Spirituality

THE FATWAS OF GRAND AYATOLLAH MOHAMMED HUSSEIN FADLALLAH

Thomas Riggins

The LA Times had an interesting article in its 2-06-08 issue by Borzou Daraghai (“Lebanon Cleric Advises ‘Modern Shiites’”). It’s a good tonic against the rising tide of Islamophobia engulfing the West in general and the US in particular. Just think of the hysterical reactions we have read about when a Muslim was elected to Congress and a high school dedicated to Arabic studies and language was opened in New York City.  read more »

Listen to a free audio sample of Odyssey of the 8th Fire

January 20th, 2008

I have begun to create a digital audio version of the true story, Odyssey of the 8th Fire. If you would like to listen to or to download this free, 6-minute theatrical audio production, click here: http://www.8thfire.net  read more »

The Southern Hemisphere World Naked Bike Ride is coming up fast. Just 8 weeks away. Now is prime scheming and planning time.
Routes, colorful paints and creative stories to tell the very confused police.

Let 2008 be the year of the colorful naked people on bicycles. A fun
new world is just a bicycle and a paintbrush away.

So, if you are planning on organizing a WNBR ride in your part of the
world, now is the time to do it.

One great suggestion to build up excitement and get media awarness is to organize a WNBR film screening night. There are now several great films about WNBR. For more info on films visit  read more »

By DAVID PITT, Associated Press Dec 3, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa - A federal appeals court ruled Monday that the state of Iowa cannot fund an evangelical Christian prison ministry program because doing so advances or endorses religion, violating the Constitutional separation of church and state.  read more »

by Thomas Riggins

There is an interesting review by the British philosopher Anthony Kenny in the August 17, 2007 issue of TLS: "Reason to believe". It is a review of a book by atheist turned Christian Alister McGrath and his wife Joanna Collicutt McGrath. The book is "The Dawkins Delusion? Atheist fundamentalism and the denial of the divine." This a very small book, only 98 pages.

The McGraths take exception to Dawkins's recent book "The God Delusion." Kenny points out, as have others, that Dawkins's book "has a strident and aggressive tone." Dawkins also thinks "that religion is the root of all evil." This is an idealist position which ignores the role of social and historical circumstances in the development of religions and confuses secondary causative factors with primary.  read more »

July 26, 2007 Jewish Telegraphic Agency

European rabbis held a protest and prayer vigil today in Brussels over a 600-year-old cemetery in Vilnius, Lithuania that they say is being used for construction.  read more »

June 15, 2007 Press TV

Indian Kashmiri Shia Muslim activists protested against the US President George W. Bush policies in Iraq and the Sammara blast.

A large number of Indian Kashmiri shia Muslims showed their rage against the attack to Holy shrine of Shia Imams in Sammara, AFP reported.

They burned the US President pictures and shouted anti-US slogans during their protest rally in Srinagar , the summer capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is located in 876 km north of Delhi.  read more »

By OMER FAROOQ, Associated Press May 18, 2007