Category: Culture/Religion

Sikhs around the world are taking part in a scheme to plant a million new trees as a “gift to the entire planet” as part of celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak, the media reported on Friday.

According to the Guardian, the project aims to reverse environmental decline and help people reconnect with nature.

Rajwant Singh, the President of the Washington DC-based environmental organisation EcoSikh, which is coordinating the Million Tree Project, said he wanted to mark the anniversary in a significant way.

EcoSikh collaborates with thousands of Sikh Gurdwaras and institutions all over India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the US, UK, Australia, France, Hong Kong, Norway and many other countries.

The Sikh diaspora has taken on the challenge and tens of thousands of trees have already been planted, the report said, adding that most of the trees were planted in India and also in the UK, US, Australia and Kenya.

“Guru Nanak was a nature lover. (He) had talked about nature as a manifestation of God and many of his writings talk about how we need to learn lessons of life from nature,” said Singh.

He said he hoped the project would motivate Sikhs – especially the young – to improve their relationship with nature and would be seen more broadly as “a gift to the entire planet”.

Sikh Union Coventry, an environmental organization based in Washington, said it plans to plant 550 trees in the Coventry area and has already started planting native trees, shrubs and flowers such as hazel and hawthorn at various sites.

Sikh Union Coventry chair Palvinder Singh Chana said: “As Sikhs, our connection to the environment is an integral part of our faith and identity. Future generations will benefit from the fruits of our labour, symbolising peace, friendships and continuity for generations to come.”

People involved in the drive said that the million tree target would be achieved by the time of Guru Nanak’s birthday in November. (IANS)

“Top 10” lists can often be helpful in displaying and illuminating data. For example, the two tables of countries with the largest Christian and Muslim populations featured here reveal differences in the concentration, diversity and projected changes in the world’s two largest religions.

The two lists show that the global Muslim population is more heavily concentrated in Islam’s main population centers than the global Christian population is for Christianity, which is more widely dispersed around the world. Indeed, about two-thirds (65%) of the world’s Muslims live in the countries with the 10 largest Muslim populations, while only 48% of the world’s Christians live in the countries with the 10 largest Christian populations.

To put it another way, more than half (52%) of the world’s Christians live in countries other than those with the 10 largest Christian populations, while this is true for just over a third (35%) of the world’s Muslims. In absolute terms, there are twice as many Christians (1.2 billion) as there are Muslims (609 million) living in countries that are not on their religion’s top 10 list.

A number of the countries with the world’s 10 largest Muslim or Christian populations also have large (and in some cases, larger) populations of other faith groups. In India, which has the second-largest Muslim population, Islam is a minority religion (making up 15% of the country’s population) and Hinduism is the majority faith. Nigeria, which has the sixth-largest Christian population in the world (87 million), also has the world’s fifth-largest Muslim population (90 million).

In addition, the lists illustrate the extent to which the population centers for these religions have moved away from their historical and traditional hubs. The countries with the five highest Muslim populations are all in South and Southeast Asia or in sub-Saharan Africa, rather than the Middle East; and the countries with the three highest Christian populations are in the Americas rather than in the Middle East or Europe.

Overall, there are about 2.3 billion Christians in the world and 1.8 billion Muslims. That gap is expected to narrow by 2060, when Pew Research Center projects there will be 3 billion Christians and nearly 3 billion Muslims. That’s because Muslims, on average, are younger and have more children than do Christians.

In 2060, the share of the world’s Muslims living in the countries with the 10 largest Muslim populations is expected to be slightly lower than it is today (60% vs. 65%). Meanwhile, the share of Christians living in the 10 countries with the highest Christian populations is expected to remain the same (48%).

The 2060 lists for Muslims and Christians are also expected to change in other ways. By 2060, India is expected to supplant Indonesia as the country with the largest Muslim population. Still, India’s Muslim population will remain a minority religious group (19%) in the Hindu-majority country.

The country with the highest Christian population, the United States, is expected to remain in that position in 2060. Lower down on the list, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya are expected to be added, while Russia, Germany and China will fall out of the top 10.

Correction: This post has been updated to reflect that the United States is expected to remain the country with the highest Christian population in 2060.

“Scandals do not hurt until the scandals do not hurt …” This is what Pope Francis says, the priests and the most committed laymen comment on it, the press expands it as irrigation, not infrequently very yellow and indolent:  sexual scandals hit the Church. You have to accept it and face it. Justice must be done. Certainly. But which? In what way? If the pain only leads to revenge, revenge and the search for mere compensation of money and the classic: “to rot in jail.” We have not advanced much in humanity, little we learn from our wounds. True pain seeks to open the way to healing, to compassion, both for the victim and for the victimizer, with all the differences of the case, but not without those differences differentiating the way of doing justice.

One thing is certain, these events call us to live with greater transparency, to finally say goodbye to all kinds of concealment, but that does not mean losing respect for people, for those who are wrong and for the victims of such misunderstandings. In addition, every situation needs your discernment, analyze the causes, personal and structural, and therefore clarify the responsibilities in each of those dimensions.

By omission or by the commission the Church, in its persons and structures, has to assume the various responsibilities. Personal responsibilities are easier to identify and confront. There remains the challenge of undertaking profound structural reforms in the Church, both in formation for ordained ministry and in the very form that this ministry should have in the light of the gospel and the signs of the times. If the Church, which considers itself pro-follower of the life and praxis of Jesus Christ, is not a school of freedom and transparency, of authenticity and of personal and structural truth, if she as an institution, in all its institutions, does not kneel looking for forgiveness and is placed on the path of reconciliation and liberating transformation, how can you ask others to do so? And for this reason, letters, homilies or declarations are not enough, we must move on to actions that are coherent with this spirit.

The scandal is not blushing and saying how this could happen to “us”, but rather to grieve because “this” has happened to us, and “this” we cannot let it be only past but it must be learning from the present and impulse of integral changes to the future.  It is not a matter of just bleaching out and being condemned people and, worst of all, abandoning them to the court of the times that often reeks of revenge and opportunism.

In the expectation apparently of some official document on the part of the Pope, on the care or protection of minors, we predict not only a preventive and/or punitive prescription on these “cases”, but we also hope with critical and sapiential lucidity to be able to find lines that point to a comprehensive reform of assuming in the Church sexuality, human maturity and the path of configuration and ministerial formation.

New York State Senator Kevin Thomas, an Indian-American Senator in the Empire State, is sponsoring a bill that establishes school holidays for people of Hindu, Muslim and Sikh faiths among others. The bill identifies Diwali, Vaisakhi, Onam, Eid al Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Good Friday, and calls for amending the current list of cultural/religious school holidays for the whole state rather than the current restricted areas where Diwali is recognized.

However, it is not all encompassing, and allows school districts with population equal to or greater than seven and half percent of those cultural/religious groups to declare these days as holidays.

Currently, New York City schools recognize the Chinese Lunar new Year (Feb. 5, 2019), and Eid al-Fitr (June 4, 2019), but the demand for Diwali was not accepted despite a push by the Indian-American community last year, according to Suhag Shukla, executive director of Hindu American Foundation.

“It’s about time our diverse population gets the opportunity to celebrate its holidays,” Sen. Thomas told the media. Sen. Thomas however, wants these cultural and religious festivals to be recognized state-wide. How successful he will be is not clear, though the movement within the community for such school days has been growing. “Parents call and ask us what to do to get Diwali off for their kids,” Shukla said. “We advise them to work with the district to get it on the school calendar,” she added.

Senator Thomas introduced bill, S4038 which “Relates to establishing certain cultural and religious observances as school holidays,” on Feb. 26. and through it he wants to enable students from different religious and cultural backgrounds to celebrate their traditional festivities with their family and community, the text of the bill says.

Pope Francis ended a landmark Vatican meeting on clerical sexual abuse by calling “for an all-out battle against the abuse of minors” and insisting that the church needed to protect children “from ravenous wolves.”

But for all the vivid language and the vow “to combat this evil that strikes at the very heart of our mission,” the pope’s speech was short on the sort of detailed battle plan demanded by many Catholics around the world.

Francis had barely finished speaking before some abuse victims and other frustrated faithful began expressing outrage and disappointment at his failure to outline immediate and concrete steps to address the problem.

“Pope Francis’ talk today was a stunning letdown, a catastrophic misreading of the grief and outrage of the faithful,” said Anne Barrett Doyle, a leader of BishopAccountability.org, which tracks incidents of abuse in the church. “As the world’s Catholics cry out for concrete change, the pope instead provides tepid promises, all of which we’ve heard before.”

Pope Francis had raised expectations for a policy breakthrough in September when he summoned the presidents of the world’s local bishops conferences to participate in the meeting.

Abuse victims and their advocates held high hopes that Francis, who seemed in the last year to overcome his own blind spots on an issue on which he had repeatedly stumbled, would use his absolute authority to institute a church-wide law dismissing abusive priests and the bishops who cover up for them.

He did not. Instead, with the abuse scandals threatening the credibility of his papacy, the pope decided that the best way for the church to address the problem lay not in issuing an edict from Rome but in setting out to change the hearts and minds of church leaders at the local level around the world.

The pope used the meeting to try to persuade skeptical bishops to take strong action against abusive clerics and to hold themselves accountable for protecting the faithful in their dioceses, rather than simply changing church law himself.

The prelates who organized the summit argued that any papal edicts might fall flat or fade away with Francis’ papacy. In their view, what is required is a broad cultural shift and an acknowledgment of the problem, especially in Latin American, African and Asian countries, where the future of the church lies.

 “At the end of the day, it is the change of heart that is important,” Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Vatican’s leading sex-crimes investigator, said on Sunday afternoon.

The Rev. Hans Zollner, another leader in the church’s efforts to safeguard children, said the church had made a “leap” forward by getting at the “systemic roots” of the scandal. But he acknowledged that it would take more time and energy to “turn a big ship around.”

This focus on the spiritual evolution of bishops, and on the importance of getting them to work together to tackle sexual abuse, was a letdown to those who had hoped the pope would act boldly, drawing on his own authority.

“The pope is the sole legislator, so he could make this change whenever he wants,” said Nicholas P. Cafardi, a prominent canon lawyer in the United States. “Zero tolerance should be universal law, and the Holy Father can do it himself.”

After the pope’s speech, the Vatican did announce that some specific steps that would be taken soon. One was described by church officials as a toughening up of child-protection laws within the Vatican’s boundaries. They also spoke of a “very brief” handbook for bishops to understand their duties when it comes to abuse cases, and of new task forces of experts and canon lawyers to assist bishops in countries with less experience and resources. But those limited measures had already been developed before the summit, and were not shaped by the meeting, Vatican officials said.

The pope’s bishop-focused approach carries real risks both for him and the church he leads. While Vatican officials believe it is the right course, it is one in which change may come more slowly than the faithful in some countries ravaged by the abuse crisis have begun to demand.

The Roman Catholic Church has been devastated, and Francis’ legacy threatened, by a cascade of investigations by civil authorities into clerical sexual abuse. There have also been accusations from within his own hierarchy that he covered up the misconduct of a top prelate, Theodore McCarrick, a former cardinal and archbishop of Washington who has been defrocked.

Pope Francis has begun to be unsparing in the language he uses to describe the problem. On Sunday, he compared the abuse of minors to “sacrificing human beings, frequently children, in pagan rites.”

“Consecrated persons, chosen by God to guide souls to salvation, let themselves be dominated by their human frailty or sickness and thus become tools of Satan,” he said. “In abuse, we see the hand of the evil that does not spare even the innocence of children. No explanations suffice for these abuses involving children.”

But high-profile cases involving the negligence by bishops, the abuse of nuns and other misconduct added to the pressure on Francis to do more than just talk.

Francis had sought to tamp down expectations about the Vatican meeting, fostered by some of his own bishops, that the conference would deliver instant remedies to end the scourge. He said the meeting was intended to educate all the bishops on the gravity of the problem of sexual abuse. Still, at times, the four-day summit did seem like a significant turning point for the church.

Outside the Vatican walls, abuse survivors marched and held rolling news conferences. Inside, at sessions presided over by Pope Francis himself, the world’s top bishops, clad in their black cassocks and purple sashes, listened every day to the brutal testimony of abuse survivors — many of whom spoke about the indifference and complicity of church leaders like them. A Nigerian nun excoriated them for their hypocritical silence and lack of transparency.

In a bid to improve relations with the news media, the organizers invited a veteran Vatican reporter from Mexico to address the gathering. “If you do not decide in a radical way to be on the side of the children, mothers, families, civil society, you are right to be afraid of us,” said the reporter, Valentina Alazraki. And if they remain in denial, she said, honest reporters “will be your worst enemies.”

However frustrated many of the faithful were by the meeting, high-ranking church officials said it had achieved a positive outcome.

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said on Saturday that he was “very pleased,” even if specific action still needed to be determined. At first, Cardinal DiNardo said, some countries did not want to admit that they had the same problems as the United States, Cardinal DiNardo said. But in the end, he said, he was impressed with the consensus that developed. “This went far better than I think some of us had hoped,” he said. “Now you have the bishops all saying it’s ubiquitous.”

Chicago IL: Addressing more than 300 Jain community members of Chicago area during the Federation of Jain Association in North America (JAINA) meets the Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago (JSMC) event. JAINA convention leaders and board members visited JSMC to promote upcoming JAINA Convention 2019 (July 4-7) at Ontario, California.

Convener of JAINA Convention 2019 and First Vice President of JAINA, Mr. Mahesh Wadher of Southern California, proudly explained the theme “Celebrating Jain Religion in 21st Century” and conveyed that attendees will have everlasting impression of JAINA and a unique immersion into Self-Realization with Education, Entertainment and Inspiration. Mr. Wadher laid out his vision of sole focus on volunteerism with an eye on comfort and convenience of the attendees that would set a new benchmark for future conventions.

Convention Co-convener, Dr. Nitin Shah of Los Angeles, mentioned that the planning for the JAINA 2019 Ontario convention started over a year ago with the creation of various committees and their leads. In October 2018, when 200+ volunteers met face-to-face for the first time at Ontario Convention Center, all were pleasantly inspired with the energy and enthusiasm in the room and everybody’s willingness to help make this the best JAINA convention for the attendees.

JSMC Chairman Board of Trustees and JAINA convention Board member, Mr. Atul Shah told JSMC members that Chicago community has one of the highest registrations in this convention next to CA registrations.

