group, Ask me

Nonviolence as a Tactic for Change

2008-08-01T12:29:00.005-04:00

Amazon.com Widgets

By Dan Tow • Feb 5th, 2008 • Category: Pakistan Vote'08, Worth A Second Look • (9,853 views) • 22 Comments
I have recently finished reading the excellent biography Benjamin Franklin, by Edmund S. Morgan. Franklin is my personal favorite among the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, an inspirational example, and, by all accounts, a delightful and brilliant human being. I can’t presume to speak for what Franklin, dead more than 200 years, would say on current events, but I found profound inspiration from this fine book, nonetheless, and let it be to Franklin’s credit if anything I say here rings true, and to my own discredit if it does not. continue reading

Cyber Worship Resource of the Week is The Christian Prayer While Logging Onto the Internet

2008-07-26T19:03:00.004-04:00

Here is a sample from inside the Book: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives--full of resources that will facilitate building bridges in a Multifaith society. Table of Contents /Reviews

Almighty and eternal God,
who created us in Thy image and bade us to seek after all that is good,
true and beautiful,
especially in the divine person of Thy only-begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant we beseech Thee that,
through the intercession of Saint Isidore,
bishop and doctor,
during our journeys through the internet we will direct our hands and eyes only to that which is pleasing to Thee
and treat with charity and patience all those souls whom we encounter.
Through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Chapter 1. 'Mapping Webwise'

Resource of the Week is: A Prayer before Logging onto the Internet and the Catholic Online Forum (prayer on p. 18, quoted). Order with Publisher:

My book Talk