The athlete who smashed her own world record in 400m hurdles is a member of a church France would call a “cult” if it knew it. And she proclaims it loudly.
From the World
Francesco Randone: Between Theosophy and Etruscan Dreams
The Italian ceramist, who lived in a tower within Rome’s Aurelian Walls, created occult rituals for firing ceramics with Theosophical, Etruscan, and Tolstoian elements.
Constitutional Court of Colombia: Religious Liberty Includes the Right to a Religious Funeral
A mother detained in a maximum-security jail still had the right to organize a Catholic funeral for her son, which the state should have subsidized since she had no money for it, the Court said.
The Crisis of Butsudan: What Does It Tell Us About Japan?
A fascinating book by Hannah Gould offers an opportunity to reflect on the status of religion in the country.
Serge Raynaud de la Ferrière and the Universal Great Brotherhood
Dozens of different movements throughout the world “proceed” from the teachings of the French esoteric master: a map.
New Zealand’ Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care and the Jehovah’s Witnesses: A Faulty Report
A biased and unscientific methodology, a selective use of sources, and religious prejudices led to unreliable conclusions.
Japan, Communist Party Continues to Harass the Women’s Federation for World Peace: An Interview with Moriko Hori
Claiming it is a “front” for the Unification Church, Communists tried to prevent its popular Japanese Speech Contest for Female Foreign Students from taking place in Niigata City.
Ahmadis at Jalsa Salana UK 2024: Peace in Europe, Blood in Pakistan
The annual gathering of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at was a feast of peaceful families and sincere faith. In Pakistan, however, persecution continues.
Ontario Superior Court of Justice States Jehovah’s Witnesses Have No “Systemic” Problem of Child Sexual Abuse
A certification motion for a class actions lawsuit making the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization liable for individual members’ abuses was rejected.
A Crucial International Religious Freedom Conference in Tokyo: The First Time in Japan
Even democracies are not always a safe harbor for religious groups. The case of Japan, whose relationship with faiths is complex and sometimes puzzling, shows it all too well.