Mr. Dipak Doshi & Mr. Hemant Shah of Chicago, both past Chairman of JSMC and also Committee Chairs of JAINA and Public Relations and Media; announced Convention’s distinguished Keynote Speakers and shared how keeping the Jain Philosophy of Ahimsa, Anekantvad & Aparigrah in the forefront, Programming Committee has assembled world renowned speakers who would inspire through their insightful speeches on the topics of Seva, Satsang, Samarpan, Sadhana, Self-Realization, Current World Challenges, and many other topics.

Among Keynote Speakers; Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev – Yogi, mystic and author involved in social outreach and environmental initiatives; Tulsi Gabbard – First Hindu US Representative from the State of Hawaii; Ingrid Newkirk – President of “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals” (PETA); Philip Wollen – Animal right activist; ISKCON Monk Gaur Gopal Das – a Motivational Speaker, Life Coach and Engineer and Nipun Mehta – Founder of Servicespace.org, a volunteer based non-profit.

There are 80+ distinguished speakers including Jain Sadhu-Sadhvis, Professors, Doctors, Scientists, Authors, Swadhyaykars, Jain Scholars and Spiritual Guides; such as: Acharya Shri Chandanaji – Founder of Veerayatan and First Jain Sadhvi to receive the title of Acharya; Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni – Social reformer, thinker, writer, poet; Acharya Namra Muniji (via live video conference) – A revolutionary saint with extraordinary dynamism; Gurudev Shri Rakeshbhai Jhaveri – Spiritual Leader and Founder of Shrimad Rajchandra Mission, Dharampur, India; Saman Shrutpragyaji – One of the most articulate and charismatic young spiritual leaders of the new generation!

First time attendees can expect to see the largest gathering of Jains in North America and partake in networking opportunities, over 5,000 Square feet of Jain Temple to be created at Ontario convention center for daily prayers of 24 Tirthankars, concurrent talks on various topics including – Religion, Jain way of life, Ecology, Cruelty Free Products, and Exhibit Space with over 50+ vendors.

One of the significant youth education and development initiative is a team-based competition, Jain Academic Bowl (JAB), launched first about a decade ago.  JAB is a jeopardy style vocabulary game in which young Jains compete with other teams. Topics range from Jain religion, scriptures, prayers, and philosophy to Jain geography, history, and a Jain Way of Life in the modern world.

JSMC President and Convention Committee “Jains Got Talent” (JGT) Chair, Mr. Vipul Shah, mentioned that, as the sun comes down, the entertainment will amaze you! Each night will be a night of excitement with music and dance till wee hours of the night. On Thursday night, Parth Doshi, Kalpesh Kharwa and Shilpi Paul will lead into the traditional Raas-Garba with their melodious singing.

The Cultural Program “One World, One Rhythm”, will rock with in a non-stop music, dance, and drama performances by artists of all ages on Friday night.

 The JGT competition participants will showcase some of their enactments on Saturday night followed by an enthralling “Bollywood Night” show conducted by Rex D’souza, Mauli Dave and Sunny Jadhav.

JSMC General Secretary and Convention “Jain Connect” Chair, Mr. Piyush Gandhi, introduced Jain Connect as a new perspective on how to make, build, and retain genuine connections in the real world for Jain youths age 21 to 42. Whether you’re looking to make new friends, new business connections, or find a special someone, Jain Connect will be using variety of tools to get to know you better and help you meet other convention attendees. Special sessions will be held specifically for Jain Connect registrants focused on communication, relationships and marriage in the 21st century. If you plan on attending these events, then please register for both JAINA and Jain Connect.

JSMC Board of Trustees and Convention food committee Chair, Mr. Hitesh Shah, mentioned that, this time all the meals are going to be served by BAPS of California. He also added that, the JAINA Convention volunteers are working very hard to make sure all the attendees from various parts of the world will get something out of the 4 days of spiritual and cultural programs.

Being featured for the first time in JAINA convention history and hence unique to this convention are; Shatavdhan – Jaynesh Jain will demonstrate his ability and talent to memorize 100 questions, objects, or statements asked by a live audience. He will recall these questions, and even answer them as per his ability, in any order or sequence. Art Workshop – Kartik Trivedi, the famous artist whose impressionist paintings are hanging in world famous galleries and accepted by Late President Ronald Regan, President Bill Clinton and French President Francoise Mitterand, offer a hands-on 3-hour art workshop. Jain Yoga – Shanti Parakh, an internationally known Yoga teacher, Reflexologist, Metaphysician and Healer, will conduct morning Yoga sessions on July 5th and 6th. He has created a series of Aasanas based on the Lanchhans of the 24 Tirthankars such as Halasana for bull – the lanchhan of Rishabhdev; Gajasana for Elephant – the lanchhan of Ajitnath, etc.

While in Southern California, attendees can get the most out of their trip by extending their stay and taking one of the many tours available. i.e. Disneyland Tour, Universal Studios and Los Angeles City Tour, Las Vegas and Grand Canyon 3 days or Day Tour of San Diego City and Sea World.

 To get the benefit of early bird pricing, Register now at www.jainaconvention.org. For Further Information, please contact: Mr. Dipak Doshi, Chair of Public Relations and Media Committee of 2019 JAINA Convention at dipakginni@gmail.com or Co-Chairs, Mr. Hemant Shah at hemantil@yahoo.com or Dr. Manoj Jain at mjainmd1@gmail.com.

Founded in 1981, JAINA is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt non-profit organization.  JAINA (www.jaina.org) is the umbrella organization of 70+ North American centers / temples in the USA and Canada.  Operated by a staff of hundreds of volunteers, it functions as a philanthropic, educational, and service-focused organization.  JAINA is certified by USAID as a non-governmental humanitarian organization and was awarded Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations in 2006.  Its member Jain Centers routinely organize free wellness clinics, hold classes on healthy lifestyles, conflict-resolution, inter-cultural dialogues, volunteering at animal shelters, food banks and homeless shelters, and partnering with civic groups such as Habitat for Humanity, the Humane Society, Rotary, Lions and Boy/Girl Scouts.  JAINA partners globally with humanitarian organizations to render disaster relief, medical aid, polio eradication, restorative limb camps, as well as organizing annual Legislative Conferences on Peace, Harmony and Non-Violence on Capitol Hill.

For thousands of years, Jains have believed in meditation, yoga, compassion for animals, vegetarianism, environmentalism, equal rights for women, respect for other cultures and forgiveness, among other virtues. Lord Mahavir, born in 599 BC in Bihar, India, is stated to be the last known perfect Jain soul to have attained “Nirvana”. Jainism emphasizes non-violence by encouraging amity, compassion, appreciation, and equanimity. The three jewels of Jainism are – Right Faith, Right Knowledge, and Right Conduct. It emphasizes the equality of both sexes and respect for all life forms. It encourages kindness and tolerance for multiple points of view, some of which may even appear to be contrary to other.  The convention will highlight these topics along with devotion, compassion, and transformation and create opportunities for dialogues on global issues and the role that Jainism can play in mitigating them.

Have living things always existed in their present form, or did they evolve? And if evolution occurred, was a divine hand at play?

Measuring public opinion on evolution has never been an easy task for survey researchers. With Americans’ views on the topic tapping into the highly charged realms of religious conviction and scientific knowledge, question wording becomes extremely important. For this reason, in recent years, Pew Research Center has experimented with different ways of asking about evolution and studied whether these variations affect the public’s responses. And because they do, the Center is moving toward a revised wording.

First, a bit of survey history: For a decade and a half, the Center asked Americans what they believe about the origins of humankind, most often in a two-step process. An initial question asked respondents whether they think humans and other living things have evolved over time – in line with Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution – or whether they believe humans have existed in their present form since the beginning of time, as in the Book of Genesis’ creation story. Those who said they accept the idea of evolution then have been asked a second question: whether they think evolution has occurred due to natural processes such as natural selection, or due to processes that were guided or allowed by God.

Recently, however, the Center conducted a survey in which respondents were randomly assigned to be asked about evolution in one of two different ways. Half of the respondents were asked about evolution in a two-step process much like the one described above. The other half of respondents were asked a single question about their views on evolution and given three response options: “Humans have evolved over time due to processes such as natural selection; God or a higher power had no role in this process”; “Humans have evolved over time due to processes that were guided or allowed by God or a higher power”; or “Humans have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.”

The data show that respondents in the latter group (those who receive a single question with three options) are more likely than those in the former group to say evolution has occurred. Overall, eight-in-ten in the single-question group say humans have evolved over time (and just 18% say humans have always existed in their present form), while only two-thirds of those who receive the older, two-step approach say humans have evolved (and 31% express the creationist view).

Put more simply, our estimate of the share of Americans who reject evolution and express a creationist view drops considerably (from 31% to 18% of U.S. adults) when respondents are immediately given the opportunity to say God played a role in human evolution. The effect of the different question wording is especially pronounced among white evangelical Protestants and black Protestants.

The experimental findings illustrate why testing multiple ways of asking about evolution is necessary and important. For some people, views about the origins and development of human life are bound up with deeply held religious beliefs. Pew Research Center’s goal in designing questions on this topic is to allow respondents to share their thoughts about both the scientific theory of evolution and God’s role in the creation and development of life on Earth – and to do so in a way that does not force respondents to choose between science and religion. Indeed, the data show that many Americans believe that life on Earth has evolved over time AND that God or a supreme being played some role in the evolutionary process.

In the future, Pew Research Center intends to use this new, three-option approach to asking about evolution in much of its U.S.-based survey research – though the older, two-step approach may continue to work well in certain international contexts (for example, in countries where views about evolution are less closely bound up with religious beliefs than is the case in the U.S.) or for monitoring long-term trends in the United States. The results of the new experiment indicate that there are some people who do believe that humans have evolved over time, but who, for whatever reason, did not say so in our traditional method of asking about the topic. Perhaps without the opportunity to immediately connect evolution to God, some religious respondents may be concerned that expressing belief in evolution places them uncomfortably on the secular side of a cultural divide.

The results of the survey also show that devising survey questions that enable respondents to register nuance in their views about these subjects is very important – and very challenging. Prior to this most recent experiment, the Center tested various versions of the two-step process to asking about evolution. In one line of testing, we varied the survey context (that is, the questions that immediately precede the evolution questions). In another line of testing, we varied whether the questions asked about the evolution of “humans and other living things” or “animals and other living things.”

What follows below is a brief history of the way the Center has asked about evolution.

Testing the effect of asking about belief in God

The first time Pew Research Center asked about evolution, in 2005, the evolution questions were preceded with up to two questions about belief in God. Respondents were asked whether they believe in God, a higher power or universal spirit (but not God), or neither God nor a higher power or universal spirit. Those who said they believe in God or a higher power were asked if they believe that this entity “was responsible for the creation of life on Earth.”

Then, all respondents were asked the following question, which included the wording that would become our core language for evolution questions over the next decade: “Some people think that humans and other living things have evolved over time. Others think that humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time. Which of these comes closest to your view?”

If respondents said humans and other livings things have evolved over time, they were asked another question: “And do you think that humans and other living things have evolved due to natural processes such as natural selection, or [do you think that] a supreme being guided the evolution of living things for the purpose of creating humans and other life in the form it exists today?” The latter choice in this question provided what many view as middle ground in the evolution debate, a worldview encompassing both evolution and God, which to some degree aligns with what has been called “intelligent design.”

Why begin a survey module about evolution with questions about belief in God? Researchers were concerned that questions about evolution may have become so caught up in contentious debates about religion, culture and politics that simply asking about evolution outright might lead to erroneous results. Religious people who believe both that evolution has occurred and that God played a role in it might nevertheless – when asked cold – choose the creationist option simply as a way of registering their belief that God exists, and not because they truly reject evolution. Without having first been given the chance to stipulate that they believe God exists and played a role in the creation of life on Earth, some respondents may have seen it as socially undesirable to say they believe humans have evolved over time.

Overall, the 2005 survey found that roughly half of U.S. adults said humans have evolved over time, including 26% who said evolution was due to natural processes, and 18% who said it was guided by a supreme being. Four-in-ten said humans have existed in their present form since the beginning of time, and an additional 10% either were not sure or declined to answer the question.

The following year, the Center again explored people’s views on evolution. The 2006 survey included an experimental test of the premise that asking about belief in God would affect respondents’ answers to the ensuing questions on evolution. Half of the survey’s respondents were randomly assigned to receive the belief-in-God questions before the evolution questions, while the other half of respondents did not receive the belief-in-God questions.

Analysis of the data showed that respondents answered the evolution question series similarly, regardless of whether they were first asked about their belief in God. Since the experimental test showed that asking about belief in God had no impact on the way respondents answer questions about evolution, all Pew Research Center surveys conducted since 2006 have omitted the introductory questions measuring beliefs about God.

Hints of greater acceptance of evolution in 2009; subsequent surveys find stable views after 2009

The Center asked a very similar, two-step battery of evolution questions three years later. The survey results appeared to show an increase of 10 percentage points in the share of Americans who say they believe evolution has occurred, from 51% in 2006 to 61% in 2009. However, researchers were concerned that responses to the 2009 question may have been influenced by the fact that the entire 2009 survey was about scientific topics.

Specifically, people who are most interested in scientific topics may have been more likely to participate in the survey. Such individuals may also believe in evolution at higher rates than those who are not so interested in scientific topics, thus inflating the survey’s estimate of the share of the public that believes evolution has occurred.

It is also possible that a slight change to the wording of the question between 2006 and 2009 could have affected the results. In 2005 and 2006, the first question in the series read as follows: “Some people think that humans and other living things have evolved over time. Others think that humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time. Which of these comes closest to your view?” Beginning in 2009, the question was simplified to ask “Which comes closer to your view? Humans and other living things have evolved over time, OR humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.”1 The original wording may have lent equal legitimacy to both viewpoints by telling respondents that there are people on both sides of the debate; this may have nudged some to the creationist response.

As a result of the different survey context and the slight change in question wording, Pew Research Center did not report the 2009 results as the continuation of a trend that began in 2005. Instead, the earlier results were included alongside the 2009 findings only as a “trend for comparison” – as an indication that there may have been some change in sentiment between 2006 and 2009, but without making a direct, apples-to-apples estimate of the magnitude of the change.

Between 2013 and 2014, Pew Research Center asked the two-step evolution question series four more times. On all four occasions, the share of those who said they believe humans have evolved over time fell between 60% and 65%.

