The final days of Mizoram’s Jewish community in India

Recommendable! One of the lost tribes?

Why the return of Bhagwan Buddha’s relics is a defining moment for India

Recommendable! Language is Hindi. "During the inauguration of the Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics related to Bhagwan Buddha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “After more than a century, Bhagwan Buddha’s sacred relics have returned to India, marking a deeply emotional and historic moment. These relics are not just treasures of the past, but symbols of peace, compassion and shared human values.”"

1700 Years Later: The Enduring Power of the Nicene Creed

Recommendable! Luce da luce!

To the Holy Sepulcher: Treasures from the Terra Sancta Museum at the Frick Collection

Very recommendable!

Colonial America: The Great Awakening | PragerU

Very recommendable!

Muslims Were Pagans, According to the Norse Sagas of the medieval literature. Really!

Recommendable! However, this again is very typical flawed and ideological Western research!

Does history not show that it was mutual for both sides to claim the other side were pagans and observed polytheism etc.?

Was polytheism not present before Muhammad introduced Islam in the 7th century CE? How long did take to ban/displace polytheism from the Muslim countries? Centuries?

Was it not although true that at this time, the Muslims were trying to invade Europe from multiple directions. Is it not normal for war propaganda to portray the enemy in the worst possible form?

What about reliable information at that time about foreign regions, societies, religion, and people? Very limited.

"In other European countries, quite a lot of research has been conducted on how Islam and Muslims are portrayed in medieval literature. Now, for the first time, we have an insight into how Muslims are mentioned in Norse literature. 

He has examined how Norse texts from early Christian times, from 1050 to 1350, portrayed, imagined, and constructed the image of Muslims and Islam. A main finding is that Muslims were referred to as an ancient enemy that posed a threat to Christian civilisation.

Referred to as Pagans

One recurring notion in the texts is that Muslims were pagans. ...

“The texts state that they worshiped multiple gods ...

There were two main reasons Norwegians came into contact with Muslims ...

“One was that they were crusaders, like Sigurd the Crusader, who fought against Muslims on the Iberian Peninsula. The other point of contact was that several served as mercenaries for the Byzantine army.” ...

A common thread in ... findings on how Muslims and Islam are portrayed is that they are misrepresentations [???]. Muslims become fictional figures in Western texts. ..."

Muslims Were Pagans, According to the Norse Sagas - Research News "The Norse sagas contain a surprising number of negative perceptions about Muslims. “It was a form of propaganda to garner support for Christianity,” says a researcher."

Ethiopia launches global contest to save Lalibela’s ancient churches

Recommendable! Good news!

Tibetan Buddhist nuns are getting advanced degrees − and the Dalai Lama played a major role in that shift

Good news! Will the next Dalai Lama be a woman?

Caveat: I did not read the article!

"In August 2025, 161 Tibetan Buddhist nuns from religious institutions across India and Nepal – a record number – gathered at the Dolma Ling Nunnery in northern India to take various levels of the “geshema” examination. These exams are in preparation for one day receiving the geshema degree, comparable with a doctorate in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. The nearly four-week gathering was especially notable because until 13 years ago it was completely unavailable to women. ...

the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso [age 90].

He encouraged nuns to become advanced degree holders as part of his broader goal to increase gender parity. ..."

Tibetan Buddhist nuns are getting advanced degrees − and the Dalai Lama played a major role in that shift

Source

Dalai Lama Cuts China Off From Succession Plan with Palki Sharma

Very recommendable! Free Tibet!

The Communist Party of China abducted the last, 11th Panchen Lama in 1995 and the boy was never seen again.

Why do the atheist communists care so much about the Dalai Lama?

"Jesus of Siberia" Sergei Torop Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

Recommendable!

"A Russian cult leader who claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ has been sentenced to 12 years in a maximum-security prison. Sergei Torop, known to followers as "Vissarion," founded the Church of the Last Testament in Siberia in 1991 and attracted thousands to his remote commune. Russian authorities say Torop and two aides used psychological manipulation to control followers, causing serious mental and physical harm and defrauding them of money. The court also ordered over $570,000 in compensation to victims. The trio was arrested in a dramatic 2020 raid by Russian security forces. All three denied wrongdoing."

Behind The Indian Roots Of The 1979 Islamic Revolution Which Shaped Modern Iran | From Barabanki To Tehran

Amazing stuff! History is stranger than fiction! Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini's family has roots in India.

The Journey of Yoga: From Ancient India to Global Popularity | Yoga's Evolution and Influence

Recommendable! Very short, but sweet!

Hinglaj Mata | Balochistan’s Sacred Site in Pakistan Amid Political Tensions

Recommendable!

Inside India's first museum dedicated to the Parsi community

Recommendable, except for that horrible, narrow video format!

Together, Pope Leo XIV and Patriarch Bartholomew return to Nicaea on 1,700th anniversary of defining moment in Christendom

I am not very familiar with the history of the Christian church, but this could be a momentous event in history!

Is the new Pope up to something?

Together, pope and patriarch return to Nicaea on 1,700th anniversary of defining moment in Christendom | Blaze Media

DIY religion: More Americans finding faith outside church like a personal quest for authenticity. Really!

I can believe that! I have faith in this claim! It has a long tradition in American history dating back to the Founding Fathers and Mothers!

I am a DIY person myself!

