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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Law & Religion
In 2008, four Sikh students in Chandigarh, India, applied to medical school as Sikhs. They were denied admission because they had cut their hair; the college claimed that by cutting their hair, the students were no longer Sikhs.
In response, the students sent a petition to the high courts in India.
Many young Sikhs are cutting their hair, according to the Washington Post. In fact, the number may be as many as 75%. But for traditional Sikhs, long hair wrapped up in a turban means you are Sikh. It is a visible sign of religious affiliation and belief.
In most religions, removing headgear does not remove one’s status as a follower of that religion — unless of course one removes the headgear because they no longer follow that religion. But this could all change for Sikhs depending on how the courts respond. Their decision could mean that if a Sikh cuts his hair, he is no longer Sikh.
Other types of religious headgear
Sikhism isn’t the only religion to include mandates on headgear. Here are a few examples of others:
-Buddhist monks typically shave their heads as the Buddha did, as a sign of ascetic life.
-Some Muslim women choose (or are subjected, depending on whom you ask and what country you’re in) to wear the hijab, a head covering intended as a display of modesty
-Some Jewish men wear yarmulkes, also known as kippahs or skull caps, as a sign of humility and a reminder of their relationships with God. Jews are not required to wear the skull cap at all times, and most do not. Many choose to wear the skull cap in public as a sign of religiosity, during holidays, or while visiting Israel.
-The habit is the traditional uniform of Catholic nuns, which includes a veil. Most nuns are no longer required to wear the habit, but many still choose to wear the veil and uniform. Learn more about the reasons for the habit on A Nun’s Life. Learn about other Catholic headgear in this Wiki article.
What do you think? Is hair and headgear just that? Or is it a sign of something more? Do you wear religious headgear or wear your hair a certain way to reflect your beliefs?
Christians living in Malaysia can now use the word “Allah” to describe God.
The allowance represents a reversal of a previous ban on use of the word by Christians. But it now comes with a condition: Christians must specify that their publications that use the word “Allah” are not intended for Muslims. Malaysian government officials worry that Christians calling God “Allah” will confuse Muslims.
Technically, “Allah” is just the Arabic word for God. But because Muslims use the word to describe God, many assume Allah is the Muslim God and not the same God of Christianity and Judaism.
The confusion would likely arise from Muslims thinking Christians were trying to convert them by using their terms. Or they would simply be tricked into thinking they are worshipping the Muslim Allah when in reality they are practicing as Christians. This is especially a concern in Malaysia where Muslims are the majority and religious tensions are high.
To complicate matters internationally, many people consider the Muslim Allah and the Christian Allah to be the same God, though different religions worship God differently or attribute different traits to God.
Who is Allah to you?
Is Allah the same God of Judaism and Christianity? Are Allah and God different? Is it just a difference in translation? Should Malaysian officials really be worried?
Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.
In November, the Wyoming Department of Corrections decided to allow its Muslim inmates to time their daily meals with prayer times.
Per the Islamic pillar of salat, Muslims are supposed to pray at five specific times each day. But in Wyoming prisons, inmates are supposed to eat within 20 minutes of being served a meal. Sometimes, this forced inmates to choose between praying and eating. Now, prisoners will be allowed to eat their meals before other prisoners in order to fit in prayers at the proper times.
This case brings to mind a recent case in Ohio where Jewish prisoners were denied kosher meals. Learn more about that case here.
What do you think? Should prisoners always have religious rights? Or should certain rights be denied?
Copyright 2009 Religion Transcends.
The school held a spirit week recently, one day of which was called “Hug a Friend Day.” The students in question quickly changed the day into “Hit a Tall Person Day” which they later changed into “Hit a Jew Day.”
What do you think? Is this just a silly prank from a group of sixth graders? Or is this Anti-Semitism at work?