My new Twitter handle is now live - check me out at @jackiewgibson!
CNN has posted a history of bias against Sikhs - more reason for people to learn about religions before they attack anyone:...
Sikh temple shooting unfolding, learn about Sikhism here: http://t.co/A0ltLLIm
Sikh temple shooting unfolding, learn about Sikhism here: http://t.co/l3KrAJZf
Hackers group Anonymous takes down Vatican website: http://t.co/B6lbGAVp
WGN-TV calls doomsday prophecies "an illusion": http://t.co/mv8Gzyw7
RT @graceishuman: Really,? Asking people JUST LEAVING the service how they felt about it? Tacky, tacky, inappropriate
Whitney Houston's funeral service really took the world to church. Love Pastor Winans' honesty, very moving.
#teacher ? Here are appropriate responses to situations with your Jehovah's Witness student: http://t.co/A6UfqcgH
#Teachers: Want to know why your Jehovah's Witness student won't say the pledge and how to respond? http://t.co/EIdlgDwW
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Buddhism
Korean Buddhists are protesting what they believe to be religious discrimination (and Christian favoritism) by the South Korean government.
South Korea has about 10 million Buddhists and 13.7 million Christians. Furthermore, 4 out of the country’s 10 past presidents have been Christians. The largest denomination of Buddhism is the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism – the group leading the protest against the government.
The map that started it all
On June 24, the Jogye Order issued a statement claiming the government had intentionally left Buddhist temples off of the government transportation map. According to BuddhistChannel.tv, “in 2003, when the previous government built the online information system, the Buddhist temples were marked on the map. But a version updated on June 9 dropped them.” The map did, however, show Protestant churches.
The ministry had previously apologized (calling the error an oversight) in a press conference on June 23 and corrected the map after two top presidential aides and senior ruling party legislators visited the temple. But it was too little too late for Korean Buddhists. Buddhist monks went on to accuse the president, Lee Myung-bak, of favoring Christians for his Cabinet (10 of the 15 ministers are Protestant, 2 are Catholic). They also noted that the Protestant deputy head of presidential security had told a newspaper he had a dream “to evangelize all government ministries.”
The beef that made things worse
Then in July, a group of activists led violent anti-beef protests. The police sought them, and the activists found refuge at a Jogye temple.
Things became tense when weeks later, police searched the car of the Jogye’s head monk. Protesters claim he was treated like a criminal.
Visit BuddhistChannel.tv for more of the Jogye Order’s accusations against the government.
Taking action against the government
On August 12, the Ecumenical Youth Council in Korea, the Korean Youth Buddhist Association, and 7 other youth groups called for the enactment of a nondiscrimination law (i.e., a law against religious discrimination).
27 Buddhist sects and organizations are taking the call a step further. Next Wednesday they will hold a rally in protest of “Mr. Lee’s Christian-friendly policy” and in favor of a ban on religious discrimination and an apology from President Lee.
Learn more about the Jogye Order on their official Web site.
The search is on in Nepal for the next Kumari, the virginal “living goddess.”
Religious authorities and astrologers are consulting candidates’ horoscopes to find out who should succeed the current Kumari, according to Reuters. They are looking for a Buddhist who has perfect eyes, teeth, and hair; who has no scratches on her skin; and who could be as young as 3.
Who is the Kumari?
The Kumari is a girl selected from an ethnic family of Buddhists in Nepal (see below).
She becomes the “living goddess,” and many Hindus and Buddhists in Nepal believe she is the reincarnation of the famous Hindu goddess Kali.
The Kumari lives in a wooden temple in Kathmandu where she is revered and sought after (for her blessing) until she menstruates. At that time, a new Kumari is chosen.
The current Kumari is 11 years old, and authorities in Nepal seek to replace her before she menstruates. She is set to retire at the Daisan Hindu festival in October.
Who is Kali?
In Hinduism, there are many gods. However, they are all seen as manifestations of the One, the Ultimate Brahman. Kali is one of the most followed Hindu gods. She is the goddess who encompasses both good and evil, life and death, creation and destruction.
At times, Kali is worshipped as a sweet mother. At other times, she is worshipped as an angry feminist — bloodthirsty and enraged at masculine power.
Who are the Shakyas?
The Kumari will be chosen from a Buddhist Newar family. Newar Buddhists are an ethnic group of Buddhists from Nepal.
The Kumari will specifically be chosen from the Buddhist Shakya, the highest caste of Newar Buddhists found mostly in Kathmandu. The Buddha (Shakyamuni or Guatama Buddha) is originally from this line. Thus, the chosen Kumari should be in the line of the Buddha.
The Dalai Lama is aging.
At 73 years old, it seems as though he is preparing for what might happen after his death someday. And while typically a successor would be discovered (through recognition that a baby is his reincarnation), it appears he may be placing others in leadership roles in preparation.
Often considered the second in line for Tibetan Buddhists, the Panchen Lama is now 17. But he was kidnapped by the Chinese government as a young child and the Chinese government recognizes their own candidate for Panchen Lama – not the 17-year-old the Tibetan Buddhists recognize.
Nonetheless, with the Panchen Lama on house arrest, another high ranking Tibetan Buddhist leader is making headlines. He is the Karmapa Lama.
In Buddhism, there are four schools of thought (much like schools in Islam or denominations in Christianity). The Dalai Lama leads the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism; the Karmapa Lama leads the Kagyu school. He is considered the embodiment of Buddhist wisdom, and many believe he was reincarnated in a line of Karmapa Lamas in order to bring his wisdom to the current world.
And though he had to dramatically escape China, the Chinese government does recognize the current Karmapa Lama.
With his wisdom and recognition, the 23-year-old Karmapa – whose real name is Ugyen Trinley Dorje — is garnering attention as an international voice of Buddhism. Some think the Dalai Lama may be prepping him to take his place as the notable Buddhist voice in the world.
Click here to watch or read an interview with the Karmapa Lama.
Prayers from several religions will now find a place at the Ontario legislature’s opening each day, according to Religion News Service.
Making a compromise
The municipal councils used to begin their daily meetings by reciting the Lord’s Prayer, associated with the Christian religion. But in early 2008, Secular Ontario threatened to take them to court if they continued the ritual. The organization of atheist Canadians felt such an act implied that the legislature was for Christians only.
The government of Ontario has held several debates about religion and politics over the last few months. Finally they came up with a compromise in June that would keep them out of hot water with Secular Ontario.
The compromise? Keep the Lord’s Prayer, but add in prayers from eight other religions and a moment of silence for the non-religious. Among those religions whose prayers will be incorporated are Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Baha’i, and Sikhism.
Inclusion for diversity
This change is a good example of a move toward inclusion. Inclusion is a method of showing that all religions have merit and truth in some way and/or that all deserve representation and respect. It’s the idea of religious diversity — a cornucopia of religions tha twould all be placed on the same level, in the same arena. Exclusion, obviously, is the opposite. A religion is sometimes called “exclusive” when its followers claim their religion is the only true religion or that their beliefs must be followed in order to attain the goal of religion (whether that’s eternal life, cessation of suffering, or something else).
Wondering about the Lord’s Prayer?
The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer prayed by Jesus, and it can be found in the New Testament of The Bible (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4). In those verses, Jesus teaches his followers to pray a prayer he teaches them to pray. Many Christian churches pray that Lord’s Prayer at each worship gathering, including Catholics who sometimes call this prayer the “Our Father.”
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