The Sacred Bard

beingblog: “What we’re doing is praying with our feet, with...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:49:30 -0400

“What we’re doing is praying with our feet, with our bodies.”

Aztec dance instructor Centzi Millia wears chachayotl, the thick anklets of Aztec danzantes made of rattling seed pods during a class. She’s part of a new movement of Catholic Latinos in the U.S. who are turning to the spiritual practices of their indigenous ancestors, such as the Aztecs and other ancient traditions, and finding “a mestizo way of life.”

Read more of Shweta Saraswat’s article, “Aztlan, Anew,” which gives you a glimpse of what’s going on in your neighboring communities that you might not even be aware of.

kelledia: Nirvana.

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 23:32:57 -0500

kelledia:

Nirvana.

"We Do Not Want War" -- the Plea of Afghan Youth

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 22:54:12 -0500

"We Do Not Want War" -- the Plea of Afghan Youth:

Poignant, heartfelt, insightful and sincere thoughts, and perspectives from Afghan youths.

The G-Word: What Does It Mean to Believe in God?

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 22:05:41 -0500

The G-Word: What Does It Mean to Believe in God?:

‎”The possible questions are endless, but all that is typically asked is “Do you believe in God?” as if one person’s “yes” is pretty much the same as everyone else’s. This makes a mockery of the complexity and diversity of individual spiritual lives.”

A big thank you to Philip Goldberg for writing this post. However, I would have gone a step further, and asked why we might be hesitant to ask the more detailed, possibly intrusive questions.

Witchcraft in Tanzania: the good, bad and the persecution

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 09:56:49 -0400

Witchcraft in Tanzania: the good, bad and the persecution:

“The Pew Forum on Religious and Public life conducted 25,000 face-to-face interviews in 19 African nations and found that among them, Tanzanians hold the strongest belief in witchcraft.”

“Elephants in Crisis.” Watch a short National...

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 14:19:22 -0400

“Elephants in Crisis.” Watch a short National Geographic video on the connection between religions and ivory.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2012: Celebrating Lord Ganesha's Birthday (PHOTOS)

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 22:54:39 -0400

Ganesh Chaturthi 2012: Celebrating Lord Ganesha's Birthday (PHOTOS):

Photos of the 10 day celebration for Lord Ganesha’s birthday!

Underneath The Turban: Why Sikhs Do Not Hide

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:20:45 -0400

Underneath The Turban: Why Sikhs Do Not Hide:

“While some non-Sikhs wear turbans as cultural garb, Sikhs are the only community for whom the turban is religious and nearly every person who wears the turban in the U.S. is Sikh. For many of us, abandoning this visible identity is equivalent to abandoning our faith and core values, including the commitment to protect the right of all people to practice whatever faith they choose.”

Interfaith Misunderstanding in America

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 18:47:14 -0400

Interfaith Misunderstanding in America:

“Whatever our faith tradition, we all should take the dangers of interfaith misunderstanding seriously because all of us — Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, agnostics, everyone — are affected.”

Prayer room at the Democratic National Convention.

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 22:14:24 -0400

Prayer room at the Democratic National Convention.

Atheists Ignore Islamophobia At Their Peril

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:05:34 -0400

Atheists Ignore Islamophobia At Their Peril:

“But as a Humanist atheist, I feel a sense of moral obligation to stand up against identity-based hatred, no matter whom it’s directed at.”

Google vs. God: What’s causing all these Hasidic Jews to flee their community? Smartphones.

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:52:06 -0400

Google vs. God: What’s causing all these Hasidic Jews to flee their community? Smartphones.:

“Why at this particular moment is the mainstream media so interested in the story of strife within an ultra-orthodox branch that makes up a tiny, if growing, percentage of American Jews? The answer has a lot to do with the life span of the Internet. Because of it, more Hasidim are publicly exiting their communities than ever before.”

Love thy neighbor, and love the world.

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 08:15:08 -0400

Love thy neighbor, and love the world.

Daria: poignant with a sense of humor. Loved this show.

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 11:33:07 -0400

Daria: poignant with a sense of humor. Loved this show.

Struggle over what to wear in Iran

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 11:21:19 -0400

Struggle over what to wear in Iran:

“An annual test of wills between Iran’s morality police and women who dress in ways that are deemed unacceptable has begun in cities across the Islamic republic.”

Dawkins: Don’t need God to be good … or generous

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 22:11:36 -0400

Dawkins: Don’t need God to be good … or generous:

“One reason for our unpopularity is the widespread belief that you need God in order to be good. Going along with that misconception is further belief that atheists are less generous than religious people, less philanthropic, less likely to donate to charity. Even if that were the case it would, of course, have no bearing on the truth of religious beliefs.”

Buddhist vigilantes kill 9 Muslims in Myanmar violence

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 07:33:00 -0400

Buddhist vigilantes kill 9 Muslims in Myanmar violence:

“Buddhist vigilantes in western Myanmar attacked a passenger bus and killed nine Muslims, police said on Monday, the deadliest communal violence in the tense region since a reformist government took power a year ago.”

Photo

Sun, 13 May 2012 01:22:22 -0400

Lady Gaga – High Priestess of a New Kind of Religion

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:56:10 -0500

Lady Gaga – High Priestess of a New Kind of Religion:

“Raised Roman Catholic, Lady Gaga now makes plenty of spiritual statements in her lyrics, at her concerts and in public appearances. While she certainly espouses her own brand of religion, the strength of her spiritual sway comes not from her originality as much from her ability to give voice to the rising chorus of Millennial spirituality.”

Chinese Muslims clash with police over mosque

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:18:00 -0500

Chinese Muslims clash with police over mosque:

“Hundreds of Muslims in a northwestern China village trying to prevent the demolition of their mosque clashed with police, causing several deaths, Hong Kong media and residents said on Tuesday.”