However, Cornell University claims it was something new going on in American society without mentioning the Founding Fathers and Mothers, but they do mention Max Weber (The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism)! The research article (see below) featured by Cornell U is heavily tainted with ideology! It appears to be a shallow research paper lacking authenticity!

Take for example Thomas Paine. Benjamin Franklin. According to Google search:

• "Thomas Paine was a staunch critic of organized religion and a proponent of individual religious freedom. He advocated for a "mind is my own church" approach, believing in a Creator-God but rejecting supernatural claims and the authority of established religious institutions. He argued that revealed religions were the source of much suffering and that true religion was about morality and good deeds."
• "Benjamin Franklin was a complex religious figure, often described as a deist, meaning he believed in God but rejected certain aspects of traditional Christian doctrine ... He rejected the strict Puritan faith of his parents while still acknowledging the importance of morality and good works. Franklin's religious beliefs evolved throughout his life, and he maintained relationships with people of different faiths."

Caveat: I did not read the research article!

"A “remarkable” transformation is underway in American religious life, Cornell-led research finds: Large numbers are leaving organized religion – not in favor of secular rationality, but to pursue spirituality in ways that better align with their individual values.

This reimagining of religion outside traditional institutions fits within broader social changes that have prioritized individual fulfilment and “finding” oneself, including shifting views about gender and sexuality and the rise of the internet, the researchers said. Spanning political views, it also reflects a revolt against religious organizations growing more bureaucratic, rigid and political over time – turning into the “iron cages” predicted by sociologist Max Weber – and increasingly clashing with individuals’ search for meaning. ...

The scholars analyzed data from more than 1,300 participants in the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) who completed four rounds of surveys between 2003 and 2013, starting when they were between 13 and 17 years old. Over that decade, participants reported how frequently they attended religious services or prayed alone; if they were affiliated with a religion and believed in God; if they supported converting others to a religion; and if they practiced meditation.

The results showed institutional aspects of religion declined significantly faster than individual faith and spirituality. Estimated trajectories showed a sharp decline in religious attendance while prayer frequency dipped but plateaued, producing a widening gap between institutional engagement and individual practice. Religious affiliation dropped precipitously while belief in God held stable. Support for proselytism declined nearly 10%, while meditation practice grew about as much – the only variable to show growth.

The analysis showed steeper declines in religious attendance and affiliation among more liberal study participants – including those who supported same-sex marriage and abortion rights – but declines among moderates and conservatives as well, “suggesting broad change across this cohort,” the authors wrote, across gender, race, class and sexual orientation. ..."

From the abstract:

"The United States is undergoing a remarkable religious transformation: in just a few decades, the proportion of religious “nones” surged from 1 in 20 to more than 1 in 4.

Through four waves of National Study of Youth and Religion surveys and in-depth interviews (2003–2013) linked with administrative data, this study follows a cohort of adolescents coming of age during the rapid rise of the “nones” and shifting social values, including growing support for same-sex marriage [???].

When young people perceive religious institutions as stifling self-actualization, marginalizing sexual minorities [???], constraining women, or demonstrating hypocrisy, they experience conflict between their religious commitments and deeply held values related to concern for others and the sacredness of the individual.

Many manage this conflict by disengaging from religious institutions while reimagining spirituality on their own terms. The findings reveal individuals breaking free from modernity’s iron cage [Max Weber term] of bureaucratization and rationalization, seeking self-actualization and a more authentic connection to others and to the sacred.

The authors propose that these trends represent the individualization of American religion, a transformation that illuminates how personal quests for authenticity can fundamentally reshape the religious landscape."

DIY religion: More Americans finding faith outside church | Cornell Chronicle

Breaking Free of the Iron Cage: The Individualization of American Religion (open access)

Origin of the Sikhs - The Lions of the Punjab

Very recommendable! Very impressive this religion!

Are Historians Wrong About the Origins of Islam?

Recommendable!

Roman Gods and Religion in the Empire | Life in Ancient Times

Recommendable!

A Unique Structure Discovered in the City of David – The Only One of Its Kind Found in Jerusalem, Used for Ritual Practices, During the Time of the First Temple

Amazing stuff! Religion and wine, what a combination made in heaven! 😊

From the abstract:

"This paper presents the finds retrieved from a unique series of rock-cut rooms found on the eastern slope of the City of David. These rock-cut rooms stand out in terms of their architectural features, as well as the artifacts discovered within them, all of which reflect on their function as a cultic complex, likely constructed in the Middle Bronze Age, with its final stage in Iron Age IIB. This complex offers profound evidence for the diversity of cultic practices in the capital of the Kingdom of Judah."

A New Study Determines: A Unique Structure Discovered in the City of David – The Only One of Its Kind Found in Jerusalem, Used for Ritual Practices, During the Time of the First Temple "A unique structure, uncovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority on the eastern slope of the City of David, within the Jerusalem Walls National Park, features eight rock-hewn rooms containing an altar, a standing stone (masseba), an oil press, and a winepress. In a new article published in the scientific journal ‘Atiqot, excavation director Eli Shukron suggests that the structure was used by the residents of Judah for cultic/religious practice."

Credits: Researchers Uncover Ancient Worship Site Near First Temple in Jerusalem

Evidence of Worship in the Rock-Cut Rooms on the Eastern Slope of the City of David, Jerusalem (open access)

An oil press and a winepress nearby: used for producing small quantities of oil and wine for ritual purposes.

Proposed reconstruction of the ritual structure