"Islam teaches that God does not share His divine attributes with anyone", the letters continue, among several passages quoted from the Quran, Islam's holy book.

The letters began arriving last week, and police were immediately contacted, Multicultural New Zealand national office head of operations Gurtej Singh said.

Multicultural New Zealand organised a meeting yesterday Read more

Caritas NZ says the pilgrims are in Glasgow to pray and to press world leaders for strong action at COP26 - the 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Religious leaders representing Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist and Baha'i traditions are offering prayers and calls for concrete actions.

The 31 October to 12 November conference is the first requiring countries to honour their Paris accord commitment to submit new, more ambitious plans to environmentally-damaging emissions.

Caritas NZ says the global Catholic charity has three critical targets it wants to see COP26 progressing:

• Strong emissions cuts to keep the 1.5C target alive
• More climate finance that is targeted and more readily accessible to the most vulnerable communities, equally shared between mitigation (cutting emissions) and adaptation. Finance to address Loss and Damage already incurred by the poor must be stepped up, recognising the ecological debt owed by richer countries to poorer ones.
• Tackling climate change in an integrated way, including protection and restoration of ecosystems and prioritising the needs of the poor in a just transition, in line with Laudato Si'.

During the conference, Caritas will hand over its "Healthy Planet, Healthy People" petition along with other messages from faith-filled activists and leaders from around the world.

Several hundred people gathered in the vicinity of the Scottish Events Centre when the conference opened, to pray for world leaders at the conference.

"We remind governments of their commitments made in Paris in 2015 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees," says a multifaith declaration read at the event and signed by more than 50 religious leaders from Scotland and the United Kingdom.

Another multifaith statement asks "governments to swiftly and justly transition the global economy from fossil fuels toward renewables and compensate communities already affected by climate change."

"Across our doctrinal and political differences, we know that we must change our ways to ensure a quality of life which all can share, and we need to provide hope for people of all ages, everywhere, including future generations. To offer hope in the world we need to have confidence that those in power understand the vital role they have to play at the Glasgow COP26."

Scottish Catholic Bishop Brian McGee says the interfaith group is offering prayers for world leaders. It also expects to exert pressure on them to deliver on public demands for an urgent response to the climate crisis.

"Certainly that's what a lot of people have been doing. That is contacting the politicians and explaining to them that this is really, really important and we have to do something here," he says.

McGee says Catholic action at the climate summit shows love of God's creation and those suffering the impacts of global warming.

Pope Francis's "extraordinary leadership" in widening the ecological question beyond conservation has widened the way we look at creation and people suffering the impacts of global warming, McGee says.

"It's about how we treat people. It's about justice in all its forms."

Source

• La Croix
• Caritas
• Image: Caritas Internationalis

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed said that yoga, referred as "a living fossil", was a mental and physical discipline, for everybody to share and benefit from, whose traces went back to around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization.

The Trinity Cathedral, in Easton (Maryland), was founded 1783, is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Read more

The frogs, who were given the names of Varuna and Varsha before the ceremony, were married according following the tradition of "mandooka parinaya" ("marriage of frogs"). The ceremony was conducted by members of the Udupi Citizen Forum, who seemed to believe that this would bring rain. Read more

Father Merton D'Silva, who is the assistant at the St Ambrose parish church next door to the children's school, said archdiocesan authorities have taken a "wait-and-see" approach to the apparitions. The children attend St Ambrose Church and Lower Primary School near Kochi, a major port city on the south-west coast of India.

The alleged apparitions began when one of the children put some holy water in her ear to heal it. She told her fellow students that the water immediately helped her ear.

When the children left the school to pray in the church, they saw in the sky a vision of Christ being scourged. Reciting the name of Jesus, they went into the church to thank God for healing the girl's ear. Many of the children say they saw Our Lady, who spoke to them.

A week after the 28 September apparitions, the children again claimed to see Our Lady. Adults in the church with them could not see anything, but confirmed they could smell jasmine. Many of them say they received the gift of contrition as they prayed.

A priest asked the children to point out exactly where they could see Our Lady. The congregation say they saw a bright light and the priest says he felt someone patting his head.

