Julia Anne Seal is a Christian singer/ musician/ songwriter. She writes about her faith as a musician for the Faith Column.
I have been on stage for most of my life, most of the time leading worship at my church along with some very talented Rock/Blues/Jazz musicians and singers. I have been married to a wonderful man for 19 years and he serves along with me in the sound ministry.
The greatest challenge in leading worship in a “band-setting” is drawing a line between being on stage and performing, knowing ... read more
In the last of our series on what faith means to students, Shosh Ajoodan, a third year Neuroscience student from London, studying at Manchester University explains the joys of being part of the student Jewish community.
It seems that almost every day there is an article in a newspaper or a programme on TV attacking religion and, by extension, mocking people of faith in general. But for me, my Judaism is so much more than believing in God equals 'loony' equation. I do believe in God as it happens, but that is not what defines me as being a part of a Jewish Community.
Being ... read more
David Masters is studying for an MA in Working With Communities at the University of Sheffield. He recalls his struggle with faith as an undergraduate Christian student.
University, I was warned, is a dangerous place for faith. Brought up in an Evangelical Christian family, my father’s socks-with-sandals combination and rarely trimmed beard were enough to rival any Jesus-freak-of-the-year competition winner. He even read the Bible every morning, sitting on the toilet – locked in his sanctuary of calm, safe from the whirlwind of five children late for school, mum the human barrier to our fighting, simultaneously telling ... read more
Continuing the series on what faith means to students, Varun Anand, a 3rd year medical student from Hull studying at the University of Birmingham writes about his journey of Hindu spirituality.
Before I came to university I have to admit I was not very religious and did not know much about Hinduism, except that we have many religious scriptures and are not allowed to eat beef. Although we are a Hindu family, we only celebrate the major festivals like Diwali (festival of light) and Holi (festival of colours), of which I knew little about. I was more interested in the fun ... read more
What does it mean to practice faith as a student? Altaf Kazi, a 24 year old Muslim studying MSc Public Service Management at University of Birmingham shares his experiences.
Over the summer before I started my Masters, I had decided to make some changes in my life. I had decided to make an effort to get closer to my religion. What inspired me? The realization of knowing that I needed to be closer to my Creator before I returned to Him. I thanked Allah for the fact that I had found my faith. Never before had I felt more ... read more
Maureen Lines reveals how some Western journalists get disappointed when the truth they wanted doesn't turn out to be what they were looking for...
“All wars are fought in the name of religion”, so said my grandfather. I can’t remember if that were during the doodle bug years, when we lived in the dugout at the bottom of the garden, or when I was going to the pukka school nearby, where my classmates were nearly all Jews.
The Kalasha people of the North-Western Frontier province of Pakistan have forever been exploited. Timber mafia, tourism ... read more
Most anthropologists believe that a good deal of the Kalasha religion may have been borrowed from Islam
Most anthropologists consider the Kalasha Religion to be polytheistic, because it has many deities. In Rumbur, however, where the people are more progressive and there is a stronger belief in the monotheistic concept of one single creator of the universe, Saifullah Jan, the official representative of the Kalasha, says the Kalasha do believe in one supreme god. This god goes under various names such as the Persian KHODAI (used mostly ... read more
Maureen Lines gives insight into the ancient religion of the Kalash people who live in the mountains of Northern Pakistan
The Kalasha religion is a complex, convoluted subject with multi-layered and often paradoxical beliefs. Unlike religions such as Christianity, there is no separation between the religious and secular life.
Kalash is based on the strict separation of the pure (ONJESHTA) and impure (PRAGATA) realms. The pure realm is associated with mountain tops (Home of SUCHI – fairies of supernatural beings), the high pastures, goats, goat-houses and carved wooden shrines. ... read more
Meindert Gorter gives his views on religious freedom in China today and the prospects of the Dalai Lama return from exile
The Dorje Shugden Society is trying to put a stop to the ban on the worship of Dorje Shugden on the basis of India’s constitution, a country where you are free to worship almost anything. The Indian High Court is due to consider the case in September.
Advanced Buddhist hermeneutics are unnecessary to understand a protector, which is actually simply a powerful thought used for developing wisdom instead of attaining ... read more
Meindert Gorter explores the history and reasons behind the Dalai Lama's ban on the deity Dorje Shugden
The Dalai Lama has given several reasons to explain the excommunication of the protector, Dorje Shugden, back in 1996. However what he has actually seemed to be doing is adapting the gravity of the ban to match the level of protest against it within the Tibetan community. In some interviews he has even denied having banned the deity; he only wanted to give a warning, people can make their own ... read more
Followers of the Dalai Lama claim that China is behind dissent by those who question his ban on the worship of Dorje Shugden
It has been 12 years since I first heard Dorje Shugden’s name. Under normal circumstances it's best not to talk about protectors openly. This is because protectors can lose their strength for a person, and you don't really want them to expire. Best kept in silence, they serve as fuel on the path to enlightenment. In monasteries protectors’ shrines are closed, only to be opened on special occasions. That is ... read more
Meindert Gorter talks about Dorje Shugden, a Buddhist deity whose worship has been banned by the Dalai Lama
I am a Dutch student of Kundeling Rimpoche, one of the Dalai Lama’s major critics in the Gelugpa tradition. I’ll try to give an explanation of the Dorje Shugden controversy that is both understandable for those who are not initiated in the Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhist tradition and still explains the very crux of the problem.
When I met Kundeling Rimpoche in 1995 I was interested in Buddhism and thought he ... read more
A christian charity must be done by faith. Iam an Indian and iam Christian too. Faith through charity is a powerful.
From christian charity, 13 February 04:41
Still confusing to me. Isn't there a better, time tested way of escaping the chains of cultural poverty. An education, learning to speak in English sentences--using your given intellect to find...
From Harold Hatch, 27 January 21:48
@gnuneo, you your self might be in danger of over emphasising the 'individual' in New Age like leap of faith arising from phenomena that is far from understood.
From MG, 16 January 16:52
Can the UK achieve it’s commitment to carbon reduction targets by 2020?
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