http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:33:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23866/hindus-yoga-teachers-question-us-sales-tax http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23866/hindus-yoga-teachers-question-us-sales-tax#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:38:08 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23866 Yoga practitioners are criticizing a Missouri sales tax that applies to yoga classes, claiming they should be exempt because the lessons include spiritual elements.

Some practitioners think such a tax is unconstitutional. They argue that yoga, with roots in ancient Indian meditation, is as much a spiritual practice as an exercise routine and should be exempt from taxation.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23866/hindus-yoga-teachers-question-us-sales-tax/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23864/hindu-anti-christian-terrorism http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23864/hindu-anti-christian-terrorism#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:50:15 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23864 After the recent arrests of numerous Hindu terrorists for exploding bombs, authorities increasingly view Hindu rightwing extremists as a threat not only to Muslim and Christian minorities but also to national security.

Historically Hindu terrorist groups have traded blows with India’s Muslim extremists, but because of a perceived threat from Christianity many analysts believe Hindu terrorists increasingly pose dangers to Christians as well.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23864/hindu-anti-christian-terrorism/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23744/festival-of-lights-amstelveen-netherlands http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23744/festival-of-lights-amstelveen-netherlands#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:18:37 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23744 Citizens in the Dutch town of Amstelveen have condemned plans by local authorities to support a controversial Hindu festival that would involve praying to a Hindu goddess from India, in the heart of the town.

Local officials said the 'India Diwali Festival', or 'Festival of Lights', is part of a policy to accommodate the Indian community in Amstelveen, a European gateway for international companies due to its location near Schiphol Airport and key highways.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23744/festival-of-lights-amstelveen-netherlands/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23710/ganesh-statue-calgary-zoo-offends-christians http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23710/ganesh-statue-calgary-zoo-offends-christians#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:20:02 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23710 A dancing elephant statue at the Calgary Zoo has kicked up controversy after a Christian group condemned the figure as an inappropriate religious icon.

Zoo officials say they have no plans to replace the Ganesh statue — which has stood near the elephant enclosure for at least two years — despite calls for its removal from Concerned Christians Canada.

Grahame Newton, the zoo's director of corporate services, says the Ganesh statue isn't a religious icon, rather a cultural symbol that shows the tie between the elephants and Asian culture.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23710/ganesh-statue-calgary-zoo-offends-christians/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23697/hindu-americans-face-challenges http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23697/hindu-americans-face-challenges#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:19:57 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23697 The biggest challenge, speakers at a panel discussion on Hinduism said, is transmitting faith from immigrants, most of whom grew up in predominantly Hindu India, to their children, who are growing up in a predominantly Christian society.

Temples are launching religious education programs, modeled after those in churches and synagogues, but Anantanand Rambachan said there are other issues - for example, Hindus will have to decide what language to use for worship, and, he asked, “can we visualize English being a liturgical language for Hindus?’’

He called Hinduism “the least understood among American religious traditions,’’ noting that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam “are all suspicious about imaging the divine’’ and emphasize the oneness of God, whereas Hinduism offers a plethora of iconography and “celebrates a multiplicity of divine names and forms.’’]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23697/hindu-americans-face-challenges/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23680/karnataka-top-in-attacks-on-christians-in-india http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23680/karnataka-top-in-attacks-on-christians-in-india#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:24:24 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23680 With at least 43 incidents of anti-Christian violence, Karnataka saw more attacks on Christians in the first eight months of this year than any other state in India, according to advocacy organizations.

The figure compares with 35 attacks on churches, worship services and Christians during the same period last year in the state, which has become the center of violence against Christians.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23680/karnataka-top-in-attacks-on-christians-in-india/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23579/hindu-extremists-persecute-india-christians http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23579/hindu-extremists-persecute-india-christians#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:41:29 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23579 Karnataka (India) police accompanied by 10 Hindu extremists on Friday arrested a Christian operator of a boys' hostel after the extremists accused him and another Christian of offering food, shelter, education and future job prospects as an "allurement" to convert to Christianity.

After falsely accusing the two Christians of fraudulently converting students to Christianity by luring them with food, shelter and education, the extremists slapped evangelist Rama Naik repeatedly. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23579/hindu-extremists-persecute-india-christians/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23558/india-hindu-militants-attack-christian-training-meeting http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23558/india-hindu-militants-attack-christian-training-meeting#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:09:52 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23558 Christians in India's southern state of Karnataka remained concerned Sunday, August 16, about the whereabouts of eight pastors who were detained this week after Hindu militants broke up a major Christian training meeting, injuring and "humiliating" several believers, including women, church representatives said.

At least four pastors were reportedly seriously injured after being beaten, while others received minor injuries.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23558/india-hindu-militants-attack-christian-training-meeting/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23489/nepal-defense-army-church-bombing http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23489/nepal-defense-army-church-bombing#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:18:08 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23489 Vikash Patrick’s 19-year-old bride died while praying at the Assumption Church in Kathmandu valley’s Lalitpur district, the largest Catholic church in Nepal, in an anti-Christian bombing on May 23, the day they were to return home.

Claiming responsibility for the violence was the Nepal Defense Army (NDA), a group wishing to restore Hinduism as the official religion of Nepal.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23489/nepal-defense-army-church-bombing/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23366/hindu-funeral-pyres-2 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23366/hindu-funeral-pyres-2#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:37:37 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23366 A devout Hindu fighting for the legal right to be cremated on an open-air funeral pyre told the High Court that laws stopping the religious ceremony were a breach of his human rights.

The 70-year-old spiritual healer said "confining bodies in coffins and concealing the cremation process" did not reflect the philosophy and cultural values he lived by.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23366/hindu-funeral-pyres-2/feed 0