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Editor's note:
This weekend, a handful of New Yorkers will participate in their first distinctly Hindu practice, as they go to the banks of the Hudson River to perform the visarjan ritual of Ganesh Chaturthi, sending Lord Ganesha home by immersing his clay body into the water. As many unaffiliated Gen Zers look to sample Hinduism in their quest for a “faith unbundled,” the Broome Street Ganesha Temple in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood, half yoga studio and half mandir, offers an inviting sanctuary amid the chaos of city life. The 20-year-old temple “is rooted in tradition and history but also caters to the needs of modern Hindus or people who are spiritual,” Broome Street’s assistant director told RNS’s Richa Karmarkar. While the temple’s doors are open to the spiritually curious, it has also become a home away from home for many young Hindus seeking to return to the traditions of their ancestors. “Here, it’s cool to come to the temple.”
Religion News
Lawsuit by Islamic rights group says US terror watchlist woes continue even after names are removed
A lawsuit filed by an Islamic civil rights group challenges the constitutionality of the government's terror watchlist and says Muslims face negative repercussions even after they are able to clear their name off the list. By Matthew Barakat/The Associated Press
Riding a wave of converts, one group aims to fuse Orthodoxy with Southern values
At the group’s inaugural event, the majority of attendees appeared to represent the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, though few were ‘cradle’ Orthodox Christians. By Meagan Saliashvili/Religion News Service
Ten years after Pope Francis made a landmark visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa to show solidarity with migrants, he is joining Catholic bishops from the Mediterranean this weekend in France to make the call more united. By Nicole Winfield/The Associated Press
In Chile, justice eludes victims of Catholic clergy sex abuse years after the crisis exploded
A clergy sex abuse scandal involving Chile’s most notorious pedophile, shook the country in 2010 in a way never seen in Latin America. The case prompted a response from the Vatican, many victims decided to speak about their own abuses and the percentage of people who distrust the Catholic Church has risen since then. By María Teresa Hernández/The Associated Press
Is a pastor’s sin a private matter? Johnny Hunt lawsuit makes that claim.
The former SBC president and longtime megachurch pastor covered up his sexual misconduct for a decade. Now he's suing SBC leaders for revealing his sins. By Bob Smietana/Religion News Service
Commentary and Analysis
A scholar of digital religion explains why the use of AI isn't necessarily displacing religious leadership: It is the clergy who are helping with the programming, critical for its deployment. By Pauline Hope Cheong for The Conversation
Morocco is grappling not just with the loss of lives from the recent earthquake, but with the destruction of its cultural heritage – a 12th century mosque in the village of Tinmel is among them. By Abbey Stockstill for The Conversation
As more Americans step away from organized religion, so do more chaplains – but they are prepared to offer spiritual care regardless of a patient's beliefs. By Amy Lawton for The Conversation
The church distanced itself from the 'Sound of Freedom' hero. By Jana Riess/Religion News Service
Rice is thrown as an offering on an idol of Buddha during the Pancha Dan festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. Pancha Dan, the festival of five summer gifts, is a day when devotees donate five commodities they consider essential for their well being, which are unhusked paddy, rice grains, pulses, salt and money. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
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