Religion Revisited
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From atheist churches to digital spirituality: ‘Non-religious’ religions are seeing a rise in the US
Americans are increasingly identifying themselves as people outside the traditional faith systems.
Morgan Shipley, The Conversation
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The Quran reveals that fasting rituals of Ramzan are rooted in pre-Islamic pagan and Jewish practice
It explains, in part, why there is a debate over the spelling of Ramzan versus Ramadan.
Shruti Chakraborty, Sahapedia
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In ancient Israel, fighting an epidemic involved guilt offerings and animal sacrifice
What rituals of the Old Testament can tell us about human psychology in times of crisis.
Hanna Tervanotko, The Conversation
Trending
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The real reason why Modi says what he does – Hindu India accepts it
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‘My son lost his job during demonetisation but at least it removed black money’
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The Assam voter who no longer supports the BJP because of the CAA
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By mixing Carnatic and Hindustani, Mysore’s kings helped create a unique body of music
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‘Supporter of BJP met me’: Surat candidates on the various reasons they withdrew from the election
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Moralising gods came after rise of complex societies, finds study based on huge historical database
Beliefs in supernatural punishment appear when societies make the transition from simple to complex, found study that analysed 414 societies from 30 regions.
Harvey Whitehouse, The Conversation, Patrick E Savage, The Conversation, Pieter Francois, The Conversation & Peter Turchin, The Conversation
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Why the polytheism of Hindus (and their texts) leaves the monotheistic West confused
Among other things, the gods represented in polytheism often behave in morally chaotic ways.
Saikat Majumdar
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For many South Korean Christians, reunification with the North is a religious goal
With almost 30% of South Koreans either Protestant or Catholic, faith plays a big role in how people think about relations with the North.
Diane Winston, The Conversation
Video
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Watch: K-Pop singer Aoora sings in Assamese as he collaborates with Nilotpal Bora in a new folk song
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Watch Anu Malik and Sonu Nigam’s impromptu performance of ‘Main Hoon Na’ at Farah Khan’s home
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Watch: Doordarshan newsreader faints on live TV in Kolkata owing to severe heat
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Watch: Spice Girls sing ‘Stop’ as bandmates reunite to celebrate Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday
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Watch: Over 350 ballerinas come together to break the world record for standing on tip toes
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Video: Why Buddhists in Japan have been praying to Hindu gods as well for many centuries
Deities such as Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kubera have melted into Japanese culture with different names and characteristics.
Ramakrishnan M
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How a translation mistake ended up making India a part of the Bible
Whether medieval Christians saw India as a symbol of evil or as the home of saints, the Subcontinent remained a source of fascination.
Blake Smith
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Meet Rajasthan’s goddesses of small things – garbage, sneezing fits, hens and lunar calendar days
While some goddesses are enshrined in large temples, others are located in humble stone dwellings. All have triangular red flags fluttering on top.
Mrinal Pande
The Reel
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Watch: In ‘The Big Cigar’, the Black Panther founder flees America through a fake movie
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‘Dil Dosti Dilemma’ review: A feelgood entertainer about young love and old ties
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In ‘Tahader Katha’, the many partitions endured by a freedom fighter
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Watch: Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ trailer
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Start the week with a film: A legend returns in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’
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Are Indian courts and activists denying the gods their gender and sexuality?
This de-sexing of gods and goddesses makes it difficult to explain the exclusion of women from the presence of celibate gods.
Devdutt Pattanaik
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The Virgin gushing milk in a Tamil Nadu church is a Hindu favourite
Worshippers from all religions visit the church with cult-like devotion to have their wishes fulfilled.
Saba Naqvi
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Bhogbhumi quip: Perhaps RSS’s Bhaiyyaji Joshi needs to read some (more) Hindu scriptures
Even a cursory reading of these texts makes it obvious that bhog is a many-layered word that is definitely not limited to mindless and greedy consumption.
Mrinal Pande
The Field
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IPL 2024: Royal Challengers Bengaluru end losing run with convincing win over Sunrisers Hyderabad
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Archery, World Cup Stage I: Men’s recurve team reach final; Priyansh, Vennam in compound semis
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Watch, highlights ISL 2023-24: Mumbai City win dramatic semi-final first leg against FC Goa
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Athletics, Asian U20 C’ships: India clinch medals in men’s javelin, discus and 1500m on opening day
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Boundaries and impact: The imbalance in IPL 2024 shows it is not a good time to be a bowler