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Vultus Christi

Uddhav Man Karmacharya, a Hindu priest who attends to the Kumari, says according to an ancient tradition the child will take her place on the Kumari's throne after prayers and tantric rituals are performed.

When she is anointed she will be allowed to leave her new home only 13 times a year, on special feast days, when she will be paraded through Kathmandu in ceremonial dress and elaborate makeup to be worshipped.

Child rights activists say the Kumaris are denied a childhood and their isolation from society hinders their education and development.

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/nepal-names-3-year-old-as-new-living-goddess-9255858 Read more

Br Robert's journey began in Bangalore, India. Originally a Hindu, he became an atheist at the age of 10, and in his late teens considered himself an agnostic.

When he was almost 18 he arrived in Australia and began a science degree at the University of Sydney, hoping to major in physics.

In 2001, about three years into his degree, he decided that mathematics was not his forte. At this time, he also began to suffer from depression.

The philosophical side to this depression was a worry about whether his own life, and judgements, human life and human judgements, and the world in general had any transcendent value at all, or if they were mere "sound and fury, signifying nothing."

It seemed to him that the only alternative was that the world and human beings had value because they were valued by someone not transient - God.

And the only reasonable historical claimant to divine status was Jesus Christ.

He was not mythological but really existed. So he began attending an Anglican Church and was baptised in September 2002.

He now realised that Christ is not merely a figure of history but a person to whom we can reach out.

Around this time, Br Robert encountered some Catholics at Sydney University.

One thing which impressed him was the fact that there were many young Catholics who were happy in living what the Church teaches.

"I was converted through their example and conversations, rather than through their arguments" he said.

Of the latter, one which sticks out was the exasperated comment of the chaplaincy convenor at the time, Robert Haddad: "You're never going to get all the answers to all your objections, and at some stage, you need to make a leap of faith."

It was a throwaway line, but it contains a truth which bothered Br Robert until it ended up convincing him.

He was received into the Church in 2003 and confirmed a year later by then-Bishop Anthony Fisher OP, who had just been ordained a Bishop. Continue reading

• Image: Catholic Weekly

Bishop Jacob Muricken completed all legal formalities on Friday so he could donate a kidney to a man who media named as E. Sooraj.

Bishop Muricken, 52, is the auxiliary bishop of Syro-Malabar diocese of Palai in India.

A kidney transplant is needed to save the life of Mr Sooraj, 30, who is suffering from organ failure.

"This is perhaps for the first time in the history, a serving bishop is donating one of his kidneys to save a valuable life," said Kidney Federation chairman Fr Davis Chiramal.

He said the organ transplantation surgery involving the bishop will be performed at Lakeshore Hospital, Ernakulam, on June 1.

"Sooraj belongs to a very poor family. He is the sole bread winner of his family comprising his mother and wife", Fr Chiramal said.

He had lost his father four years ago. Later, his brother died of heart attack.

"Hearing his sad stories, the bishop decided to donate one of his kidneys to the Hindu [man]

"We also want to generate money from generous people for successfully completing the organ transplantation surgery," the priest said.

Fr Chiramal had previously donated one of his own kidneys to an ailing patient.

Bishop Muricken said he felt inspired upon hearing a talk given by the priest.

Sources

• Udupit Today
• Times of India
• Catholic Hierarchy
• Image: The Week India

A musician, she still lives at home:

I grew up in a Hare Krishna community called Bhaktivedanta Manor, an 80-acre estate that is the biggest Hare Krishna community in Europe.

My parents and younger brother and sister all live in a house nearby, and growing up we spent all day, every day at the temple.

I had an incredibly special childhood. We'd start every morning with worship and would dance and pray several times a day. Most meals were eaten communally with the 300 residents of the community.

A lot of the produce for our meals came from our own farm. The estate is a very beautiful place and includes extensive woods and a lake, and there was a primary school on-site.

We were raised communally with the philosophy of simple living and high thinking. Growing up, we didn't watch TV or listen to pop music and were aware that popular culture was something that didn't sit well with our value system.

The Hare Krishna movement, based on a strand of Hinduism, was founded in 1965 by AC Bhaktivedanta. The ultimate goal of Hare Krishna devotion is to attain Krishna Consciousness through ethical living and spiritual devotion.

