SourceUSA, October 30, 2003: Christian missionaries in India are furiously targeting specific regions of the country in the hopes of converting the entire population to Christianity. The Hindu-run website at “source” takes a look at their designs and plans. One map shows the percentage of Hindus in each state of India. The central states have the highest and have been…
SourceLONDON, ENGLAND. October 29 2003: Nobel Prize winner Dr. Amartya Sen criticized the support to faith schools by Prime Minister Tony Blair in his keynote speech at the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in Edinburgh. He also criticised the Scottish Executive’s stance on denominational schools, claiming single-faith establishments damage educational attainment. He said: “I personally believe that even the UK…
SourceSEATTLE, WASHINGTON, October 30, 2003: The Big Bang sounded more like a deep hum (“aum,” perhaps?) than a bang, according to an analysis of the radiation left over from the cataclysm. Physicist John Cramer of the University of Washington in Seattle has created audio files of the event which can be played on a PC (download at “source” above). “The…
SourceMUMBAI, INDIA, October 28, 2003: Security has been stepped up at the Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai after warnings that it could be the next terrorist target. “The temple trust has hired a foreign security agency to guard the temple,” said Sanjay Bhagwat, chief executive officer of the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust. New safety measures in place include trained guards checking every…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, October 27, 2003: Many people in Delhi consult astrologers to decide the day, date and time of a surgery in the family. Paediatric cardiologist Dr. Vikas Kohli says he “gets such requests all the time.” “The parents want the surgery to be over by, say, before 9 a.m. on October 29. They had consulted an astrologer, who…
SourceGEORGETOWN, GUYANA, October 26, 2003: “Our country has prevailed, our people have prevailed,” exclaimed Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo to a mammoth crowd on Diwali. “In the true spirit of Diwali, our people have overcome their problems because Diwali is all about the triumph of good over evil. It is the triumph of the forces of light over darkness and our…
SourceBEGUSARAI, INDIA, October 27, 2003: The arrival of the wedding season means fear for parents of unmarried men in Begusarai (in Bihar state, eastern India), which is known for “forced marriages.” Pakraua Vivah (forced marriage) is an old practice in the district, but the menace has increased in recent years and spread to neighboring districts also. With dowry demands rising,…
Religion News ServiceCALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, October 29, 2003: Bibles and any other religious texts in hospital bedside drawers may become contraband under a proposal from the Calgary Health Region (CHR), reports the Calgary Herald. If the policy is approved, the Gideons International Bible, a bedside staple in hotels, prisons and hospitals, will be removed from all hospital rooms in the…
SourceLONDON, October 26, 2003: Two young white men reportedly intruded into a Ram temple in Ealing Road, London, on Diwali and shook the statue of Ram, breaking an arm and the bow and arrow. According to reports, the men entered the Sanatam Dharam Mandir around 4 pm when a number of women had gathered for satsang (religious singing and discussion).…
SourceREUNION, FRANCE, October 27, 2003: Swami Advayananda, member of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam (“source” above), sends this brief update on Hinduism in this department of France (like a state). “We conducted a mantra diksha ceremony (initiation in a mantra) for children in Reunion to help Hindus come back fully to Hinduism. Most of them think there are no ceremonies like the…