Belief in evolution among religious and demographic groups

In the 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study (the last telephone survey in which the Center asked the traditional, two-step series of questions about evolution), the data show that belief in evolution is more common among college graduates (73%) than among those with lower levels of educational attainment (62% among those with some college education, 53% among those with a high school diploma or less education). Belief in evolution is also more prevalent among young people (72% among adults under the age of 30) than among older adults (52% among those ages 65 and older), and somewhat more common among men than women (65% vs. 58%).

Among religious groups, belief in evolution peaks among self-described atheists (95% of whom say they believe humans and other living things have evolved over time) and agnostics (96%). Roughly eight-in-ten or more Buddhists (86%), Jews (81%) and Hindus (80%) also say they believe in evolution, as do smaller majorities of Catholics (66%) and mainline Protestants (65%) – though members of these Christian traditions are much more likely than religiously unaffiliated people and members of most non-Christian faiths to say they believe God played a role in guiding the evolutionary process.

Among members of evangelical Protestant denominations, the balance of opinion leans in the opposite direction – 57% of evangelicals said in the 2014 telephone survey that humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time, compared with 38% who said they believe humans have evolved over time. And members of historically black Protestant denominations were divided about evenly between those who believe in evolution (50%) and those who do not (45%). Statistical analysis shows that evangelicals and people who belong to historically black Protestant denominations are less likely than those in many other religious groups to believe in evolution even after accounting for different levels of educational attainment.

As noted at the outset of this report, our recent experiment found that including an immediate option to link God to evolution makes a substantial difference in the responses given by white evangelicals and black Protestants. For details, see “How highly religious Americans view evolution depends on how they’re asked about it.”

Testing beliefs about the evolution of humans vs. the evolution of animals

In 2013, Pew Research Center experimented with the wording of the standard question about evolution. A random group of respondents was asked about the evolution of “humans and other living things,” while other respondents were asked about the evolution of “animals and other living things.”

The survey found that white evangelical Protestants were more likely to say animals and other living things have evolved over time (41%) than they were to say the same about humans (27%). Among white mainline Protestants, the opposite was true: More said humans evolved (78%) than animals (66%). The experiment found no significant differences in the way black Protestants, Catholics and religiously unaffiliated respondents answered the questions.

Concluding observations

Taken together, the findings presented here show that asking questions about the origin and development of life on Earth can be a complicated undertaking – perhaps especially in a country like the United States, where the public’s attitudes about the scientific theory of evolution often are bound up with their religious convictions. What may seem like small differences in question wording can have a major impact on survey estimates of the share of the public that believes in a naturalistic account of human development, a creationist view or something in between – an evolutionary process guided or at least allowed by God or a supreme being. Pew Research Center has been committed to innovation on these kinds of questions to try to capture public opinion in its full complexity, and the Center will continue to experiment and report the results transparently.

Chicago IL: Telugu Association of Greater Chicago (TAGC- First Telugu association in North America) celebrated Makara Sankranti and India Republic Day with Chicago land area Telugu families at the HTGC Rama Temple Auditorium, Lemont IL 60439.The event was a grand success with an overwhelming response from the Telugu community with over 1100 guests in attendance. The event was conducted on 26th January, 2019 from 2:30PM to 10PM. TAGC Board decided to do this event with all local talent promoting the Telugu culture, traditions and encouraged youth to preserve traditions.

TAGC President Ramu Billakanti garu welcomed and wished good health, prosperity and wealth to TAGC Members and all Telugu People across the globe. President garu recognized and thanked all Sponsors, Volunteers and encouraged to take membership by all attendees. According to Membership committee chair Mr. Venkat Gunuganti, the Event received tremendous positive response with over 1100 people attending from distant places even when the day saw negative temperatures with 4-5inch snow. Cultural Head Uma Avadhuta mentioned that the event showcased 36 programs with over 340 participants.

Event Started with Lighting Lamp by Ramu Billakanti (President), Venkat Gunuganti (Secretary), Praveen Vemulapalli (President-Elect), Uma Avadhuta (Cultural Chair & Jt Secretary) and other board members. It then followed by Lord Ganesha prayer and several programs & shows designed around Sankranthi and Republic Day Theme. Each and Every program thoroughly entertained audience and several of them shared great feedback with the board members. Chicago Local singers entertained with variety of songs which were liked by all sections of the audience. Sever Kids went on to the stage and started dancing to their songs.

Audience were enthusiastic to see all decorations throughout the Auditorium. Bommalla Koluvu, Kite decoration, Harvest Crop theme were special attractions according to Decorations Committee Chair Mrs. Vani Yetrintala. She thanked Saumya Bojja who did all the decoration work for TAGC. There was also a competition (Muggula potti) on Sankranthi theme and winners were given Prizes. There was also a Mehendi or Gorintaku FREE for all TAGC Members. TAGC Sankranti cultural Celebration also included delicious dinner that included 10 items which includes Medhu Vada, Pongal, Pulav Rice, Phool Makhani curry, Pizza for kids. Several Volunteers led by Food Chair Mr. Parameshwara Yarasani has streamlined the process and provided food for more than 1100 guests within an hour. TAGC Board thanked Bawarchi restaurant for providing a tasty and delicious food at a nominal price

Few Highlights at the Event
· Sankranti village backdrop Decoration by Saumya Bojja
· Free Gorintaaku (Mehindi) for TAGC Members
· Muggulapoteelu – Sarees for Winners
· 30 Kids Fashion Show around Sankranthi Theme
· Musical Performances by Chicago Singers Kaasyap Boddapati, Archana Vuppulancha and Madhuri Durga
· Festive delicacies (Pongal Rice) by Bawarchi Biryanis Naperville

All the board members, various committee chairs/co-chairs, volunteers under the direction of the current President Mr. Ramu Billakanti worked hard with dedication, passion and great enthusiasm to make TAGC 2019 first event grand successful and memorable with festive experience to guests and participants who attended the event. Youth Volunteers helped in the event in membership validation, ticket distribution and Food serving. The event was helped by several volunteers which help in smooth execution

Finally, TAGC President Ramu Billakanti thanked and congratulated Cultural Committee Chair Uma Avadhuta, Co- chairs Neelima Cheikyacharla, Archana Reddy Podduturi, Madhavi Kondam, Secretary Venkat Gunuganti, Presient Elect Praveen Vemulapalli, Treasurer Vijay Beeram, Jt Treasurer Ranga Reddy Lenkala, EC Member Anji Reddy Kandimalla, Food Committee Chair parameshware Yarasani, Decoration Chair Vani Yetrintala, Hospitality Chair Swetha Janamanchi, Board Members Srinivas Kandru, Sampath Sangem, Santosh Konduri, Rohit Akula, Naveen Aduma, Eeshwar Gumidyala, Manasa Lattupally, Bindu Gongati, all the MC’s (Shantan Toodi, Laxminarayana Ponnaganti, Radha Krishna Kotrakonda and Pranathi Kaligotla), Singers and Several TAGC Volunteers.

People who are active in religious congregations tend to be happier and more civically engaged than either religiously unaffiliated adults or inactive members of religious groups, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of survey data from the United States and more than two dozen other countries.

Religiously active people also tend to smoke and drink less, but they are not healthier in terms of exercise frequency and rates of obesity. Nor, in most countries, are highly religious people more likely to rate themselves as being in very good overall health – though the U.S. is among the possible exceptions.

Many previous studies have found positive associations between religion and health in the United States. Researchers have shown, for example, that Americans who regularly attend religious services tend to live longer.1 Other studies have focused on narrower health benefits, such as how religion may help breast cancer patients cope with stress. On the other hand, there are also studies that have not found a robust relationship between religion and better health in the U.S., and even some studies that have shown negative relationships, such as higher rates of obesity among highly religious Americans. (For more on previous studies of religion and health, see this sidebar.)

Taking a broad, international approach to this complicated topic, Pew Research Center researchers set out to determine whether religion has clearly positive, negative or mixed associations with eight different indicators of individual and societal well-being available from international surveys conducted over the past decade. Specifically, this report examines survey respondents’ self-assessed levels of happiness, as well as five measures of individual health and two measures of civic participation.2

By dividing people into three categories, the study also seeks to isolate whether religious affiliation or religious participation – or both, or neither – is associated with happiness, health and civic engagement. The three categories are: “Actively religious,” made up of people who identify with a religious group and say they attend services at least once a month (sometimes called “actives”); “inactively religious,” defined as those who claim a religious identity but attend services less often (also called “inactives”); and “religiously unaffiliated,” people who do not identify with any organized religion (sometimes called “nones”).3

This analysis finds that in the U.S. and many other countries around the world, regular participation in a religious community clearly is linked with higher levels of happiness and civic engagement (specifically, voting in elections and joining community groups or other voluntary organizations). This may suggest that societies with declining levels of religious engagement, like the U.S., could be at risk for declines in personal and societal well-being. But the analysis finds comparatively little evidence that religious affiliation, by itself, is associated with a greater likelihood of personal happiness or civic involvement.

Moreover, there is a mixed picture on the five health measures. In the U.S. and elsewhere, actively religious people are less likely than others to engage in certain behaviors that are sometimes viewed as sinful, such as smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol. But religious activity does not have a clear association with how often people exercise or whether they are obese. And, after adjusting for differences in age, education, income and other factors, there is no statistical link between being actively religious and being in better self-reported overall health in any of the 26 countries and territories studied except Taiwan, Mexico and the United States.4

Even in the U.S., the strength of the linkage between religion and health varies, depending on measures and datasets used. For example, in some years, the General Social Survey has shown that religiously affiliated people who go to church or other religious services at least once a month are particularly likely to report that they are in excellent overall health, while in other recent years this has not been the case. (See sidebar on the United States).

The exact nature of the connections between religious participation, happiness, civic engagement and health remains unclear and needs further study. While the data presented in this report indicate that there are links between religious activity and certain measures of well-being in many countries, the numbers do not prove that going to religious services is directly responsible for improving people’s lives. Rather, it could be that certain kinds of people tend to be active in multiple types of activities (secular as well as religious), many of which may provide physical or psychological benefits.5 Moreover, such people may be more active partly because they are happier and healthier, rather than the other way around. (For more information about what may be causing these links, see this sidebar.)

Whatever the explanation may be, more than one-third of actively religious U.S. adults (36%) describe themselves as very happy, compared with just a quarter of both inactive and unaffiliated Americans. Across 25 other countries for which data are available, actives report being happier than the unaffiliated by a statistically significant margin in almost half (12 countries), and happier than inactively religious adults in roughly one-third (nine) of the countries.

The gaps are often striking: In Australia, for example, 45% of actively religious adults say they are very happy, compared with 32% of inactives and 33% of the unaffiliated. And there is no country in which the data show that actives are significantly less happy than others (though in many countries, there is not much of a difference between the actives and everyone else).

When it comes to measuring civic participation, the results again follow a pattern: On balance, people who are actively religious are also more likely to be active in voluntary and community groups. This dovetails with previous studies in the United States.6

In the U.S., 58% of actively religious adults say they are also active in at least one other (nonreligious) kind of voluntary organization, including charity groups, sports clubs or labor unions. Only about half of all inactively religious adults (51%) and fewer than half of the unaffiliated (39%) say the same.7

A similar pattern appears in many other countries for which data are available: Actively religious adults tend to be more involved in voluntary organizations. In 11 out of 25 countries analyzed outside of the U.S., actives are more likely than inactives to join community groups. And in seven of the countries, actively religious adults are more likely than those who are religiously unaffiliated to belong to voluntary organizations.

In addition, a higher percentage of actively religious adults in the United States (69%) say they always vote in national elections than do either inactives (59%) or the unaffiliated (48%).

Outside of the U.S., actively religious adults are more likely than “nones” to report voting in national elections in half the countries (12 out of 24) for which data on this measure are available; in the remaining countries, there is not much of a difference. Actives also are more likely than their inactive compatriots to say they vote in nine out of 24 countries, while the opposite is not true in any country for which data are available.8

These are among the key findings of a new analysis of data from cross-national surveys conducted since 2010 by Pew Research Center and two other organizations: the World Values Survey Association and the International Social Survey Programme. This report focuses on countries with sufficiently large populations of people who are actively religious, inactively religious and religiously unaffiliated to allow researchers to compare all three groups using the same survey data. As a result, the analysis cannot be truly global: 26 countries surveyed by the WVS are used to measure self-rated health, happiness and voluntary group participation; 25 countries, also surveyed by the WVS, are included for voting; and 19 countries surveyed by the ISSP are used to examine smoking, drinking alcohol, obesity and exercise. A Pew Research Center survey provides U.S. estimates for self-rated happiness. The countries analyzed are mostly Christian-majority nations in Europe and the Americas (because these countries tend to have substantial unaffiliated populations), though the analysis also includes a few African and Asian countries and territories, such as South Africa, South Korea and Japan.

An additional reason this study relies heavily on data from Christian-majority countries is that regular attendance at religious services – a key measure in this study – is a more central practice in some world religions (such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism) than in others (such as Hinduism or Buddhism, in which there is less emphasis on communal worship).

Pope Francis used one of his major annual Christmas speeches to offer some of his strongest words about this year’s heightened sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic church, telling guilty priests the church will not protect them and they should turn themselves in.

“To those who abuse minors I would say this: convert and hand yourself over to human justice, and prepare for divine justice,” Francis said in a speech at the Vatican on Friday.

Speaking to the Roman Curia — the central governing leadership of the Vatican — Francis described at length the sinfulness of priests who prey on children. “Often behind their boundless amiability, impeccable activity and angelic faces, they shamelessly conceal a vicious wolf ready to devour innocent souls,” he said, in remarks that drew often on the example of the sinful biblical King David. “Let it be clear that before these abominations the Church will spare no effort to do all that is necessary to bring to justice whosoever has committed such crimes. The church will never seek to hush up or not take seriously any case.”

Survivor advocates slammed Francis for focusing on priest-abusers rather than the leaders and system that protect them, while other Vatican observers praised his comments as a dramatic acknowledgment of the scope of the problem.

Francis’s call for abusers to turn themselves in “is silly. To command psychologically sick people to do the right thing? It’s also deceptive,” said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of Bishop Accountability, which documents abuse. “This speech represents a regression to the defense we heard from John Paul II, that the problem was with the perpetrators. We now know the more fundamental problem is with the complicit and deceptive hierarchy.”

Other church-watchers saw Francis’s comments as groundbreaking for implying a role for civil officials, not just the church, to hold priests accountable. “Francis has sought to drive a stake through the heart of a clericalist mentality in the Church that protected abusers,” wrote Christopher Lamb, an analyst for The Tablet, a progressive Catholic news site. Francis, he wrote Friday, is “ending an ‘in house’ approach to handling abuse.”

