RELIGION - The African Mirror

Nov

24

2020

Is belief in God a delusion?

RELIGION

AS the pandemic raged in April, churchgoers in Ohio defied warnings not to congregate. Some argued that their religion conferred them immunity from COVID-19. In one memorable CNN clip, a woman insisted she would not catch the virus because she was “covered in Jesus’ blood”. RYAN MCKAY, Professor of Psychology, Royal Holloway ROBERT ROSS, Research Fellow in Philosophy, Macquarie University Some weeks later, the cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker commented on the dangers of evangelical religious belief in the coronavirus era. Writing on Facebook, he said: “Belief in an afterlife is a malignant delusion since it devalues actual lives and discourages…

Nov

23

2020

By The African Mirror

Temple kissing scenes stir trouble for Netflix India

RELIGION

NEHA ARORA AN Indian state has asked police to investigate after a member of the country's ruling party objected to scenes in the Netflix series A Suitable Boy, in which a Hindu girl kisses a Muslim boy against the backdrop of a Hindu temple. The series is based on an English novel by one of India's leading writers Vikram Seth and follows a young girl's quest for a husband. It is directed by celebrated Indian filmmaker Mira Nair. "It has extremely objectionable scenes that have hurt the feelings of a particular religion," Narottam Mishra, the interior minister of the central…

Oct

28

2020

By The African Mirror

U.S. Christian groups spent $280m fighting LGBT+ rights, abortion overseas

RELIGION

RACHEL SAVAGE RIGHT-WING U.S. groups have put more than $280 million into campaigns against LGBT+ rights and abortion worldwide since 2007, almost $90 million of which focused on Europe, according to a report on Tuesday. Many of the 28 groups - most of which are Christian - have close links with U.S. President Donald Trump, who is campaigning for re-election on Nov. 3, investigative website openDemocracy found, amid the rising popularity of the far-right in Europe. "These findings show how Trump-linked groups have built a frightening global empire," Mary Fitzgerald, openDemocracy's editor-in-chief, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in emailed comments. One of the main…

Oct

27

2020

By The African Mirror

Morocco condemns publication of Prophet Mohammad cartoons

RELIGION

MOROCCO’S foreign ministry says the continuing publication of "offensive" cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad is an act of provocation. French media published the caricatures of the Prophet, which were also projected on some buildings, after the beheading of a French professor by an Islamist radical earlier this month. While condemning savage acts perpetrated in the name of Islam, "Morocco denounces these provocations offending the sacredness of the Islamic religion," the foreign ministry said in a statement. France has faced a backlash from a number of Muslim countries over the cartoons, including boycotts of French products. - Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Oct

26

2020

By The African Mirror

First Black American cardinal is outspoken civil rights advocate

RELIGION

ANDREA SHALAL WILTON Gregory, the first African American to be named as cardinal and known as a refined diplomat, made headlines when he blasted President Donald Trump's photo opportunity hoisting a Bible at a Washington church after police used tear gas to clear demonstrators in June. Gregory, who was among 13 new cardinals named by Pope Francis on Sunday, was installed as the first Black archbishop of Washington, D.C. in 2019. He turns 73 just days after the naming ceremony for new cardinals next month. Pope Francis on Sunday said Gregory was picked with others from Rwanda, the Philippines and…

Oct

23

2020

By The African Mirror

Pope’s ‘yes’ to same-sex civil unions will lead to a more open and equal Catholic Church

RELIGION

FRANCIS DEBERNARDO GENE and Bill had been partners for more than 50 years when I first heard their story. The two men met and fell in love when they were both 22. Because of the socially oppressive climate, it was not safe to live together as a couple, so they moved in as “roommates.” After one brief year, Bill developed a debilitating disease that required full-time nursing care and he moved to a skilled facility. He remained there his entire life. Gene visited him every day but was unable to let staff or residents know the true nature of their…

Nov

26

2020

By The African Mirror

Hope and religion in a time of crisis: evidence from Colombia and South Africa

RELIGION

STRICT lock-down regulations, that have been implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, have broad implications for well-being. In many countries, businesses and other kinds of operations had to adjust or close. Unemployment rates rose and economic activity slowed dramatically. VICTOR COUNTED, Research Fellow, Western Sydney University KENNETH PARGAMENT, Bowling Green State University RICHARD G. COWDEN, Research Associate, Harvard University Alongside concerns about financial security, stay-at-home orders have disrupted daily routines and physically isolated citizens from people and places that were part of their everyday lives. These conditions have led to much psychological distress around the world. However, people who live in…

Dec

04

2020

By The African Mirror

U.S. Supreme Court sides with challenge to California’s COVID-19 religious service curbs

RELIGION

LAWRENCE HURLEY THE U.S. Supreme Court has delivered a blow to California Governor Gavin Newsom's pandemic-related ban on indoor religious services, siding with a church that defied the policy and challenged it as unconstitutional religious discrimination. The decision followed a similar action by the justices on November 25 that backed Christian and Jewish houses of worship that challenged New York state restrictions in coronavirus hot spots. California Governor Gavin Newsom The justices, with no noted dissents, set aside a lower court ruling that rejected a challenge to Newsom's policy by Harvest Rock Church Inc, which has several campuses in the…

Nov

29

2020

By The African Mirror

Rwandan among new cardinals installed by the Pope

RELIGION

PHILLIP PULLELLA POPE Francis has installed 13 new cardinals, including the to hold the high rank, including leading Rwandan Archbishop Antoine Kambanda, further expanding the pontiff's impact on the group that will one day elect his successor. The cardinals were installed in a ceremony, known as a consistory, that was markedly slimmed down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of the usual thousands, only 10 guests per cardinal were allowed in St. Peter's Basilica as the pope gave the men their ring and traditional red hat, known as a biretta. Nine of the 13 are under 80 and eligible under…

Dec

30

2020

By The African Mirror

Second Indian state steps closer to enacting ‘Love Jihad’ law

RELIGION

SAURABH SHARMA LAWMAKERS in a central Indian state-controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party approved legislation on Tuesday that would make pressuring a woman to convert to their husband's religion a crime punishable with imprisonment. Although no religion is specified in the legislation, critics say it is aimed against the country's Muslim minority. Hardline Hindu groups have accused Muslim men of waging a campaign, dubbed a "Love Jihad", to lure Hindu women to Islam with promises of marriage. The Freedom of Religion Bill, 2020 will be enacted in Madhya Pradesh once it receives approval from the state's governor,…