Devotees do not gamble, ingest alcohol or drugs, including caffeine, and restrain from sex except within marriage for the purposes of procreation.

I was a really happy child cocooned in this perfect world until my parents decided to send me to the local school when I was nine to prepare me for senior school.

I found the experience intimidating and a huge culture shock.

I was extremely worried that people would find out I was a Hare Krishna. Continue reading

Article and Image: The Telegraph

This is the hope expressed by the Vatican Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue as it acknowledges the the celebration of the Hindu Festival of Light.

The Festival is more commonly called Diwali in North India and South India it is mostly called Deepavali. The meaning of both the words is the same.

"As people grounded in our own respective religious traditions and with shared convictions, may we, Hindus and Christians, join together with followers of other religions and with people of good will to foster a culture of inclusion for a just and peaceful society." says the president of the Council, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran.

Source

• pcinterreligious.org
• Image: inksploration.com

New Plymouth's Indian community has doubled in size in the past three years.

Despite the city's Indian population being 60-70 per cent Hindu and 10-15 percent Sikh and the minority Christian and Muslim, the town has a mosque and plenty of churches but no Hindu temple, New Plymouth Indian Community president Ashwani Kumar said.

He said the influx was a result of the oil and gas industry boom attracting Indian skilled migrants. Continue reading

At a rally in Bhopal, Ashok Singhal of the fundamentalist Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), also called for Hindu families to have at least five children each.

This is to stop them becoming outnumbered by Christians and Muslims in India, he said.

Singhal warned that unless conversions were stopped, Hindus will be a minority in India.

About 80 per cent of India's 1 billion people are believed to be Hindu.

Singhal's remarks drew criticisms from government and faith spokespeople.

Sajan George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), told AsiaNews that the "fascism of groups like the VHP" must be condemned as it endangers Indian democracy and secularism.

George said Indian Christians just want to enjoy their constitutional rights of freedom of worship, and the practice and dissemination of their faith.

He said religious freedom is a basic human right.

The VHP promotes a nationalist ideology centred on Hinduism. This ideology aims for the establishment of a Hindu nation.

So-called anti-conversion laws have been adopted in some states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which embodies the ideas of groups like the VHP.

In theory, these measures should prohibit any conversions by force or through money, AsiaNews reports.

In practice, they are often used to persecute minorities, the news agency stated.

Sources

• AsiaNews
• Indian Express
• Times of India
• About.com
• Image: The Hindu
  

New Zealand's High Commissioner to the Cook Islands Joanna Kempkers and Principal of Tereora College (the National College of the Cook Islands) Bali Haque addressed the Diwali gathering as well as various Hindu community leaders.

But the leader of a small christian church, Bishop Tutai Pere of the Apostolic Church of the Cook Islands, says celebrating Diwali involves idolatry, which is a blasphemy against the Christian God,

He said is reported to have said that Diwali is "paganistic or heathenistic practice" He talked about "It's hidden spirit of sorcery and witchcraft" and urged that a stop be put "to this paganistic nonsense".
His remarks have caused Hindus world wide to express their concern:

Vijendra Prakash, the general secretary of the Sanatan Dharam, Fiji's biggest Hindu religious organisation says a Cook Islands Bishop is misguided for opposing the public celebration of the festival of Diwali on Rarotonga.

President of Universal Society of Hinduism Rajan Zed has written to the Cook Islands Prime Minister urging him to investigate the issue and ensure the Hindu community's religious rights are protected.

Read Bishop Tuati Pere's letter to the editor

Source

• NewsTalkZB
• Radio Australia
• Eurasia Review
• Image: images.indiascanner.com

Several customers The Fiji Times spoke to said despite the increase in prices of fireworks, milk and other groceries, they were still spending a reasonable amount because they wanted to celebrate Diwali well.

