Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: the evolution of Hinduism, the liberation of Kobani, and Cuba building a new Catholic church.
BERKLEY CENTER IN THE NEWS
History of the Vatican Bank and Current Efforts to Reform it
by Gerard Mannion, Diane Rehm, Gerald Posner, and Joshua McElwee
NPR
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-02-02/history_of_the_vatican_bank_and_current_efforts_to_reform_it
Founded in World War II, the Vatican Bank now oversees billions of dollars in assets. We explore the evolution of the Bank's power, its history of financial scandals and efforts by Pope Francis to reform it.
AROUND THE WORLD
The Emergence of a New Hinduism
by Akhilesh Pillalamarri
Diplomat
http://thediplomat.com/2015/01/the-emergence-of-a-new-hinduism/
There can be no denying that Hinduism is increasingly changing to fit the conditions of the 21st century. Hinduism is historically known for its ability to evolve, and many of these changes are interesting: they mostly represent an evolution to a more dynamic, philosophical mainstream Hinduism away from a folksy ritualistic religion.
Taliban Justice Gains Favor as Official Afghan Courts Fail
by Azam Ahmed
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/world/asia/taliban-justice-gains-favor-as-official-afghan-courts-fail.html?ref=todayspaper
Frustrated by Western-inspired legal codes and a government court system widely seen as corrupt, many Afghans think that the militants’ quick and tradition-rooted rulings are their best hope for justice.
In Liberated Kobani, Kurds Take Pride Despite the Devastation
by Tim Arango
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/02/world/asia/in-liberated-kobani-pride-despite-the-devastation.html?ref=todayspaper
Now that the city has been liberated, pride in victory outweighs grief over the losses for the Kurds who live here. Even as the battle unfolded with its outcome uncertain, Kobani took on mythic status—Kurds called it their Stalingrad—as a place from which the Kurds hoped to carve a homeland from the turmoil of the Middle East.
Compulsory Income Tax on Christians Drives Germans Away From Protestant and Catholic Churches
by Justin Huggler
Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/11380968/Compulsory-income-tax-on-Christians-drives-Germans-away-from-Protestant-and-Catholic-churches.html
Hundreds of thousands of German Christians are formally renouncing their faith and leaving the church in order to escape a controversial change in the tax laws. Church members in Germany are required by law to pay tax to fund church activities, which is collected by the government.
Cuba to Build First New Catholic Church Since Castro
by Patrick Oppmann
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/30/living/cuba-catholic-church/index.html
A neglected, weed-strewn field in a small Cuban town where there are more horses than cars seems an unlikely setting for a major shift in government policy. But in the isolated town of Sandino, Cuba's first Catholic church since the 1959 revolution took power is set to be built.
DOMESTIC
In LA, Women Build a Mosque Where They Can Call to Prayer
by Rebecca Hersher and Nathan Rott
NPR
http://www.npr.org/2015/01/31/382851591/in-la-women-build-a-mosque-where-they-can-call-to-prayer
A women-led mosque held its first jumma'a, or Friday prayer service, in Los Angeles this week. The group is hoping to strengthen the Muslim community in America by empowering the faith's women.
Same-Sex Interfaith Couples Face Roadblock to Marriage in Judaism
by Mark Oppenheimer
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/31/us/same-sex-interfaith-couples-face-a-roadblock-to-marriage-in-judaism.html?ref=todayspaper
If clergy can embrace same-sex marriage, why can’t they marry a Jew to a non-Jew? For Jews, troubled by declining levels of affiliation, the concern about interfaith marriage is strong. So while other American religious groups, like the Episcopal Church, are tearing themselves apart over same-sex marriage, that front is relatively calm for Jews—who are, by contrast, exercised about intermarriage.
The ‘Pay What You Want’ Experiment at Synagogues
by Michael Paulson
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/02/us/the-pay-what-you-want-experiment-at-synagogues.html?ref=todayspaper
In what amounts to the first systematic rethinking of synagogue financing in a century, about 30 Reform, Conservative and independent synagogues across the United States have eliminated mandatory dues—all but a handful of them in the past five years.