Francis acknowledged in his address the church has in the past “treated many cases without the seriousness and promptness that was due. That must never happen again. This is the choice and the decision of the whole church.”

He was speaking Friday morning to global leaders of a church that has seen abuse scandals break out on nearly every continent in recent years, from Australia to Chile to Ireland to the United States, plunging the church into fresh crisis. The Vatican has called a first-of-its-kind global meeting in February to address clergy sex abuse, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will soon hold a week-long spiritual retreatto address the topic.

In the U.S., two developments drew new attention the problem this summer: a major Pennsylvania grand jury report, which documented allegations of crimes by more than 300 priests involving about 1,000 children and inspired similar criminal and civil investigations in more than a dozen states; and the removal of ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick, a longtime leader in the church who was publicly accused this year of sexual misconduct toward minors and adults.

The U.S. bishops all convened in November for a meeting where they pledged to draft new policies for preventing abuse, but then they received a letter from the Vatican in the hours before the meeting began, telling them not to take any action. The bishops were stunned by the Vatican’s directive that they wait for a global meeting of bishops on the abuse crisis in February.

That February meeting, Francis promised in his Christmas speech, will make progress on the issue. He said the meeting will include experts on preventing child abuse. “An effort will be made to make past mistakes opportunities for eliminating this scourge,” he said. Advocates for victims, who have long criticized Francis’s handling of the issue, were skeptical.

“While refusing to reveal the name of one cleric who committed or concealed child sex crimes, Francis gives yet another promise about ending cover ups,” David Clohessy, the former director of the victims’ group SNAP, wrote in an email to reporters. “Just this week, in one US state alone, Illinois, we learned there are 500 accused priests whose identities are being protected by bishops. Across the globe, there must be tens of thousands . . . If he’s serious, Francis could show it by suspending all Illinois bishops until they ‘come clean’ or the attorney general’s investigation clears them of wrongdoing. The pope could end this reckless secrecy but just continues pontificating.”

A veteran Indian American civil rights attorney Anurima Bhargava has been appointed to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom by Speaker-Elect, California’s Congresswoman, Nancy Pelosi.

In a statement announcing the appointment, USCIRF chair Tenzin Dorjee said, “I commend Leader Pelosi for this superb appointment. With an impressive background and a demonstrated commitment to advocating for members of minority communities in the United States and abroad, Anurima Bhargava brings an important new perspective that will enhance the work of the Commission, especially on democratic India, with whom the United States has a long and proud relationship.”

“I very much look forward to working with her to advance the fundamental right of all people to exercise their freedom of religion or belief,” said Dorjee, who was also appointed to the Commission in 2016 by Pelosi, and re-appointed in May.

Bhargava is the founder and president of the Anthem of Us, an organization which aims to highlight civil rights issues in underserved communities through legal advocacy, and documentary films.

The Harvard alumnus, who earned her law degree at Columbia University, formerly served as the chief of the Educational Opportunities Section of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice during the Obama Administration. During her six-year tenure there, Bhargava led ant-discrimination efforts on school campuses including school segregation; school discipline and the school to prison pipeline; harassment and bullying; sexual assault; and protecting educational access and services for English Learner, LGBT and undocumented students.

She has served on numerous task forces and working groups, including the White House Task Force to Prevent Campus Sexual Assault and the Supportive School Discipline Initiative.

Bhargava has been an ardent opponent of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s attempts to roll back provisions protecting victims of rape on college campuses. DeVos has also issued a new set of proposed rules on Title IX regarding the responsibilities of primary and secondary schools, as well as universities, to address sexual assault and harassment.

Prior to joining the Justice Department, Bhargava served as the director of the Education Practice at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, where she was actively engaged in litigation and advocacy to expand educational access and opportunities for students of color, according to her Harvard profile. She previously worked at the New York City Department of Education and clerked in the Southern District of New York.

Bhargava has served as a fellow at the Open Society Foundations and at Harvard University. Before attending law school, Bhargava worked in India assisting women elected to local government. She has been a member of the Truman National Security Project and the Council on Foreign Relations.She was born and raised on the south side of Chicago.

Earlier this year, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, appointed Indian American businessman Andy Khawaja to the commission. Khawaja is the founder and chief executive officer of Allied Wallet. In 2016, a diplomatic kerfuffle occurred when India refused to issue visas to two USCIRF commissioners.

USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the president, the secretary of state, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief.

The Hindu American Foundation has launched a new campaign, “I Am Hindu American,” in a bid to improve awareness of the Hindu religion and Hindu Americans. The multi-platform initiative includes a social-media campaign, a 30-second public service announcement, and a companion website to provide resources about Hinduism and Hindu Indian Americans.

In collaboration with more than 300 community partners around the country, the PSA is being distributed through social media networks nationwide to boost awareness and clarify common stereotypes and misunderstandings about Hinduism, the organization stated in a press release.

The platform will be interactive, encouraging Hindu Americans to upload a photo of themselves and share how Hinduism inspires them in their everyday lives.

“There are many Hindu contributions to our daily lives: from yoga and meditation to the decimal system as well as an understanding of the law of cause and effect known as karma,” said the organization.

“The goal of the ‘I Am Hindu American’ campaign is to drive online conversation by putting a face on the Hindu American community. Despite the fact that Hindus are one of the most successful minority communities, knowledge about Hindus and Hinduism is very low among the US general public,” said Suhag Shukla, executive director and co-founder of HAF. “Our own data shows that one in three Hindu-American students report being bullied for their religious beliefs. Most of this is based on misperceptions about Hindus and we want to change that narrative.”

Pointing out to the statistics released earlier this month by the FBI, saying hate crime incidents reported to the FBI increased by about 17 percent in 2017 as compared to 2016, another goal of the “I Am Hindu American” campaign, said HAF, is to “educate about Hinduism during a period where the country has seen a rise in religious intolerance.”

Amid speculation that Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) will declare her presidential bid for 2020, HAF said, it is an “important time” for Hindus in America, adding that Gabbard would be the first Hindu candidate ever from a major political party to enter the race for the White House.

“I am grateful to be a part of this initiative featuring the stories of Americans across the country who are sharing how their Hindu faith inspires them in their everyday lives,” stated Gabbard.

HAF adds that Congress currently has four Hindu members: Gabbard, Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).

“Hinduism is the world’s oldest living religion, a global and universal religion with adherents living on every continent and are a part of the American fabric. Hinduism is no longer confined to Indians, and like Buddhism has been embraced by people from many cultures,” said Dena Merriam, a leader in the interfaith movement. To learn more about “I Am Hindu American,” visit www.IAmHinduAmerican.org.

“Next Sunday the Second World Day of the Poor will be celebrated with many initiatives of evangelization, of prayer and of sharing,” Pope Francis said November 11, 2018, after praying the noonday Angelus with a crowd of 20,000 in St. Peter’s Square. “Also here, in St. Peter’s Square, a health post has been set up, which will offer care for a week to all those who are in difficulty. I hope that this Day will foster increasing attention to the needs of the least, the marginalized and the hungry.”

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

This poor man cried and the Lord heard him

1. «This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him» (Ps 34:7). The words of the Psalmist become our own when we are called to meet the different conditions of suffering and marginalization lived out by very many of our brothers and sisters whom we are accustomed to label generically as “the poor”. The Psalmist is not extraneous to suffering; quite the contrary. He has direct experience of poverty and yet transforms it into a song of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. This Psalm is an opportunity for us today, immersed as we are in the many different forms of poverty, to understand who are the true poor on whom we are called to look upon in order to hear their cry and recognise their needs.

We are told, first of all, that the Lord listens to the poor who cry to Him and is good to those who seek refuge in him, their hearts broken by sadness, loneliness and exclusion. The Lord listens to those who are downtrodden in their dignity and yet have the strength to look up in order to receive light and comfort. He listens to those who are persecuted in the name of a false justice, oppressed by policies unworthy of the name and intimidated by violence. And yet they know that they have their Saviour in God. What emerges from this prayer is above all the sense of abandonment to, and trust in, a Father who listens and is welcoming. It is on the same wavelength as these words that we can better understand what Jesus proclaimed with the beatitude «Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

Such is this unique experience, in many ways undeserved and impossible to express in full, that we nevertheless feel the desire to communicate it others, first of all to those who, like the Psalmist, are poor, rejected and marginalized. In fact, no-one can feel excluded from the Father’s love, especially in a world which often elevates riches as the primary objective and leads us to isolation.

2. Psalm 34 uses three verbs to characterize the attitude of the poor man and his relationship with God. First of all, “to cry”. The condition of poverty cannot be expressed in a word, but becomes a cry which crosses the heavens and reaches God. What does the cry of the poor express if not their suffering and solitude, their delusion and hope? We can ask ourselves how it is that this cry, which rises to the presence of God, is unable to penetrate our ears and leaves us indifferent and impassive? On a day like the World Day of the Poor we are called to make a serious examination of conscience in order to understand if we are really capable of hearing them.

What we need in order to recognise their voice is silence in which to listen. If we speak too much ourselves, we will be unable to hear them. Often I am afraid that many initiatives, by themselves meritorious and necessary, are intended more to please those who undertake them than to really acknowledge the cry of the poor. If this is the case, when the cry of the poor rings out our reaction is incoherent and we are unable to empathize with their condition. We are so entrapped in a culture which obliges us to look in the mirror and to pamper ourselves that we believe that a gesture of altruism is sufficient without compromising ourselves directly.

3. The second verb is “to answer”. The Lord, the Psalmist tells us, not only listens to the cry of the poor, but He answers it. His answer, as attested by the whole history of salvation, is an all-loving sharing in the condition of the poor. It was so when Abram expressed to God his desire for an offspring, notwithstanding that he and his wife Sarah were old in years and had no children (cfr. Genesis 15:1-6). It happened when Moses, through a bush which burned without being consumed, received the revelation of the divine name and the mission to free his people from Egypt (Exodus 3:1-15). And this answer is confirmed throughout the wandering of Israel in the desert, when it was bitten by hunger and thirst (cfr. Exodus 16:1-6; 17:1-7) and when it fell into wretchedness of the worst kind, that is, unfaithfulness to the covenant and idolatry (cfr. Exodus 32:1-14).

God’s answer to the poor is always an intervention of salvation in order to heal the wounds of body and soul, restore justice and assist in beginning anew to live life with dignity. God’s answer is also an appeal in order that those who believe in Him can do the same within the limitations of their human nature. The World Day of the Poor wishes to be a small answer which the whole Church, spread throughout the world, gives to the poor of every type and in every land lest they think that their cry has gone unheard. Probably, it is like a drop of water in the desert of poverty; and yet it can be a sign of sharing for those who are in need, that they might experience the active presence of a brother or a sister. It is not delegated power of which the poor have need, but the personal involvement of as many hear their cry. The concern of believers in their regards cannot be limited to a kind of assistance – as useful and as providential as this may be in the beginning – but requires a «loving attentiveness» (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, 199) which honours the person as such and seeks out his best interests.

4. The third verb is “to free”. The poor of the Bible live with the certainty that God intervenes in their favour to restore their dignity. Poverty is not brought on by itself, but is caused by selfishness, pride, greed and injustice. These are evils as old as man himself, but also sins in which the innocents are caught up, leading to consequences on the social level which are dramatic. God’s liberating action is an act of salvation towards those who manifest their sadness and distress to Him. The prison of poverty is broken open by the power of God’s intervention. Many of the Psalms narrate and celebrate this history of salvation which is mirrored in the personal life of the poor: «For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him» ( Psalm 22:25). To be able to contemplate God’s countenance is a sign of His friendship, His proximity, and His salvation. «Thou hast seen my affliction, thou hast taken heed of my adversities … thou hast set my feet in a broad place» ( Psalm 31:8-9). To offer the poor a “broad space” is to liberate them from the “snare of the fowler” ( Psalm 91:3) and subtract them from the trap hidden on their path, in order that they might proceed expeditiously and look serenely upon life. God’s salvation takes the form of hand held out to the poor which is welcoming, offers protection and allows them to experience the friendship which they need. It is beginning with this concrete and tangible proximity that a genuine path of liberation emerges. «Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society. This demands that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and to come to their aid» ( Evangelii gaudium, 187).5. I find it moving to know that many of the poor have identified themselves with Bartimaeus from St. Mark’s Gospel. Bartimaeus, a blind man, «was sitting by the roadside to beg» (verse 46) and, having heard that Jesus was passing by, «began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me”» (verse 47). «Many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more» (verse 48). The Son of God heard his cry: «“What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Master, let me receive my sight”» (verse 51). This Gospel narrative makes visible what in the Psalm is announced as a promise. Bartimaeus is a poor man who finds himself deprived of fundamental capacities like his sight and being able to work for his living. How many paths today also lead to forms of precariousness! The lack of basic means of subsistence, marginalization stemming from a reduced capacity to work owing to ill-heath, the various forms of social slavery, notwithstanding the progress made by humankind … How many poor people today are like Bartimaeus, sitting by the roadside and searching for the meaning of their existence! How many of them ask themselves why they have fallen so far and how they can escape! They are waiting from someone to come up and say: «Take heart; rise, he is calling you» (verse 49).

Unfortunately, often the opposite happens and the poor are reached by voices rebuking them and telling them to shut up and to put up. These voices are out of tune, often determined by a phobia of the poor, considered not only as destitute, but also as bearers of insecurity and instability, detached from the habits of daily life and, consequently, to be rejected and kept afar. The tendency is to create a distance between them and us, without realizing that by so doing we distance ourselves from the Lord Jesus who does not reject the poor, but calls them to Him and consoles them. The words of the Prophet concerning the style of life proper to believers is most apt in this case: «to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke … to share bread with the hungry and bring the homeless and poor into the house … to cover the naked» (Isaiah 58:6-7). Deeds such as these allow sin to be forgiven (cfr. 1 Peter 4:8), justice to pursue its path and, when it is us to cry to the Lord, ensure that he will answer and say: here I am! (Isaiah 58:9).

6. The poor are the first to whom it is given to recognise the presence of God and to testify to His proximity in their lives. God remains faithful to his promise, and even in the darkness of the night does not withhold the warmth of his love and consolation. However, in order to overcome the overwhelming condition of poverty, it is necessary that the poor perceive the presence of brothers and sisters who show concern for them and who, by opening the door of their hearts and lives, make them feel like friends and family. Only in this way can we discover «the saving power at work in their lives» and «put them at the centre of the Church’s pilgrim way» (Evangelii gaudium, 198).

