Religion News ServiceUSA, November 29, 2004: A Gallup Poll suggests that Americans are divided over how the world was created — either through evolution or at the hand of God — but either way they appear skeptical that it happened exactly as described in the book of Genesis. The poll found that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution remains controversial among…
SourceCOLOMBO, SRI LANKA, November 29, 2004: The Ministry of Agricultural Marketing Development, Co-operative Development, Hindu Affairs and the Ministry of Assisting Education and Vocation Training and Planning to establish cultural centers in Jaffna, Trincomalee, Mannar, Vavuniya Pothuvil and Colombo. The total estimated cost for the program is US$400,000. $133,000 has been allocated for this project in 2004. Work expected to…
SourceRAIPUR, INDIA, November 26, 2004: The naxalites (a violent political movement of Marxist/Maoist philosophy) have asked the tribals of Bastar division of Chhattisgarh not to preach or practice any religion or be engaged in any worship saying that would disturb the centuries-old culture and tradition of the tribals. “Tribals are not Hindus. They have their own religion and practising any…
ReutersAMSTERDAM, HOLLAND, November 22, 2004: Research conducted by scientists from Maastricht University and published recently in the European Respiratory Journal indicates that burning candles and incense in churches can release dangerous levels of potentially carcinogenic particles. Theo de Kok, author of the study, explains, “After a day of candle burning we found about 20 times as much as by a…
SourceTIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA November 29, 2004: The practice of dowry, prevalent among Hindus, is now making its presence in the Christian community as well. In fact, Kerala continues to be one of the epicenters of dowry practice in the country. In the matter of dowry and splurging for the wedding celebrations, it’s the middle class, which is bearing the brunt. “Personally,…
SourceAHMEDABAD, INDIA, November 25, 2004: Here’s another Indian ritual that’s moving online. Nonresident Gujaratis who can’t make it to the funeral of a loved one back home will soon be able to watch the last rites on the Net. To be built in Vadodara, the high-tech crematorium, called the Moksha Dham, will be funded by the Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited…
SourceRAIPUR, INDIA November 26, 2004: Naxalities, after vandalizing Hindu temples, attacked Ganesha utsav mandaps (temporary festival shrines) and ashrams in Bastar and Dantewara districts three months ago, have turned to Christian missionaries. Naxalities, who follow Marxist philosophy, ordered Christian missionaries to stop carrying out “religious conversions of tribals.” They ordered eight tribal families of Markabeda village in Narainpur sub-division–who converted…
SourceDELHI, INDIA, September 21, 2004: Speaking at the inauguration in September of AROGYA 2004, a comprehensive health fair to promote the Indian systems of medicine, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, said that the budget for Indian systems of medicine would be increased in order to propagate the traditional system of medicine prevalent in India for several…
HPIKAUAI, HAWAII, November 28, 2004: HPI reader Paul Levesque, a priest of the Episcopal Church, makes this point about our HPI report of November 17, “Being Hindu in the American ‘Bible Belt.’ “ “May I be allowed to object to your characterization of the Bible Belt as being ‘heavily Christian’? It would be more accurate to state that it is…
SourceCHENNAI, INDIA, November 24, 2004: The prosecution case against the Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati took a huge beating on Wednesday as key accused Kadhiravan, who allegedly hired the contract killers to murder temple official A. Sankararaman, suddenly turned hostile before the magistrate at Kancheepuram and claimed that his confession was concocted by the police to implicate the seer. When the…