History of the Vatican Bank and Current Efforts to Reform it
by Gerard Mannion, Diane Rehm, Gerald Posner, and Joshua McElwee
NPR
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-02-02/history_of_the_vatican_bank_and_current_efforts_to_reform_it
Founded in World War II, the Vatican Bank now oversees billions of dollars in assets. We explore the evolution of the Bank's power, its history of financial scandals and efforts by Pope Francis to reform it.
AROUND THE WORLD
The Emergence of a New Hinduism
by Akhilesh Pillalamarri
Diplomat
http://thediplomat.com/2015/01/the-emergence-of-a-new-hinduism/
There can be no denying that Hinduism is increasingly changing to fit the conditions of the 21st century. Hinduism is historically known for its ability to evolve, and many of these changes are interesting: they mostly represent an evolution to a more dynamic, philosophical mainstream Hinduism away from a folksy ritualistic religion.
Taliban Justice Gains Favor as Official Afghan Courts Fail
by Azam Ahmed
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/world/asia/taliban-justice-gains-favor-as-official-afghan-courts-fail.html?ref=todayspaper
Frustrated by Western-inspired legal codes and a government court system widely seen as corrupt, many Afghans think that the militants’ quick and tradition-rooted rulings are their best hope for justice.
In Liberated Kobani, Kurds Take Pride Despite the Devastation
by Tim Arango
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/02/world/asia/in-liberated-kobani-pride-despite-the-devastation.html?ref=todayspaper
Now that the city has been liberated, pride in victory outweighs grief over the losses for the Kurds who live here. Even as the battle unfolded with its outcome uncertain, Kobani took on mythic status—Kurds called it their Stalingrad—as a place from which the Kurds hoped to carve a homeland from the turmoil of the Middle East.
Compulsory Income Tax on Christians Drives Germans Away From Protestant and Catholic Churches
by Justin Huggler
Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/11380968/Compulsory-income-tax-on-Christians-drives-Germans-away-from-Protestant-and-Catholic-churches.html
Hundreds of thousands of German Christians are formally renouncing their faith and leaving the church in order to escape a controversial change in the tax laws. Church members in Germany are required by law to pay tax to fund church activities, which is collected by the government.
Cuba to Build First New Catholic Church Since Castro
by Patrick Oppmann
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/30/living/cuba-catholic-church/index.html
A neglected, weed-strewn field in a small Cuban town where there are more horses than cars seems an unlikely setting for a major shift in government policy. But in the isolated town of Sandino, Cuba's first Catholic church since the 1959 revolution took power is set to be built.
DOMESTIC
In LA, Women Build a Mosque Where They Can Call to Prayer
by Rebecca Hersher and Nathan Rott
NPR
http://www.npr.org/2015/01/31/382851591/in-la-women-build-a-mosque-where-they-can-call-to-prayer
A women-led mosque held its first jumma'a, or Friday prayer service, in Los Angeles this week. The group is hoping to strengthen the Muslim community in America by empowering the faith's women.
Same-Sex Interfaith Couples Face Roadblock to Marriage in Judaism
by Mark Oppenheimer
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/31/us/same-sex-interfaith-couples-face-a-roadblock-to-marriage-in-judaism.html?ref=todayspaper
If clergy can embrace same-sex marriage, why can’t they marry a Jew to a non-Jew? For Jews, troubled by declining levels of affiliation, the concern about interfaith marriage is strong. So while other American religious groups, like the Episcopal Church, are tearing themselves apart over same-sex marriage, that front is relatively calm for Jews—who are, by contrast, exercised about intermarriage.
The ‘Pay What You Want’ Experiment at Synagogues
by Michael Paulson
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/02/us/the-pay-what-you-want-experiment-at-synagogues.html?ref=todayspaper
In what amounts to the first systematic rethinking of synagogue financing in a century, about 30 Reform, Conservative and independent synagogues across the United States have eliminated mandatory dues—all but a handful of them in the past five years.
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