On this World Day we are invited to give concreteness to the words of the Psalm: «The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied» (Psalm22:27). We know that in the Temple of Jerusalem, after the sacrificial rite, a banquet took place. It was this experience which enriched the first World Day of the Poor in many Dioceses last year. Many people found the warmth of a home, the joy of a celebration meal and the solidarity of those who wished to share the table in a simple and brotherly way. I would like that this year and in the future this World Day be celebrated in the spirit of joy for the rediscovery of our capacity for getting together. Praying together as a community and sharing a Sunday meal is an experience which takes us back to the earliest Christian community, described by St. Luke the Evangelist with all his originality and simplicity: «And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. […] And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need» (Acts 2:42.44-45).

7. Numerous initiatives are undertaken every day by the Christian community in order to give a sign of neighbourliness and relief in the face of the many forms of poverty which are before our eyes. Often it is the case that cooperation with other enterprises, moved not not by faith but by human solidarity, enable us to give assistance which by ourselves would have been impossible. Recognising that the in the immense world of poverty our capacity for action is limited, weak and insufficient leads us to reach out to others so that reciprocal cooperation can reach its objective in a more effective way. We are inspired by faith and by the imperative of charity, but we also know how to recognise other forms of assistance and solidarity which are characterized, in part, by our same objectives, albeit that we do not neglect our proper role which is to lead everyone to God and to holiness. Dialogue among the different forms of experience and humility in giving freely of our collaboration, without seeking the limelight, is an adequate and fully evangelical response which we can all give.

In the service of the poor, the last thing we need is a battle for first place. Instead we should recognise with humility that it is the Spirit which solicits from us actions which are a sign of God’s answer and proximity. When we find a way to draw near to the poor, we know that the first place belongs to Him who has opened our eyes and our heart to conversion. The poor have no need of protagonists, but of a love which knows how to hide and forget the good which it has done. The true protagonists are the Lord and the poor. He who desires to serve is an instrument in God’s hands in order to make manifest His presence and salvation. St. Paul recalls this when writing to the Christians of Corinth, who used to compete amongst themselves for charisms by seeking the most prestigious: «The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you”» (1 Corinthians 12;21). The Apostle makes an important point when he observes that it is the parts of the body which appear to be weaker which are more necessary (cfr. verse 22); and those which «we think less honourable we invest with the greater honour, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require» (verses 23-24). Thus, while Paul imparts to the community a fundamental teaching on charisms, he also educates it concerning its attitude towards its weaker and more needy members in the light of the Gospel. Far from the disciples of Christ nourishing sentiments of contempt or pietism towards the poor, they are called to honour them, giving them precedence, out of the conviction that they are a real presence of Jesus in our midst. «As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me» (Matthew 25:40).

8. Here we can see how distant our way of living is from that of the world which praises, follows and imitates those who have power and riches, while at the same time marginalizing the poor and considering them a waste and an object of shame. The words of the Apostle Paul are an invitation to give evangelical fullness to solidarity with the weaker and less gifted members of the body of Christ: «If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together» (1 Corinthians 12:26). Similarly, in the Letter to the Romans, he exhorts us: «Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly» (12:15-16). This is the vocation of the disciple of Christ; the ideal for which we must constantly strive is the increasing assimilation in us of the «mind of Jesus Christ» (Philippians 2:5).
9. A word of hope is the natural epilogue to which faith gives rise. Often it is the poor who undermine our indifference which is the daughter of a vision of life which is too imminent and bound up with the present. The cry of the poor is also a cry of hope which manifests the certainty of being liberated. This hope is founded upon the love of God who does not abandon those who trust in Him (cfr. Romans 8:31-39). As St. Teresa of Ávila writes in The Way of Perfection: «Poverty comprises many virtues. It is a vast domain. I affirm that whoever despises all earthly goods holds dominion over them» (2:5). It is in the measure in which we are able to discern authentic good that we become rich before God and wise in the face of ourselves and others. It is really so: in the measure in which we succeed in giving riches their right and true sense that we grow in humanity and become capable of sharing.
10. I invite my brother bishops, priests and, in particular, deacons, on whom hands have been laid for the service of the poor (Acts 6:1-7), as well as religious and the lay faithful – men and women – who in parishes, associations and ecclesial movements make tangible the Church’s response to the cry of the poor, to live this World Day as a special moment of new evangelization. The poor evangelize us, helping us to discover every day the beauty of the Gospel. Let us not waste this opportunity for grace. Let all of us feel on this day that we are debtors towards the poor because, stretching out our hands reciprocally one to another, a salvific encounter be created which strengthens our faith, renders our charity active and enables our hope to continue secure on the journey towards the Lord who is returning.

People of both faiths can cultivate a culture of care and concern states Diwali message written to Hindus Christians and Hindus are bound by their belief in human dignity and share a responsibility to help those in need, said the secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in Vatican’s Diwali message this year.

Members of both faiths have a “moral duty to care for the vulnerable,” which is rooted in the belief “that we are all God’s creatures and, as a result, brothers and sisters, equal in dignity, with responsibility for one another,” Bishop Miguel Ayuso Guixot, secretary of the council, said the message released Oct. 31 by the Vatican.

“A healthy awareness of our common human condition and our moral duty toward others inspires us to promote their cause by doing all that we can to alleviate their sufferings, defend their rights and restore their dignity,” he said.

Bishop Ayuso extended his best wishes to the world’s 1.1 billion Hindus for the feast of Diwali, a three-day religious festival, which begins Nov. 7 in most parts of the world. The festival focuses on the victory of truth over lies, light over darkness, life over death and good over evil.

Those who suffer due to poverty and violence, as well as those who are “socially, religious, culturally and linguistically marginalized and excluded” are often discarded and ignored “by a society increasingly indifferent and even callous in the face of human needs and sufferings,” Bishop Ayuso wrote.

Indian Catholic Heritage Day is an annual tradition at St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church on Welsh Road in Northeast Philadelphia. It is a celebration for all Catholics from India, whether they are Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara, Knanaya or Roman Catholic, and it traces back to the foundation of the Indian American Catholic Association 40 years ago.

What made the celebration on Saturday, Sept. 15 extra special this year was the presence of Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the papal nuncio to the United States, who was the principal celebrant of the Mass. It was the first time ever, according to the organizers, that a papal nuncio has visited an Indian Catholic Church in Philadelphia.

The archbishop was joined on the altar by Archbishop Matthew Mar Moolakkatt of Kottayma, India, Bishop Jacob Mar Angadiath of the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago, Bishop Philipose Mar Stephanos of the Syro Malankara Diocese of the USA and Canada, Auxiliary Bishop John McIntyre of the Philadelphia Archdiocese and clergy from half a dozen or so Indian Catholic churches.

Although most Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara Churches are in full communion with the Holy See, that is only so in recent centuries. They trace their Christian lineage by tradition to visits to India by the Apostles St. Thomas and St. Bartholomew. Others were of the Knanaya community, a Northern India subgroup, also Catholic.

St. Thomas Church itself is unassuming on the exterior but quite beautifully decorated inside. Perhaps one difference from a Roman Catholic church is that while there is a large crucifix to the side of the altar, there is none on or behind it. Pride of place on the wall of the apse is given to a large image of the Risen Christ.

As is the custom, the service was preceded by a grand procession with men and boys in Western Sunday best, but ladies and girls in beautiful multicolored saris, with ceremonial umbrellas as an accent.

A traditional procession to St. Thomas Church before the Mass included all the faithful. (Courtesy: Sarah Webb, CatholicPhilly.com)

During his homily, Archbishop Pierre told his congregation, “You are united here in America. Great sacrifices were made; you make them out of love for your family. That sacrifice is the way of love. If we do not have love for our neighbor, what kind of sacrifice is that?

“Today the world needs witnesses. The church is counting on your faithful witness and your generous love. True discipleship involves attentiveness to our neighbor.”

Among the congregation were some of the founding members of the Indian Catholic Heritage Association, among them Dr. James Kurichi.

“It is important to bring the people together from all over, that is why we started (the association), as a way to celebrate our Indian heritage,” he said.

Molly Rajan didn’t have to travel far for the celebration. “This is my parish,” she said. “There are so many diverse people, but we are all one.”

Father Johnykutty Puleessery, the chancellor of the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago, said, “This shows the unity of the Catholic Church; we celebrate our differences but we all believe the same.”

Bishop McIntyre, representing the Philadelphia Archdiocese, said, “It’s wonderful to see how this community has grown and to have this right here in Philadelphia.”

Also representing the archdiocese was Matt Davis, director of the Office for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees. It was his fourth or fifth time to attend the event, and he called it “one of my favorite celebrations in my job. I love the Mass, the talks, the food. It is all very wonderful,” Davis said.

As a further inter-ethnic and ecumenical note, the choir for the Mass had a decided diversity with the addition of choir members from Assumption B.V.M. Parish, Feasterville, and their selections included a Latin favorite, “Ave Maria.” You don’t have to be Roman Catholic to love it.

A group of people raising anti-RSS and anti-VHP slogans inside the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center sought to disrupt the 2nd World Hindu Congress Sept.7-9 Congress in Chicago last week but the organizers said it caused “nothing more” than a momentary interruption of the proceedings.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, and  India’s Vice President Venkaiah Naidu were among those who had come to address the delegatesas the Conference was said to be a commemoration of Swami Vivekananda’s speech at the Parliament of World Religions 125 years ago.

Bhagwat addressed the Congress in English on September 7, elaborating on the theme drawn from the Mahabharat, “Think collectively, Act Valiantly.”

Meanwhile, posters on the walls of the venue denounced interfaith marriages as “love jihad” and other themes of the RSS-VHP combine. One poster questioned actor Sharmila Tagore’s marriage to Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi in 1969 and whether their son Saif Ali Khan will force his wife, Kareena Kapoor to convert to Islam. The posters were mounted under the heading “Interfaith Marriages: Silent Holocaust of Hindus,” The Wire news website reported.

A few hours later in the afternoon after his morning speech, protests erupted inside the conference room when about half a dozen young people, most of them identified as women belonging to Chicago South Asians For Justice, allegedly intruded the venue and raised slogans such as “RSS turn around, we don’t want you in town” and “Stop Hindu fascism” before they were stopped and ejected.

The protesters from CSAJ said they were subjected to violence as they were ejected. “We spoke up in a peaceful protest at the end of the plenary session and as soon as we became vocal, people in the audience began to approach us like a mob and violently pushed out of the conference venue,” one of the protesters who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisal, told India Abroad. “Even when we were taken into custody by police, they continue to physically and verbally assault us and one of us was spat upon in the face.”

In response to a question, the CSAJ member said the protest sought to focus attention to the rise of fascist and ultra-nationalist movements around the world, including in India where groups like the RSS and Bharatiya Janata Party, its political wing, are engaged in promoting the idea of supremacy of the Hindutvawadis at the expense of the Muslims and other minority folks in India. “We see that as a part of a broader global movement of rightwing nationalism and fascism in India and the U.S. and state legitimization of fascist culture,” she told this correspondent.

Two protesters were arrested and charged with trespass and disorderly conduct. One conference attendee, Caravan daily said, was charged with battery. They were all released later on after being held briefly.

India’s Hindu newspaper said in a report that a group of attendees tried to assault the protesters. “We should have bashed them up,” senior leader and former BJP lawmaker Vijay Jolly, who was present in the melee, was heard shouting, the report said.

The CSAJ, a coalition resisting the rise of global fascism in the United States, India, and worldwide, denounced the violence against its members as an attempt to mainstream Hindu fascism in the United States.

In fewer than 10 years since a 2008 Pew Survey on the subject, 38 percent of the marriages of U.S.-born Hindus, Jains and Sikhs have been with people of Abrahamic faiths, meaning Christians, Jews and Muslims, according to experts.

Sunita Viswanath, co-founder of New York-based Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, said that the World Hindu Congress was not a celebration of Hinduism but rather a promotion and celebration of Hindutva, or Hindu nationalism. “We in Sadhana embrace a Hinduism that is grounded in love and the notion of ekatva (oneness of us all),” Viswanath told India Abroad.

“Hindutva is a violent and extremist ideology that discriminates on the basis of religion and caste and seeks to transform India from a secular democracy to a Hindu nation. Sadhana calls on all Hindus of conscience to join us and take a stand against Hindutva: this is not a time to be neutral,” she said.

In a statement CSAJ decried the WHC as an international body that aims to promote Hindu supremacy in India and across the globe, masking itself as a non-violent moderate organization that is “simply interested” in promoting Hindu values. Alleging that WHC intentionally obscures its militant, religious fundamentalist principles and ties online, it said during the conference, WHC speakers reiterated their disturbing political philosophy, which includes “militarist and eugenist” overtones and messages of intolerance. “More than anything, their brutal actions in response to our peaceful dissent demonstrate how dangerous they truly are,” the statement said.

Ricken Patel, CEO of Avaaz said this was “an appeal and not a protest.” The ad featured a picture of Vivekananda and a quote from his Chicago speech: “Sectarianism, bigotry, and fanaticism have long possessed this beautiful earth… but their time is come.”

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), attended the conclave, despite being urged by anti-World Hindu Congress activists to dissociate himself. He said he decided to express his mind at the conclave and to reaffirm his faith in Hinduism that welcomes all people, embraces all people, and accepts all people, regardless of their faith – including all his constituents. “I reject all other forms. In short, I reaffirm the teachings of Swami Vivekananda,” Krishnamoorthi said in his address.

Chicago alderman Ameya Pawar condemned the violence that took place, saying that “bigoted” RSS has no place in a discussion about Hinduism. “I’m disgusted that peaceful protestors at the @WHCongress were pushed, kicked, and spat on. The behavior of some attendees confirms that Hindu Nationalists and the bigoted RSS have no place in a discussion about Hinduism. We are better than this,” Pawar tweeted.

Declaring himself as a “proud Hindu” and the first Indian-American elected to Chicago City Council, he said he was extremely disappointed and ashamed the Hindu Congress would invite speakers and organizations that promote discrimination, Islamophobia, and Hindu nationalism. “This is not who we are.”

Naperville: August 24, 2018: The Islamic Center of Naperville and Community United Methodist Church will jointly host a Free Health Fair on September 8th, 2018 (Saturday) from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at 2844 W OGDEN AVE, Naperville, IL 60540.

The objective of this initiative is to serve humanity, bridge the gap with bonds of love, care, and compassion, and offer a safer and healthier community.  Individuals 16 years of age or older are welcome at the Free Health Fair regardless of faith, religion, or race.

