Caodaist beliefs and practices are a similar blend — although these seem to be skewed more towards traditionally Asian spiritualities. Reincarnation, karma, ancestor worship and divination are all central elements, while the most apparent contribution of the Abrahamic religions is monotheism.
Read More(ANALYSIS) If you tune into mainstream media, especially in India, you might find yourself asking, “What the heck is going on in Bangladesh?” With that same question in mind, we left Delhi for Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. However, our six-day journey through Dhaka and Dinajpur left us feeling more hopeful than fearful about Bangladesh’s future.
Read MoreAmid the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, a group of Salesian nurses are helping women combat drug addiction. Manipur — an Indian state nestled in the mountains along the border with Myanmar — has been gripped by ethnic violence since last year. Approximately 250 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced.
Read More(REVIEW) Many of us might be acquainted with conventional narratives that combine 19th century colonialism and Christianity with cultural suppression and forced conversion in Asian territories where local inhabitants fought back intruders and crushed evangelical missions. Thailand, however, has a different history.
Read MoreChina has tightened its control of religion, creating such crimes as genocide, mass arrests and enforced disappearances, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said in a new fact sheet, days after China released long-imprisoned American Protestant pastor David Lin.
Read More(ANALYSIS) An “intelligence” report has emerged suggesting that over 900 “Kuki militants,” trained in advanced warfare techniques, have crossed from Myanmar into India and may target Meitei villages in Manipur as Christians in the region continue to be persecuted. It’s strange that this information was shared with the public, rather than communicated discretely to the Indian army.
Read MoreAt 4:44 a.m., the calls to prayer begin. They come from everywhere, it seems, reminding me that I’m in the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. There’s at least one mosque in every direction from the home of Daniel Setiabudu, the Christian minister who’s graciously taken me in for a couple of nights.
Read MoreThe enduring presence and contribution of Christian schools across India, a majority Hindu nation, highlights their pivotal role in shaping the nation’s educational landscape. Despite facing challenges and opposition, these institutions continue to provide quality education to students from diverse backgrounds. Here's a look at the history of these schools and their enduring legacy to Indian society.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It was the kind of quote that, when said by the right person under the right conditions, would inspire bold headlines. “Your country ... has families with three, four or five children,” Pope Francis told President Joko Widodo of Indonesia. “Keep it up, you’re an example for everyone, for all the countries that maybe ... these families prefer to have a cat or a little dog instead of a child.”
Read MoreIllegal bans on nonvegetarian food are increasingly being introduced in towns that attract Hindu pilgrims, like Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and Haridwar in Uttarakhand. Since it is perceived as a manifestation of tradition and culture, it is difficult to challenge it in a court of law.
Read MorePope Francis delivered his first speech on Indonesian soil on Wednesday as he met with the country’s authorities, civil society, and diplomatic corps at the Istana Negara presidential palace in Jakarta. He was welcomed by President Joko Widodo, a crowd of Indonesian children waiving Vatican and Indonesian flags, and several members of the presidential guard.
Read MoreThe Seremban Church of Christ meets in a predominantly Muslim nation with strict anti-conversion laws. But it doesn’t meet in secret. Far from it. In bold letters, a sign in front of the church’s building reads “GEREJA” (“CHURCH” in Malay) and lists the times for the congregation’s three Sunday services — in Mandarin, Tamil and English.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Recent weeks have seen an increase in the targeting of the Rohingya community. In June 2024, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres expressed his deep concern about escalating violence in Myanmar. According to the U.N., Myanmar’s Rakhine State has seen a spike in violence between the Myanmar military and the Arakan army. Reportedly, many of the attacks targeted the minority Muslim Rohingya community.
Read More(ESSAY) In one theme of this summer's travels, the history of Japanese Christianity, I found a different issue. This is the ignorance not only amongst foreigners but also amongst Japanese themselves of that history, particularly the long history of persecution. Some of this, especially the dire persecutions of the early seventeenth century, is better known through Shusako Endo's gripping 1966 novel “Silence.”
Read MoreIn the violence-afflicted state of Manipur in India’s northeast, the Assam Rifles, a key central force, finds itself under intense scrutiny. It’s at the center of a campaign that accuses it of taking sides in the ethnic conflict between the majority Meitei community and the Kuki-Zo tribal groups. However, this claim might just be a smokescreen to divert attention from what could be the real issue.
Read More(REVIEW) Adventurous, dangerous, fabulous, redemptive and revolting: Medieval travel was all of this and more, as Bale describes, drawing upon a host of period narratives to paint a vivid picture of the experience during an era dominated in the West by pilgrimage. The reasons that pilgrims embarked for places like Canterbury, Santiago de Compostela, Rome and Jerusalem (the holiest and most desirable of all) were manifold.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On the morning of Aug. 3, 2014, the Islamic State group launched a ruthless and swift campaign in Sinjar, in northwestern Iraq. The target was Yezidis: a monotheistic religious group whose members have long been persecuted. What explains the ferocity of this genocidal campaign?
Read More(ANALYSIS) Spirituality and religion, while often overlapping, have distinct differences. Spirituality is primarily about an individual's personal connection to a higher power, the universe or a deeper sense of meaning and purpose in life. It is flexible and subjective, allowing for a wide range of beliefs and practices tailored to personal needs and experiences. In contrast, religion typically involves organized institutions with established doctrines.
Read MoreManipur is witnessing renewed violence, with the latest escalations being reported from Jiribam district, an area that borders Assam’s Cachar district, after a Meitei farmer’s death was attributed to a Kuki-Zo armed group. Two people from the Hmar-Mizo tribal communities, which are part of the larger Zo tribe, were killed, and 48 houses and a church owned by tribals were destroyed.
Read More(ANALYSIS) After a decade in power, Modi and his party seemingly overlooked a fundamental question: If Modi is the face of the party as well as its election campaign, what does that face represent? Did they assume his image alone would signify a “guarantee” to the country’s people? If so, they should have highlighted the “guarantees” that were fulfilled and honored. However, they appeared to lack such examples.
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