Church And State Collide Over Land

SourceU.S.A., March 20, 2005: A Hindu group had two options when they were told they could not build a temple in Apply Valley, California: Accept rejection or ask again. They decided on the latter. Following an impassioned appeal in early February, the Apple Valley Planning Commission agreed to rehear the temple project, which was approved this month. Had the city…

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Your Genetic Makeup May Determine Your Religious Inclination

SourceMarch 16, 2005: A new scientific study has revealed that there may be a connection between your genetic makeup and your inclination to live a religious life. The article explains, “The team gave questionnaires to 169 pairs of identical twins – 100% genetically identical – and 104 pairs of fraternal twins – 50% genetically identical – born in Minnesota. The…

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Banned Muslim Student Organizaton Threatens Yoga Teacher

SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, March 20, 2005: Renowned yoga teacher Swami Ramdev has claimed that he has been threatened by the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). “I have received an e-mail asking me to restrain myself from teaching yoga to Muslims,” Swami Ramdev said on Sunday in the Capital at a well-attended Press briefing, a day prior to the…

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South Dakota Hindus Start Worship in Former Church

SourceELK POINT, SOUTH DAKOTA, USA, March 15, 2005: As far as Malathy Ramakrishnan knows, no immigrants from India live in Elk Point, a town of 1,800 people in the southeast corner of South Dakota. But that didn’t stop the Siouxland India Cultural Association from locating in the tiny hamlet. “We have a small community of Indians in this area that…

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Muslim Woman Constructs Siva Temple in Varanasi

SourceVARANASI, INDIA, Mar 13, 2005: Exhibiting steely resolve, a devout Muslim woman has constructed a Lord Siva temple in this Hindu pilgrimage city as “ordained” by the God. “The Lord appeared in my dreams late last year and asked me to undertake the project,” Noor Fatmi, a widow and a practising lawyer, said. “Now my task has been accomplished, I…

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Indian Insitute of Technology Seeks to Bring Assam Tradition to Children’s Toys

SourceGUWAHATI, INDIA, March 17, 2005: Move over Spiderman and Batman, children in Assam could soon discard toys and masks depicting Western comic characters for those featuring figures from Hindu history. The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, has undertaken a project to popularize masks used in Assamese bhaonas, the collective name for the traditional plays introduced by saint-reformer Sankardev. The traditional…

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Hindus Join Interfaith Meeting In New Zealand

The New Zealand HeraldMANUKAU CITY, NEW ZEALAND, March 21, 2005: A Sikh temple in Manukau City was the scene of a pioneering effort to bring races and faiths together at the weekend. Auckland leaders of Christian, Islam, Hindu, Baha’i, Sikh and Jewish religions shared the pulpit at the new Manurewa temple of the Sikh organisation Nanaksar Thath Isher Darbar. The…

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University of Cornell Raas Dance Team Celebrates a Spring Navaratri

SourceITHACA, NEW YORK, March 14, 2005: The sound of beating of dandiyas, and lively folk music resonated under a canopy of vibrant colors Friday evening in the Straight Memorial Room, where the Cornell Raas Team held its annual celebration of Spring Navratri. The evening began with an Indian prayer ceremony or puja, led by the Hindu Student Council, continued with…

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Famous Atheist Relinquishes his Philosophy

SourceTEXAS, USA, February 25, 2005: When 81-year-old atheist philosopher Anthony Flew announced to the world that he was no longer an atheist and considered his previous theories to be flawed, the world started taking notice. After teaching atheism at prestigious universities such as Oxford, Aberdeen, Keele and Reading and lecturing at many American and Canadian universities, the final turning point…

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