Physicians, dentists, and nursing students at the Free Health Fair will be screening for blood pressure, blood sugar, oral cancer, and other ailments. They will also provide counseling on health-related issues, including weight management and nutrition. Additional arrangements have also been made for vision tests, mini massages, flu shots, etc.

“Despite being in a country that has so much to offer, there are people within our community and surrounding neighborhoods who are in dire need of adequate and appropriate health care. They are deprived of this basic necessity due to multiple reasons, unable to have access to affordable care being the most common,” stated Dr. Atif Fakhruddin of ICN Free Clinic.

In addition, free health classes by eminent physicians, dentists, dietitians, and physical therapists will be held on topics such as Advances in Orthopedic Education, Healthy Eating, Living with High Blood Pressure, General Fitness, Preventing Heart Disease, Balance & Fall Prevention, Dental Hygiene, Managing Diabetes with Healthy Diet, and Life Affected by Diabetes.

“We recognize the same health needs and are happy to work with ICN on the Free Health Fair,” said Pat Shanower, speaking for Community United Methodist Church.  “There will be something for everyone that day, whether it is a flu shot, a screening, or learning how best to prevent serious diseases. We want everyone to feel welcome.”

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”   This profound statement was made by the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa, who was born on this day, August 26, 1910. An icon of love, tolerance, generosity and tremendous integrity and spirituality.

Recently, Archbishop Charles Chaput wrote in America’s National Catholic Register: “The reason the church names anger as one of the ‘seven deadly sins’ is because it’s simultaneously so poisonous, so delicious and so addictive. Anger congeals quite comfortably into hatred.”

Where ideas used to take years – and sometimes centuries – to spread around the globe, they now do so in seconds, thanks to the new communication technologies. While this is a force for good in countless ways, it has also facilitated and strengthened the rise of movements that are based on hatred rooted not in nation or state identity, but in extremist ideologies based on rancorous opposition to a particular faith or race, sexual orientation or to liberal democracy in general.

Across the world, politics of division and rhetoric of intolerance are targeting gender, racial, ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities, and migrants and refugees. From anti-Semitism to attacks on hijab-wearing women, racism to sexual assault, we are witnessing what words of fear and loathing can do, and the damaging consequences.

If we need proof that it often takes surprisingly what seems like simple gestures to reduce the levels of polarising animus in society, we only need to look at how the ‘handshake’ between President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Honourable Raila Odinga has brought political reconciliation to levels that nobody would have predicted.

From just under a year ago, when political partisanship gridlocked this country and seemed destined to polarize Kenyans, we are now witnessing an important and urgent discourse on vital issues such as the fight against corruption.

These are hopeful signs; this is a demonstration of true leadership.  One must not, however, underestimate the challenge of combating hatred. If hatred is an epidemic, then we need to treat it as such and plan to contain and reverse it.

So, what is the antidote to the rise of chauvinism, xenophobia, racism, bigotry and misogyny?

The human spirit is strong, and never stronger than when joining forces for justice. Around the world hatred has been met with purposeful love, and with actions engineered to counter the hatred. From the Women’s March in the United States to demonstrations against discrimination in many European countries, people have joined hands to fight hatred and discrimination.

First, incendiary speeches driving bigotry against any group based on religion, race, gender or sexuality must be reined in.

Second, citizens standing up against hate must continue to use and expand all available avenues to engage with others across the world who share their concerns and bolster their ability to affect change.

Third, meaningful change often comes from the bottom up, thus citizens must be educated on how they can change their leadership by voting with their conscience –in national, state, municipal and civic body elections.

Fourth, it is the duty of elected officials to reflect the will of the electorate. They must therefore support their citizens with actions and not merely words in the pursuit of social justice.

Fifth, the voices of moral and thought leaders from around the world who espouse tolerance must be amplified. The lessons of acceptance and mutual respect and equality must be heard, especially by the young, because if we teach them that it is unacceptable to hate and that it is their responsibility to speak up or stop hatred from spreading, we have the odds in favour of justice prevailing in the future.

To Kenya’s advantage, the growth of social media as an established influential platform used ubiquitously by the youth could be a persuasive avenue for mobilising them against all forms of intolerance.

There is a chance to change the world here – to counter hatred with love, anger with joy, and bigotry with acceptance – but it requires the deliberate coming together of concerned people around the world. It requires the understanding that, despite our different realities, we have common hopes for ourselves and for our children, as well as common destinies.

The UN Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Guterres has said, “Diversity enriches us.  But if we want diversity to be a success, we need to invest in social cohesion.”

Despite the forces of pessimism that have at times painted a picture of gloom, I am convinced that Kenya can harness the reality of a shared humanity, that they can overcome the fraying forces and bridge the chasms that nurture intolerance. And serve as a beacon of hope for the world. That would be a real tribute to the memory of Mother Teresa.

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has issued the following statement after a series of meetings with members of the USCCB’s Executive Committee and other bishops. The following statement includes three goals and three principles, along with initial steps of a plan that will involve laity, experts, and the Vatican. A more developed plan will be presented to the full body of bishops at their general assembly meeting in Baltimore in November.

Cardinal DiNardo’s full statement follows:

“Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Two weeks ago, I shared with you my sadness, anger, and shame over the recent revelations concerning Archbishop Theodore McCarrick. Those sentiments continue and are deepened in light of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report. We are faced with a spiritual crisis that requires not only spiritual conversion, but practical changes to avoid repeating the sins and failures of the past that are so evident in the recent report. Earlier this week, the USCCB Executive Committee met again and established an outline of these necessary changes.

The Executive Committee has established three goals: (1) an investigation into the questions surrounding Archbishop McCarrick; (2) an opening of new and confidential channels for reporting complaints against bishops; and (3) advocacy for more effective resolution of future complaints. These goals will be pursued according to three criteria: proper independence, sufficient authority, and substantial leadership by laity.

We have already begun to develop a concrete plan for accomplishing these goals, relying upon consultation with experts, laity, and clergy, as well as the Vatican. We will present this plan to the full body of bishops in our November meeting.  In addition, I will travel to Rome to present these goals and criteria to the Holy See, and to urge further concrete steps based on them.

The overarching goal in all of this is stronger protections against predators in the Church and anyone who would conceal them, protections that will hold bishops to the highest standards of transparency and accountability.

Allow me to briefly elaborate on the goals and criteria that we have identified.

The first goal is a full investigation of questions surrounding Archbishop McCarrick. These answers are necessary to prevent a recurrence, and so help to protect minors, seminarians, and others who are vulnerable in the future. We will therefore invite the Vatican to conduct an Apostolic Visitation to address these questions, in concert with a group of predominantly lay people identified for their expertise by members of the National Review Board and empowered to act.

The second goal is to make reporting of abuse and misconduct by bishops easier. Our 2002 “Statement of Episcopal Commitment” does not make clear what avenue victims themselves should follow in reporting abuse or other sexual misconduct by bishops. We need to update this document.  We also need to develop and widely promote reliable third-party reporting mechanisms. Such tools already exist in many dioceses and in the public sector and we are already examining specific options.

The third goal is to advocate for better procedures to resolve complaints against bishops. For example, the canonical procedures that follow a complaint will be studied with an eye toward concrete proposals to make them more prompt, fair, and transparent and to specify what constraints may be imposed on bishops at each stage of that process.

We will pursue these goals according to three criteria.

The first criterion is genuine independence. Any mechanism for addressing any complaint against a bishop must be free from bias or undue influence by a bishop. Our structures must preclude bishops from deterring complaints against them, from hampering their investigation, or from skewing their resolution.

The second criterion relates to authority in the Church. Because only the Pope has authority to discipline or remove bishops, we will assure that our measures will both respect that authority and protect the vulnerable from the abuse of ecclesial power.

Our third criterion is substantial involvement of the laity. Lay people bring expertise in areas of investigation, law enforcement, psychology, and other relevant disciplines, and their presence reinforces our commitment to the first criterion of independence.

Finally, I apologize and humbly ask your forgiveness for what my brother bishops and I have done and failed to do. Whatever the details may turn out to be regarding Archbishop McCarrick or the many abuses in Pennsylvania (or anywhere else), we already know that one root cause is the failure of episcopal leadership. The result was that scores of beloved children of God were abandoned to face an abuse of power alone. This is a moral catastrophe. It is also part of this catastrophe that so many faithful priests who are pursuing holiness and serving with integrity are tainted by this failure.

We firmly resolve, with the help of God’s grace, never to repeat it. I have no illusions about the degree to which trust in the bishops has been damaged by these past sins and failures. It will take work to rebuild that trust. What I have outlined here is only the beginning; other steps will follow. I will keep you informed of our progress toward these goals.

Let me ask you to hold us to all of these resolutions. Let me also ask you to pray for us, that we will take this time to reflect, repent, and recommit ourselves to holiness of life and to conform our lives even more to Christ, the Good Shepherd.”

Pope Francis on July 29, 2018, repeated his plea for an end to human trafficking, noting that Monday, July 30, is World Day Against the Trafficking of Persons, promoted by the United Nations.

His comments came after praying the noonday Angelus with a crowd of some 25,000 pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square. He had strong words on the subject:

“This plague reduces many men, women, and children to slavery for the purpose of labor and sexual exploitation, the sale of organs, of vagrancy and forced delinquency, also here, in Rome. Migration routes are also often used by traffickers and exploiters, to recruit new victims of trafficking. It’s the responsibility of all to denounce the injustices and to oppose firmly this shameful crime.”

Youth are in “a privileged place to encounter the survivors of human trafficking,” the Pope said Feb. 12. “Go to your parishes, to an association close to home, meet them, listen to them.”

Change starts with encounter, he said, so “don’t be afraid to encounter them. Open your hearts, let them enter, be ready to change.”

He urged youth who have been victims to speak out to others in order to help protect them and make them aware of the risks.

“Everyone who has been a victim of trafficking is an inexhaustible source of support for new victims and it’s important [to listen to them],” the Pope said, adding that “youth who have encountered organized crime can play a key role in describing the dangers.”

He also encouraged young people to overcome fear and learn the warning signs of trafficking.

Pope Francis spoke off-the-cuff Monday at a question-and-answer session falling a few days after the World Day of Reflection Against Human Trafficking.

During the encounter, Francis received questions from five youth – four women and one man – both migrants and non-migrants, who asked about how young people in the Church can fight the conditions in which trafficking thrives and how they can help other young people from falling into the illusions presented by traffickers.

Pope Francis stressed the importance of encounter. He thanked all the parishes, schools and institutions that listened to his 2015 appeal for every parish, shrine, religious community and monastery in Europe to welcome a family of refugees.

“I ask you present here today to work in favor of opening to the other, above all when they are wounded in their own dignity,” he said.

Social networks and media can also play a key role in helping to create these spaces, the Pope said, explaining that “the internet can offer great possibilities for encounter and solidarity among everyone, and this is a good thing, it’s a gift from God.”

However, these networks can also be misused, he said, noting that “for every instrument that is offered to us, the choice that man decides to make is fundamental.”

Underlying the scourge of human trafficking, the Pope said, is not only a significant amount of ignorance, but also “little will to understand the extent of the problem.”

This, he said, is because it touches our consciences: “A country that does or allows trafficking doesn’t like that this comes to light, because it would embarrass them a lot, so they cover it.”

Hypocrisy from those who condemn human trafficking while at the same time taking advantage of trafficked laborers or sex slaves presents a major obstacle to the abolition of trafficking, he said.

Speaking out against this can be an easier task for youth, the Pope said, because “they are less structured in their thought, less obscured by prejudices, more free to reason with their own mind. Youth don’t have anything to lose.”

He called trafficking a “crime against humanity” and a form of slavery which is “unfortunately increasingly widespread, which involves every country, even the most developed, and touches the most vulnerable people in society: women and young girls, children, the disabled, the most poor, whoever comes from situations of familial or social disintegration.”

Sam Brownback, United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, on July 24, 2018, called for action by governments, individuals, and activist organizations to work together to protect religious freedom around the world.

His remarks came in Washington in opening remarks to the first Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, sponsored by the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.  The event is July 24-26 and focuses on concrete outcomes that reaffirm international commitments to promote religious freedom and produce real, positive change. Participants include a broad range of stakeholders, including foreign ministers, international organization representatives, religious leaders, and civil society representatives, to discuss challenges, identify concrete ways to combat religious persecution and discrimination, and ensure greater respect for religious freedom for all.

“We need to use all the might, machinery, and moral authority we have to stop those nations and actors that trample on free souls,” Brownback said. “The lack of religious freedom anywhere is a threat to peace, prosperity, and stability everyone.”

The ambassador recalled a comment from the previous day during an event at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, when someone commented on how unimaginable evil is.  But he said our job is to stop it.

“People around the world are being brutalized or killed for practicing their faith,” Brownback said. “This cannot be allowed to continue.”

In a July 4, 2018, speech in Rome, US Ambassador to the Vatican Calista Gingrich also stressed the importance of religious freedom, urging the Vatican and the United States to work together on this important issue.

“Today, millions of people around the world suffer under oppression and tyranny – deprived of freedom, security, and prosperity,” Gingrich said. “Faced with these great challenges, the United States and the Holy See share a deep and enduring commitment to advancing freedom and justice around the world.”

Brownback pointed out that the conference included people from every faith community: “everyone who cares about religious freedom and will join us in the cause. Religious freedom is a right given by God, a beautiful part of our human dignity.”

A number of political and human rights leaders are speaking at the event.  Also on the agenda are several people who have survived religious persecution or who representing persons currently imprisoned.

“The right to believe or not believe is the most fundamental of freedoms,” said US Vice President Mike Pence on July 26, 2018. “When religious liberty is denied or destroyed, we know that other freedoms — freedom of speech, of press, assembly, and even democratic institutions themselves — are imperiled.”

His remarks came in Washington on the final day of the first Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, sponsored by the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.  The event ran July 24-26 and focused on concrete outcomes that reaffirm international commitments to promote religious freedom and produce real, positive change. Participants included a broad range of stakeholders, including foreign ministers, international organization representatives, religious leaders, and civil society representatives, to discuss challenges, identify concrete ways to combat religious persecution and discrimination, and ensure greater respect for religious freedom for all.

Pence singled out several examples of religious persecution currently happening around the world. In particular, he cited the situation in Nicaragua, which has been an ongoing concern of Pope Francis and the Vatican.