"Prices have gone up but we are willing to stretch ourselves because we want Diwali to be a memorable celebration for our family and our friends," Arvin Kumar, 35, of Seven Miles said. Continue reading

With dark brown complexions and sporting traditional Indian tribal clothing (white sari with red border, etc.The statue in a church in the village of Singhpur has sparked outrage from local Hindus and other non-Christians who have called for its immediate removal. Continue reading

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in speaking in Nevada has asked Herald Editor-in-Chief, Tim Murphy, and Board Chairman of its parent APN News & Media Peter Cosgrove to apologise immediately and publish the apology on the front page of the paper for this trivialisation of the Hindu goddess. Moreover, Herald and other APN media outlets should print/broadcast an introductory piece about Hinduism and its deities to create better understanding in society, Zed added.

The Herald's June 28 edition edition had published a photograph of Goddess Kali holding a pack of cigarettes besides other objects in the article titled "Guardians at the Superette".

Kali, who personifies Sakti or divine energy, is widely worshipped by Hindus. She is considered the goddess of time and change. Some Bengali poets described her as supreme deity.

Source

• The Jet
• Times of India
• www.lotus sculpture.com

Attempting to condemn bad proselytism, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism spoke against conversions and changing from one religion to another.

His position was seen as support for the policies of the radical Hindu groups and the anti-conversion laws that exist in some Indian states. Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the archbishop of Bombay, took issue with him.

Continue reading

In the first year, a message of healthy lifestyle and care for the environment was promoted through Smoke-free, Alcohol-free and Meat-free festival, which is also in accordance with Hindu cultural practice. In the following years, the themes were Hindu Maori relations, Developing Youth Leadership, and Women Empowerment, respectively.

Deepawali, a well-known Hindu festival, is not only celebrated by people of India, but also by Hindu people of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Fiji and many other countries. In an increasingly multi-cultural New Zealand not only Hindus from all over the world, but all communities participate in events like Deepawali and share their cultures with each other.

Continue reading

Such is the euphoria that even the non-Hindu population participate in fun and celebrations related to the festival of Diwali.

In his Diwali message, President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau said central to Hindu philosophy was the belief that there was something beyond the physical body and mind, which was pure, infinite and eternal.

"Our nation needs spiritual enlightenment to rid us from the evil of enmity, division and discord and to change our attitude, our thinking, the way we live and the way we are governed at all levels of society for the betterment of all," Ratu Epeli said.

Pandit Bhuwan Dutty said the prayers, which would officially begin on the eve of Diwali would centre on "having plenty for everyone in the country".

"We would pray for plenty of food for everyone everywhere and also pray for the wellbeing of all people," Mr Dutty said.

He said the Sabha's message for this Diwali was for everyone to be hard workers in order to have sufficient food for all to bring prosperity to the community.

Source

• Diwalifestival.org
• FijiTimesOnline - Pandit Bhuwan Dutty
• FijiTimesOnline - Ratu Epeli Nailatikau
• Image: 1neBrownGirl.com

Christian outreach to untouchables in India is well over one hundred years old. Christianity, like Islam, places no special value on the circumstances of birth. The government of India sets aside certain benefits for Dalits, a form of welfare for a still-despised group. Yet the same government programs deny benefits to Dalits who become Christian or become Moslem, because — the argument goes — their denial of the Hindu caste system means that they no longer consider themselves in the sub-caste (or "casteless") position of "untouchables." This does not apply, however, to Dalits who become Buddhists or Sikhs, although those conversions also would mean a rejection of the caste system.

Christianity also grants women a higher status than Hinduism (which historically does not regard a woman as possessing a soul until she marries) or Islam (which creates a distinctly inferior status for women). As a consequence, Christianity has a profound appeal for the most hopeless Indians, "untouchable" women. The message of Christian love finds an eager ear among the "untouchables" of India.

Simon Hawthorne of the Life Association, who has worked for 20 years ago among the Dalits, explains what this means to these "untouchables" of India: "As a Dalit, you start off living life thinking you are not made by God. It's such an oppressive system and, because of the sheer numbers of people, it's the biggest human rights issue today. But in the message of Christianity you were made in the image of God. There is nothing more opposite to the message of Christianity than the Hindu caste system."

The Papal message against anti-Christian violence has grown stronger in recent years. In October 2008, Pope Benedict called on Hindus, in recognition of the message of Gandhi, to refrain from violence against Christians.

Read Full Story: The New American

Image: BosNewsLife