Hinduism

Transgender inclusion? World’s major religions take varying stances on policies toward trans people

By David Crary, Mariam Fam, and Deepa Bharath — April 10, 2024
(AP) – Around the world, major religions have diverse approaches to gender identity, and the inclusion or exclusion of transgender people. Some

Awe and dread: How religions have responded to total solar eclipses over the centuries

By David Crary, Mariam Fam, and Deepa Bharath — April 5, 2024
(AP) — Ahead of the total solar eclipse that will follow a long path over North America on Monday, here's a look at how several of the world's major religions have responded to such eclipses over the centuries and in modern times.

Modi’s promised Ram temple is set to open and resonate with Hindus ahead of India’s election

By Biswajeet Banerjee and Sheikh Saaliq — January 18, 2024
NEW DELHI (AP) — Some top leaders from India's main opposition Congress party have turned down invitations to attend, with many opposition lawmakers calling the temple a political project.

How sacred images in many Asian cultures incorporate divine presence and make them come ‘alive’

By Michael Naparstek — December 6, 2023
(The Conversation) — Through the power of rituals, inanimate objects can be understood to transform into agents who can see, hear, taste and respond to the concerns of those who worship them.

From India and Taiwan to Tibet, the living assist the dead in their passage

By Liz Wilson — October 31, 2023
(The Conversation) — Across cultures, death rituals give mourners a chance to grieve. But they also offer one last opportunity to help the deceased as they transition to the next stage of existence.

Navigating the intersection between AI, automation and religion – 3 essential reads

By Meher Bhatia — August 23, 2023
(The Conversation) — The merging of technology and faith is sparking a transformative shift in redefining spirituality and religious practices.

Threat from climate change to some of India’s sacred pilgrimage sites is reshaping religious beliefs

By David L. Haberman — August 15, 2023
(The Conversation) — At the pilgrimage site of Kedarnath in northern India, disastrous flooding has led many to ask whether the gods are getting angry about human behavior.

Shaligrams, the sacred fossils that have been worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists for over 2,000 years, are becoming rarer because of climate change

By Holly Walters — August 4, 2023
(The Conversation) — Many Hindus, Buddhists and people who follow the shamanic religion of Bon undertake a pilgrimage each year to northern Nepal to look for Shaligrams, believed to be a manifestation of Lord Vishnu.

India’s northern Haryana state tense after 5 killed in communal clashes between Hindus and Muslims

By Piyush Nagpal — August 2, 2023
NUH, India (AP) — The violence began Monday afternoon when Hindus and Muslims clashed with each other in Haryana’s Nuh district during a religious procession by a Hindu nationalist group.

California bill barring caste discrimination overwhelmingly passes state Senate

By Alejandra Molina — May 11, 2023
(RNS) — The bill, SB 403, passed on a 34-1 vote and now heads to the Democratic-controlled state Assembly.

Why ‘proud Hindu’ Rishi Sunak’s rise to British prime minister is a big deal

By Murali Balaji — October 26, 2022
(RNS) — A Hindu now leads a country that for two centuries subjugated Hindus around the world.

California State University professors sue over caste policy, allege discrimination

By Alejandra Molina — October 20, 2022
(RNS) —The Hindu American Foundation, which is representing the professors, has said treating caste as a specific class of discrimination is a 'misguided overreach.'

Religious polarization in India seeping into US diaspora

By Mariam Fam and Deepa Bharath — October 17, 2022
(AP) — Hindu nationalism has split the Indian expatriate community just as Donald Trump’s presidency polarized the U.S., according to one expert.

In India, where Hindu majority has complex views, Supreme Court liberalizes abortion law

By Kalpana Jain — October 3, 2022
(RNS) — The judgment will have significant implications for Muslim, Christian and other minority faith groups but will likely face pushback from conservative Hindus.

How India’s ‘Hindutva pop’ stars use music to target Muslims

By Hanan Zaffar and Hamaad Habibullah — August 26, 2022
(RNS) — Observers say the increasingly popular genre is triggering violence against Muslims, a minority already marginalized by Hindu nationalists with support from the BJP government.
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