“The list of religious freedom violators is long; their crimes and oppressions span the width of our world,” Pence said. “Here in our own hemisphere, in Nicaragua, the government of Daniel Ortega is virtually waging war on the Catholic Church.  For months, Nicaragua’s bishops have sought to broker a national dialogue following pro-democracy protests that swept through the country earlier this year.

But government-backed mobs armed with machetes, and even heavy weapons, have attacked parishes and church properties, and bishops and priests have been physically assaulted by the police.”

The vice president continued with an affirmation of the commitment to religious freedom and working with other nations to further its cause. “Since the earliest days of our nation, America has stood for religious freedom,” Pence said. “Our earliest settlers left their homes to set sail for a New World, where they could practice their faith without fear of persecution.  Our forebears carved protections for religion into the founding charters and their early laws.

“And after this great nation secured our independence, the American Founders enshrined religious freedom as the first freedom in the Constitution of the United States.  And America has always, and will always, lead the world by our example.”

Ika Ravi and Guthikonda Srinivas, who hail from Andhra Pradesh, donated Rs. 13.5 to the temple ‘Hundi’ and various trusts run by the Tirupati temple authorities. Ravi, Founder CEO of Rx Advance, a pharmaceutical company based in Boston, donated Rs. 10 crore to ‘Hundi’, while Srinivas, CEO of JCG Technologies, a software development and consulting firm based in Florida, donated Rs. 3.50 crore to the trusts.

They met the officials of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the richest Hindu temple in the world, handed over the cheques in the presence of Andhra Pradesh’s Industry Minister Amarnath Reddy. The Minister lauded the gesture of the NRIs.

Thousands of devotees, who visit the hill shrine every day, make their offerings in ‘Hundi’ while some devotees make their donations online. TTD runs several trusts engaged in social, religious, literary and educational activities. According to TTD officials, the temple’s earnings during 2018-19 are expected to be Rs. 2,894 crore, of which the offerings in temple ‘Hundi’ are likely to be Rs.1,156 crore.

Tirupati Balaji temple or Sri Venkateshwara Swami temple is one of the most famous landmarks of the world on the hills of Tirumala in the Chittoor district of Andha Pradesh, India. This is the richest temple on the earth with overwhelming contributions and donations from the public and the most famous pilgrim destination on the earth attracting the greatest number of people on any given day. It is said that Lord Vishnu manifested himself in this temple in order to guide the people of Kali age towards emancipation. Therefore this temple is also called as Bhuloka Vaikuntam (the abode of Vishnu on the earth) and Lord Balaji is called as Kaliyuga Pratyaksha Daivam (the manifested lord of the Kali age).

The highly sacred and antique nature of the Tirupati Balaji temple is evident through a large number of mentions in several puranas including the Varaha Purana and the Bavishyottara Purana. All the major dynasties that ruled over the Southern peninsula had taken immense interest in paying homage to Lord Balaji as well as make huge contributions and endowments to the temple.

Some such notable dynasties include the Pallavas of Kancheepuram (9th Century), Cholas of Tanjore (10th Century), Pandyas of Madurai (14th Century) and the rulers of the Vijayanagar (14th and 15th Centuries).

Hindu mythology mentions the story of Balaji. Once sage Brighu wanted to find out who is the supreme one among the Hindu triad. Not being satisfied with the hospitality given by Brahma and Shiva, the sage went to Vaikunta and kicked Lord Vishnu on the chest to grab his attention.

Since Vishnu’s consort Lakshmi was residing in the chest of the Lord, she felt insulted and left Vaikunta to the earth. Lord Vishnu came to the earth in search of Lakshmi who had taken birth in the family of a king in the name Padmavati and married her on the Tirupati hills and got enshrined there forever to save the people of the Kali age.

A famous verse from the puranas speak of the greatness of tirupati Balaji temple: —–Venkatadri Samasthanam Brahmande Nasti Kinchana—– Venkatesha Samo Devo Na Bhuto Na Bhavishyati

The construction of Tirupati Balaji temple began in 300 AD with subsequent additions made from time to time. In the history of the temple, much of its wealth and size was gained during the reign of the Vijayanagara rulers who poured gold and diamonds into the treasury of the temple. When the emperor Krishnadevaraya visited the temple in 1517, he ordered for the gilding of the inner roof of the temple.

The rulers of the Kingdom of Mysore and the Gadwal Samsthan visited the temple regularly and contributed so much valuables. During the mid part of the eighteenth century, Maratha general Raghoji I Bhonsle established a permanent body to administer the temple worship. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) was instituted through the TTD Act in 1932.

Legendary classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj unveiled his first authorized biography during a book release ceremony at the TV Asia auditorium in Edison, NJ on July 17.

Titled, “Rasraj Pandit Jasraj,” the biography is written by Sunita Budhiraja and published by New Delhi-based Vani Prakashan.

The event was jointly hosted by the Consulate General of India in New York, TV Asia and the Pandit Jasraj Institute and broadcast live on TV Asia across the US as part of its “Focus Live” nightly show. The event was also the first public gathering in the US announcing the launch of the biography, before the official India release later this year.

The biography’s release was followed by a 90-minute interaction on TV Asia’s “Focus Live” with Pandit Jasraj; Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty; Durga Jasraj, Pandit Jasraj’s daughter; author Sunita Budhiraja; publisher Arun Maheshwari and TV Asia host and senior producer Vikas Nangia, followed by a question-answer session with the audience.

During the panel discussion, Budhiraja said that while Pandit Jasraj’s ragas were soulful, the book focused on several untold struggles that went behind those renditions. “The book is essentially the story behind his music, the challenges and many other yet unknown inspiring aspects of Panditji’s life,” she added.

When asked about the importance of lyrics, Pandit Jasraj said he believed in immersing himself into the words before singing.

“Words are absolutely important in my songs because I want to live them, understand them, go into their depths and then sing the song. The process for me is to completely understand the words and then immerse myself in those words, that world,” he said. He also recalled during the conversation how thankful he was to former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for calling him “Rasraj,” which has been borrowed in the tittle for the biography.

One of India’s best known classical vocalists, Pandit Jasraj, 88, was born in Hisar, Haryana, in a family of classical musicians of the Mewat gharana. His father, Pandit Motiram, a noted classical singer, passed away when Pandit Jasraj was just 4. From a young age, Pandit Jasraj began accompanying his elder brother and first guru vocalist Pandit Maniram as a tabla artiste. At 15, stung by a musician’s snide remark about his lack of understanding of classical music because he was a minor artist, Pandit Jasraj decided to take up singing. He gave his first public concert at 22. He was honored by the Indian government with both the Padma Bhushan (1990) and Padma Vibhushan (2000).

Blessed with a soulful and sonorous voice, which traverses masterfully, Pandit Jasraj’s vocalizing is characterized by a harmonious blend of the classic and opulent elements, giving his music a unique and sublime emotional quality.

The live TV event was interspersed with audio-visuals of Pandit Jasraj’s concerts as well as a brief story of his life, frequently applauded by the audience.

Consul General Chakravorty said during the panel discussion that despite Pandit Jasraj’s legendary status as a musician, his “tolerance and respect” for all types of music was unique and a testament to his character.

Durga Jasraj spoke about what it meant to be growing up in a family, where his father was continuously traveling on concerts. “He has a high expectation from himself even at this age. All of us in the family, including our father, have sacrificed for music, but we have also learned so much from Panditji about mental and physical tenacity.”

Earlier, while introducing Pandit Jasraj, TV Asia chairman and CEO H R Shah offered an analogy, saying the legendary classical vocalist was a “rare gem” with a large fan-following despite the challenging nature of his music that yet transcended all age groups.

More than 200 guests, including several prominent members of the Indian American community, attended the book release. Among those present, included Tripti Mukherjee, senior disciple of Pandit Jasraj as well as founder and director of Pandit Jasraj Institute; Dr Naveen Mehta, chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan USA; president of FIA of NY-NJ-CT Srujal Parikh, who along with FIA board of trustee Ram Gadhvi, presented Pandit Jasraj with a plaque of appreciation; Sunil Nayak, AINA president and Peter Kothari, IACS president.

A digital billboard placed on a main highway in Chicago flashes a message about the World Hindu Congress (WHC) every 40 seconds and has been seen, at last count, by 1.5 million drivers.

The windy city will play host to the WHC and welcome icons, thought influencers, prominent leaders and members of the Hindu community from September 7th – 9th, 2018. They will gather to connect, discuss, energize and push awareness about critical issues facing Hindus worldwide and figure ways on how the community can be globally significant and impactful. The event is being hosted at Hotel Westin in Lombard, Illinois.

Registration coordinator Amitabh Mittal stated that registration has been closed two months prior to the event due to the tremendous response. A few spots for co-sponsors are all that’s left and some spots have been reserved, on a case by case basis, for delegates from countries outside or North America.

Over 2000 Hindus from across the globe and 250 thought leaders are expected to fly in to attend the gathering. They include heads of countries with a sizable Hindu population, top tier corporate heads from both India and the US, dynamic Hindu leaders and media personalities. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat is one of the key speakers. Tibetan leader HH Dalai Lama, Art of Living Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Chinmaya Mission Head, Swami Swaroopananda, Swami Brahmavihari Das Head of International Relations from BAPS, Swami Purnatmananda from Bharat Sevashram Sangh and Pranav Pandya from Gayatri Parivar will also be present at the event that has been dubbed as “the biggest Hindu gathering of leaders to date.”

The conference is being organized by the World Hindu Foundation headed by IIT, Kharagpur graduate Swami Vigyananand. It will commemorate 125 years of Swami Vivekananda’s historic Chicago address on September 11, 1893. This is the second such conference, the first was held in New Delhi in 2014.

The theme of WHC 2018 is “Sumantrite Suvikrante” — think collectively, achieve valiantly. With over 3.23 million Hindus in the US and a little over one billion worldwide, making Hindus count globally is a key issue.

Senior leaders of the organization elaborated on the significance of the conference. According to WHC founder Swami Vigyananand, wealth creation, quality education, a robust Hindu presence in mass media, Hindu leadership, unique strengths of Hindu women and Hindu organizations must be encouraged to “graduate to collective success.” This, he said, is the only way to increase our sphere of influence and have a positive societal impact.

Convener Dr. Abhaya Asthana highlighted the importance of “boosting the profile of Hindus” on the world stage. Hindus, he emphasized, need to come together collectively and establish their presence, and only then can they wield their clout to make a positive difference.

The goal of WHC, Chair S.P. Kothari said, is to “make the world understand the Hindu way and view of life not just at the spiritual and social level but also at the economic and educational level” while WHC Vice Chair Raju Reddy reflected that “Hindus are viewed as great doctors, engineers and entrepreneurs, as positive role models but they need to become change makers. This requires them to be organized.”

Leaders of the organization are confident that this will be “historic and a not to be missed gathering of Hindus from all over the world.”

To learn about or participate in the 2018 World Hindu Congress, visit http://whc.2018worldhinducongress.org

Maheshwari Mahasabha of North America (MMNA) held its 9th Biennial Convention, the International Maheshwari Rajasthani Convention (IMRC), at the Marriott in Santa Clara, California, from June 30 to Maheshwari Mahasabha of North America (MMNA) held its ninth biennial convention, International Maheshwari Rajasthani Convention (IMRC), at Santa Clara Marriott from June 30th through July 3rd 2018. The convention is a forum to celebrate and preserve Rajasthani culture as well as to foster relationships within the relatively small Maheshwari community living in North America.

Over 750 attendees from North America and around the globe congregated in the heart of Silicon Valley. This grand event was engineered by our innovative team of 100+ volunteers who worked relentlessly over 15 months planning all the details. The host committee was led by Vijayshri Choudhary – Convener, Anand Daga and Vrushali Tapadiya – Co-conveners, Devu Heda – Chapter President, Swapnil Laddha – Chapter Vice President, and Vandana Daga – Sakhi Chair with support from Sureshji Deopura, Chapter Mentor and MMNA Board of Trustee.

Ambassador Venkatesan Ashok (Consul General of India – San Francisco) and Mayor Lisa Gillmor (Santa Clara), graced the opening ceremony by lighting diyas (lamps). Distinguished guests speakers included Padma Bhushan Shri Ved Nanda, Shri Ramesh Partani from Akhil Bharatvarshiya Maheshwari Mahasabha, along with eminent business leaders from MMNA community including Shri. Suresh Deopura, Shri Pratik Gattani, and Shri Vasant Rathi as well as Smt Snehal Mantri from India. Shri Vimal Sodhani was felicitated with the Lifetime Achievement award for his contributions to MMNA.

“Each and every one of us have been blessed with a uniqueness (a gift), representing a different aspect of the Brahman. Our purpose in life is to utilize that uniqueness in the service of others. This is the shortest path to the Divine.” said Vimal Sodhani.

During the three day event, attendees were able to engage in a variety of social and cultural activities, enjoy delicious ethnic cuisine, and participate in intellectually stimulating workshops and networking events. Participants gained from breakout sessions focused on health, wellness, technology, investment, life planning, and social causes catering to different ages and interests.

The youth group, RAYS, orchestrated cultural discussions as well as personal and professional networking sessions. They mentored and facilitated discussions for junior RAYS (13-20 years of age) to make them better appreciate the Rajasthani culture and help them navigate through high school and college life.

Other MMNA’s key initiatives such as Sakhi, Business & Entrepreneurship Track (BET), Philanthropy, Matrimonial, Education and Rajasthani Abroad Senior Samaj, also played a role in formulating educational workshops. MMNA members showed their generosity by donating $65K for educational assistance and youth development programs during a brief fundraiser.

 Prince Bhojwani, RAYS Co-President said, “The mission for RAYS is to form connections among Marwari youth living in North America through shared culture and heritage. We connect almost 400 Maheshwari youth across the country by hosting annual events. By raising funds, RAYS will be able to do double down on this mission by creating a world class mentorship program, assist communities connected to our members, and sponsor the wide array of non-profit projects started by our youth.”

“Six dynamic industry leaders of Maheshwari background spoke on wide ranging topics, from the challenges and joy of the start-up journey, to highlighting business opportunities made possible by emerging cutting-edge technologies.” – Raj G. Asava, BET Chair.

IMRC 2018 cultural team’s vision instilled an added sense of pride with Rajasthan and India. The host chapter team’s tribute to India and its diversity on the opening night triggered patriotic sentiments with the audience. The cultural highlight for the next day included scintillating Rajasthani folk dance, Kalbeliya, performed by Aakansha Maheshwari’s group. For the finale gala night, Ravi Jakhotia, otherwise known around the world as DJ RAVIDRUMS, along with stellar music band Dhwani, turned the ballroom into a concert hall.

