July 2006 Archives

Guilty conscience leads thief to return watches, religious medals stolen from nuns:

``Please help return these items to the sisters that they were stolen from, if possible,'' said the anonymous letter included with the parcel that ended up at Our Lady Help of Christians Church. ``The person who stole them asks for their forgiveness, as he has asked for God's forgiveness, and is extremely sorry for the pain that their theft caused.''

The note made reference to a 1981 theft. At the time, the convent was located on the church's land, but now resides two blocks away.

``Nothing like this has ever happened. It really surprised us,'' said Rev. John Sassani, pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians. ``It shows that even if a long time passes, like 25 years, there is still a desire to make something that is wrong right.

``Will this person be forgiven as he's asking?'' Sassani asks. ``The only forgiveness in this case is God's forgiveness.''

Hmmm.  Sounds like the nuns are still ticked off.

Lotus Temple , New Delhi, originally uploaded by Radical Prodigy's.

A striking study in the nine-pointed star from the Baha'i House of Worship in New Delhi. More here: http://www.bahaindia.org/

In a high profile case in South Africa, a court has cited religious & cultural freedom as grounds for allowing a fifteen-year-old girl of South Indian descent to wear a nose stud to school:

The nose stud story made headlines in 2004 when Navaneetham Pillay's daughter, a pupil at the school, returned from holiday wearing a nose stud.

When the school enquired, Pillay said her family was of South Indian descent and that they had decided to maintain a cultural identity by following traditions.

She said in the olden days, young women from that country had their noses pierced upon maturing, to show that they were eligible for marriage.

Although she conceded that the reasoning was no longer applicable, Pillay said her family still used the tradition to honour their daughters as responsible young adults.

She said her daughter was to have her gold stud replaced by a diamond one when she turned 16.

The stud was to be replaced by the girl's grandmother as part of a religious ritual to honour and bless her.

She said the ritual was a way in which the elders of the household bestowed worldly goods, including jewellery, upon young women.

temple ants destroy wasp, originally uploaded by hinotori mortal.

It may not be spiritual adornment, but this picture from Japan's Yamadera Buddhist shrine is a fascinating study in the resonance between self-organizing systems and religious belief.

Stauros, originally uploaded by Emuishere.

The photographer titled this photo "Stauros." Here's why.

Religion, originally uploaded by piratesnafu.

A photo study in "Religion" from Flickr's "Pirate's Snafu."

Dominos Wearable Art, originally uploaded by lastingexpressions.

Below and above: spiritual domino art from Lasting Expressions, for sale on eBay and browsable on Flickr--a textbook example of what some see as a burgeoning "minipreneur" movement in American culture.

Former Secretary of State Madelyne Albright is promoting her new book, The Mighty and the Almighty, which discusses the role of religion in international affairs.   Secretary Albright is also known for the "showy brooches" she wears at public events, and her next book will use her brooches to illustrate today's faith-infused global politics!