India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, are often accused of advancing Hindutva, a political ideology usually referred to as Hindu nationalism, that seeks to empower the country’s Hindu majority while relegating Muslims and Christians to second-class citizens. The BJP has historically presented Christians as a threat because of their history of missionary work in the country. (Ali, Religion News Service)
Read MoreBritish lawmakers gave initial approval Friday to a bill to help terminally ill adults end their lives in England and Wales. After an impassioned debate, members of Parliament approved the so-called assisted dying bill by a vote of 330 to 275. (CBS News)
Read MoreResearchers and religious leaders on Wednesday released findings from a two-month experiment through art in a Catholic chapel in Switzerland, where an avatar of “Jesus” on a computer screen — tucked into a confessional — took questions by visitors on faith, morality and modern-day woes, and offered responses based on Scripture. (Keaten, AP News)
Read MoreWorries about the economy, conflicts abroad and uncertainty over the election pushed readers toward the publication in droves. Bible sales are up 22% in the U.S. through the end of October, compared with the same period last year, according to book tracker Circana BookScan. (Trachtenberg, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreOur language experts created a shortlist of six words to reflect the moods and conversations that have helped shape the past year. After two weeks of public voting and widespread conversation, our experts came together to consider the public’s input, voting results, and our language data, before declaring ‘brain rot’ as the definitive Word of the Year for 2024. (Oxford University Press)
Read MoreThe humanitarian crisis has been worsened by several hospitals and clinics closing due to the growing violence. More than 700,000 people have been internally displaced, aggravating already dire food insecurity that has seen some 6,000 plunged into famine-level hunger. (The Telegraph)
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