Vikas Bhutada, President of MMNA summed up the event as, “I believe that I can speak for almost everyone here when I say that IMRC2018 was one of the most memorable experiences of my lifetime. A big Thank you to the West Coast North Chapter – the conveners, volunteers, participants, guest speakers, and the list goes on. Thank you for making this weekend unforgettable for our community and for the generations to come.”

MMNA is a 34-year old non-profit organization with 4000+ members across 10 chapters in USA and Canada. MMNA’s mission is to create a spirit of cohesiveness and camaraderie among all sharing the bond of a common ancestry. MMNA promotes togetherness and social welfare through its ten chapters across North America.

Chicago IL: The Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago (JSMC), Bartlett Illinois, celebrated a milestone – the 25th Anniversary of its temple, with great enthusiasm, color and pride, from June 22 to July 1, 2018 at Bartlett, IL. About 4000 people from US and outside witnessed this historical celebration over the 10 days. This is the first Jain temple in North America with “Shikhar” or dome to complete 25 years. A number of dignitaries, speakers, and faith leaders from US and India graced the occasion.

The event was graced by political dignitaries including Illinois State Governor Bruce Rauner, Consul General of India Ms. Neeta Bhusan, US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and Peter Roskam, State representatives Christine Winger and Laura Murphy, State senator Tom Cullerton and Bartlett Village trustees.

Over the 10 days of celebration, numerous scholars and dignitaries from India, including Muni Shri Jinchandraji, Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muniji, Swami Shrutpragyaji, Charukeerti Bhattarakji, Gurudev Shri Rakesh Bhai Zaveri, Shri Dipakbhai Bardoliwala, Shri Sanjeevji Godha, Smt. Pramodaji Chitrabhanu, Smt. Tarlaben Doshi and Samanijis delivered thought provoking spiritual discourses to an eager audience. Keynote speeches on important topics were delivered by Padmashri Kumarpal Desai, Dr. Dipak Jain, Rahul Kapoor and Sajan Shah. Vidhikar Shri Hiteshbhai, Shri Narendra Nandu, Shri Lalitbhai Dhami, Megh Nandu and Veer Sainik Jinaybhai performed unique poojans and rituals for the first time in the US. Singers Ashish Mehta and Vicky Parekh enthralled the audiences with beautiful musical scores. JSMC’s home musical production Nem Rajul and Karmic Forces received an overwhelming response as much as the professional productions Sheth Motisha and Veer na Varasdaar played by Rangat Productions of Mumbai.

Many activities for the youth including sports day, field day as well as youth-focused seminars and shibirs kept the youth engaged. Amazing work was done in creating replicas of sacred places of worship Ashtapad and Giriraj Shatrunjay.

One of the highlights of the celebration was a 1.5-mile parade & procession starting at Bartlett’s Eastview Middle School and ending at the Jain temple. The Sanghpati’s of the 25th Anniversary Celebrations (Jayendra and Leena Shah, Kishor and Rashmi Shah, Prabodh and Lata Vaidya, Sanjay and Hemali Shah and Dr. Shailesh and Mayuri Zaveri) and other sponsor families walked with 12 superbly decorated floats, Bhaghwan Palkhi and Rath, live religious music and dance, motorcycles and horse carriage. Despite nearly 100 degree temperature, the parade had participation from more than 1000  members. The parade ended with a ceremonial flower shower from a helicopter. JSMC also created history by inaugurating the first memorial (Jeevant Smarak) of Gurudev Chitrabhanuji who is credited to have strengthened Jainism and united Jains in the US in the last 40 years. Gurudev’s bust was sponsored by Ravindra & Pallavi Kobawala and Satish & Kinna Shah.

Since 1970s, Jain population in Chicago has exploded from less than thirty families to over 1900 families. With the mission of preserving and sharing the Jain way of life, the community built a beautiful Temple & Community Center in 1993 in Bartlett, IL on a 14 acre lot. Today this monumental temple and center standing on a 17.5 acre land with expanded facilities of 84,000 sq. ft.

President of JSMC executive committee Mr. Vipul Shah was ecstatic and mentioned that, “In this milestone year for all Jains around Chicago and indeed all of US, we have delivered a great experience to all our dignitaries, guests and members blending religion, education, culture and entertainment. All our programs have been received with tremendous enthusiasm”. Chairman and Board of Trustees of JSMC, Mr. Atul Shah added, “Our unity, dedicated volunteers, generous donors and all other supporters have helped us to set a very high bar”. Every day during the celebration, JSMC provided 3 sumptuous meals to all attendees and visitors. Many guests from Chicago and outside were thrilled with the overall execution and planning by the dedicated team of volunteers, Executive Committee members and Board of Trustees.

PR & Media co-leads Mr. Hemant Shah (past Chairman) and Dr. Mukesh Doshi (past Chairman) also explained, “We are building on a very successful legacy of 48 years of JSMC.” Chicago is very fortunate to have remarkable history of the first Jain who landed 125 years ago – when Shri Virchand Raghavji Gandhi pioneered Jainism in western world and represented Jains in first parliament of World religious conference held in Chicago in 1893. Since 1970, this society is standing on contributions of generous donors, dedicated volunteers and passionate leadership of visionaries. We are humbled to be part of this society that is regarded as symbol of unity and harmony among all Jains.

Founded in 1970, JSMC caters to the religious, educational, cultural and community needs of Jains in and around Chicago. After building North America’s first Jain temple with Shikhar in 1993, the organization undertook a major expansion in 2008-09. With more than 1900 families as life members, JSMC has maintained its unity of Shwetamber, Digambar, Sthanakvasi and Shrimad sects over the years and has continued to inspire the Jain values of non-violence, multi-pluralism and non-possessiveness.

These members engage in various religious, cultural, educational, and social and community activities on close to 160+ days in a typical year. Over 500 students register in the Pathshaala that meets every 1st and 3rd Sunday. The Center has also become a preferred location to host other events – given its state of the art community hall and dining facility. A 7-person elected Board and a 13-person elected Executive Committee manage JSMC with support from many /committees.

Jainism is a religion and a way of life for Jains around the world. The primary purpose of JSMC is to increase the awareness of the principles of Jainism, achieve the unity of all Jains, provide a platform wherefrom to project the voice of Jain religion, promote the feeling of amity and unity among Jains and to promote inter-faith understanding. Jainism, which originated in India, at least five thousand years ago, has largest number of followers (about 4 million) in India. It has nonetheless, influenced the world peace through its message of non-violence and forgiveness. Jainism, indirectly influenced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, as he followed the example and non-violent methods of Mahatma Gandhi in his struggle for equality and civil rights for all minorities in USA.

Jains have been on a path of Non-Violence, Non-Absolutism (Anekantvad), and Non-possesion (Aparigrah) for thousands of years. For thousands of years, Jains have believed in meditation, yoga, animal compassion, vegetarianism, environmentalism, equal rights for women, respect for other cultures and forgiveness. Jains believe that universe is eternal and that Jain religion, which explains the rules of the universe, is therefore eternal, with no beginning and no end. Last perfected soul known (Tirthankar) to us is Lord Mahavir, who was born in 599BC, near Patna in Bihar, India.

When it comes to relationships, most of us are winging it. We’re exhilarated by the early stages of love, but as we move onto the general grind of everyday life, personal baggage starts to creep in and we can find ourselves floundering in the face of hurt feelings, emotional withdrawal, escalating conflict, insufficient coping techniques and just plain boredom. There’s no denying it: making and keeping happy and healthy relationships is hard.

But a growing field of research into relationships is increasingly providing science-based guidance into the habits of the healthiest, happiest couples — and how to make any struggling relationship better. As we’ve learned, the science of love and relationships boils down to fundamental lessons that are simultaneously simple, obvious and difficult to master: empathy, positivity and a strong emotional connection drive the happiest and healthiest relationships.

“The most important thing we’ve learned, the thing that totally stands out in all of the developmental psychology, social psychology and our lab’s work in the last 35 years is that the secret to loving relationships and to keeping them strong and vibrant over the years, to falling in love again and again, is emotional responsiveness,” says Sue Johnson, a clinical psychologist in Ottawa and the author of several books, including Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love.

That responsiveness, in a nutshell, is all about sending a cue and having the other person respond to it. “The $99 million question in love is, ‘Are you there for me?’” says Johnson. “It’s not just, ‘Are you my friend and will you help me with the chores?’ It’s about emotional synchronicity and being tuned in.”

“Every couple has differences,” continues Johnson. “What makes couples unhappy is when they have an emotional disconnection and they can’t get a feeling of secure base or safe haven with this person.” She notes that criticism and rejection — often met with defensiveness and withdrawal — are exceedingly distressing, and something that our brain interprets as a danger cue.

To foster emotional responsiveness between partners, Johnson pioneered Emotionally Focused Therapy, in which couples learn to bond through having conversations that express needs and avoid criticism. “Couples have to learn how to talk about feelings in ways that brings the other person closer,” says Johnson.

According to Carrie Cole, director of research for the Gottman Institute, an organization dedicated to the research of marriage, emotional disengagement can easily happen in any relationship when couples are not doing things that create positivity. “When that happens, people feel like they’re just moving further and further apart until they don’t even know each other anymore,” says Cole. That focus on positivity is why the Gottman Institute has embraced the motto “small things often.” The Gottman Lab has been studying relationship satisfaction since the 1970s, and that research drives the Institute’s psychologists to encourage couples to engage in small, routine points of contact that demonstrate appreciation.

One easy place to start is to find ways to compliment your partner every day, says Cole — whether it’s expressing your appreciation for something they’ve done or telling them, specifically, what you love about them. This exercise can accomplish two beneficial things: First, it validates your partner and helps them feel good about themselves. And second, it helps to remind you why you chose that person in the first place.

When it comes to the brain and love, biological anthropologist and Kinsey Institute senior fellow Helen Fisher has found — after putting people into a brain scanner — that there are three essential neuro-chemical components found in people who report high relationship satisfaction: practicing empathy, controlling one’s feelings and stress and maintaining positive views about your partner.

In happy relationships, partners try to empathize with each other and understand each other’s perspectives instead of constantly trying to be right. Controlling your stress and emotions boils down to a simple concept: “Keep your mouth shut and don’t act out,” says Fisher. If you can’t help yourself from getting mad, take a break by heading out to the gym, reading a book, playing with the dog or calling a friend — anything to get off a destructive path. Keeping positive views of your partner, which Fisher calls “positive illusions,” are all about reducing the amount of time you spend dwelling on negative aspects of your relationship. “No partner is perfect, and the brain is well built to remember the nasty things that were said,” says Fisher. “But if you can overlook those things and just focus on what’s important, it’s good for the body, good for the mind and good for the relationship.”

Ultimately, the quality of a person’s relationships dictates the quality of their life. “Good relationships aren’t just happier and nicer,” says Johnson. “When we know how to heal [relationships] and keep them strong, they make us resilient. All these clichés about how love makes us stronger aren’t just clichés; it’s physiology. Connection with people who love and value us is our only safety net in life.”

Heads of several countries with sizeable Hindu population, chief ministers of states, top corporate honchos and religious leaders are scheduled to attend the second World Hindu Congress (WHC) in Chicago in September, organizers of the mega event said last week. The gathering on Sept. 7-9 is taking place four years after the first such conference was held in New Delhi in November 2014.

The congress is being organized at the Hotel Westin, in Lombard, Illinois by the World Hindu Foundation, a nonprofit created in 2012 and incorporated last year. The organizers said they expect as many as 2,000 delegates from 80 countries.

The Dalai Lama will attend the second World Hindu Congress in Chicago as Hindus from around the world gather to share ideas, tap into their collective resources and consider ways the community can achieve its full potential.

Billed as the biggest-ever gathering of who’s who of the Hindu community across the globe, WHC from September 7-9 is being held to commemorate 125 years of Swami Vivekananda’s historic Chicago address on September 11, 1893.

“Vivekananda’s message is going to reverberate throughout the three-day congress because almost every speaker is going to speak about Vivekananda and his message of unity and remembering one’s heritage and civilization. That is the whole heart and soul of this congress,” Boston-based Abhay Asthana, convener of the conference said.

Other attendees are expected to include Mohan Madhukar Bhagwat, head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in India, as well as Sri Ravishankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, and Swami Swaroopananda, worldwide head of Chinmaya Mission. Representatives are also expected from organizations such as Gayatri Parivar and the Brahma Kumaris, the Vedanta Society of Chicago and representatives of the Belur Math in Kolkata.

Asthana said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), the first Hindu elected to Congress, as well as Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) are to address the congress. The organizers have invited senior Hindu politicians from Suriname, Fiji, Nepal and Mauritius, including Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth as well as a number of state chief ministers from India. Organizers said, however, their attendance was not yet confirmed.

“As far as India is concerned, the visit of various chief ministers, including the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat, who is expected to address a conference on business and economy, and Devendra Fadnavis of Maharashtra, will have to be cleared by the Prime Minister’s office. We will get confirmation about their participation soon,” Asthana said. The congress will discusss even key issues: economics,education, media, politics,youth involvement, women participation and collaboration of Hindu organizations. “The theme of the conference is think collectively and achieve valiantly. We want to do it for the benefit of common good, and the common good is not just for the Hindu community. We want to talk about the common good for the entire humanity,” Asthana said.

Swami Vijnanananda, founder and global chairman of World Hindu Foundation and Jt. General Secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, was quoted as saying in Indian media that the purpose of the congress is to “ignite” the global Hindu community for its political and economic empowerment.

With India emerging as a global economic power, top corporate leaders from India, the United States and others parts of the world are likely to attend the three-day WHC. Many of them include those leading Fortune 500 companies.

According to organisers, some Bollywood and Hollywood superstars would also be participating and addressing the mega event. The purpose is to “ignite” global Hindu community for its political and economic empowerment, Vigyananand told a Washington audience today on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Washington DC Chapter of the World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF).

He said the purpose of the WHEF is to make Hindus visible and respectable across the globe.
“Hindus should be the dominant force in the world economy,” Vigyananand said. “The day Hindus — who constitute 16 per cent of the world population — become 16 per cent of the world economy, people would start listening to them (Hindus).” he said.

Noting that some 30 years ago, no one in the world cared about China, Swami Vigyananand said the world is now paying attention to China, because of its economic power, which results in military power and global power. “Our whole purpose is to regain economic strength,” he said, as he urged the entrepreneurs present at the gathering to consider entire world as the market.