POPULARITY
Categories
In this podcast, Kushal speaks with veteran journalist and media commentator Kanchan Gupta about the violence that has erupted in Murshidabad, West Bengal, where Muslim mobs have attacked innocent Hindus. As of now, approximately 150 arrests have been made in Mushidabad, with 1,000 police personnel and 8 BSF companies deployed. Follow Kanchan Gupta: X: @KanchanGupta #BengalBurns #westbengal #WaqfBill #Kolkata #MurshidabadViolence ------------------------------------------------------------ Listen to the podcasts on: SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/kushal-mehra-99891819 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rVcDV3upgVurMVW1wwoBp Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-c%C4%81rv%C4%81ka-podcast/id1445348369 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-carvaka-podcast ------------------------------------------------------------ Support The Cārvāka Podcast: Buy Kushal's Book: https://amzn.in/d/58cY4dU Become a Member on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPx... Become a Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carvaka UPI: kushalmehra@icici Interac Canada: kushalmehra81@gmail.com To buy The Carvaka Podcast Exclusive Merch please visit: http://kushalmehra.com/shop ------------------------------------------------------------ Follow Kushal: Twitter: https://twitter.com/kushal_mehra?ref_... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KushalMehraO... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarvakap... Koo: https://www.kooapp.com/profile/kushal... Inquiries: https://kushalmehra.com/ Feedback: kushalmehra81@gmail.com
John 5:19-30,19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. It's Palm Sunday, and I do love “Holy Week” and these last seven days leading up to Easter next Sunday. And that last verse we just read sounds like Holy Week, does it not? Jesus says in verse 30,“I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”On Thursday night, Jesus will kneel in the garden, and in those final moments before soldiers come to get him, he will pray, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).How do you get your soul ready to say “not my will but yours be done”? Answer: you don't say it for the first time in garden. You say it in John 5:30, and you say it in John 6:38: “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” And you pray it every morning and throughout your life: “Your kingdom come, your will be done.” Day by day, you condition your soul to will God's will.I'm not saying you train yourself to bite your lip and not do what you want but what God wants. Rather, you condition your wants. You train your desires and delights, like Jesus did. When he says “not my will,” he means not what my human, creaturely will would will apart from God's will, but rather, with God's will in view, and with a love for God and his will, and with my will formed to embrace and cherish God's will, I will, with my human will, what is also the divine will I share with my Father.One Little WordLast week in John 5, we saw Jesus heal a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. How did he heal him? With his voice. One little word:Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. (verses 8–9)The Jewish leaders see the man carrying his bed and say, Hey, you can't do that on the Sabbath! So, they make their way to Jesus to press him about it. And Jesus could have entered into the fray on their terms. He could have said, I didn't break the Sabbath. I only said a word and healed a man who'd been paralyzed for 38 years. But Jesus doesn't respond on their terms. Instead, he says, in verse 17, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”“My Father” — now these Jewish leaders are “seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God” (verse 18).That's the issue on the table, the issue to which Jesus responds in verses 19–47. This morning we'll look at verses 19–30, then next week, verses 30–47.There are a few key concepts on the surface of verses 19–30. You heard them in the reading of the passage. Twice Jesus mentions “marveling.” Verse 20: he wants them to marvel, to be shaken from their unbelief. And verse 28: he says not to marvel yet because something even more marvelous is coming.Also on the surface is the relationship between Jesus and the Father, and their working in synch to give life and execute judgment.But what's harder to see at first pass is how much the word of Jesus, or the voice of Jesus, knits this whole section together. It was the word or voice of Jesus that started this controversy. How did Jesus heal the man? He spoke. No bandages or braces. No oil or medicine. He just says, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”Who else works like this through simply uttering his voice? Answer: God. How did God create the world? Through his word. And he gives life through his word, upholds the universe through his word, and sends his Word, who gives spiritual life through his word and in the end will raise the dead, good and evil, through his word.Then, how is it that Jesus gets himself into hotter water with the Jewish leaders? Through his voice, his word. He says, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” So they want to kill him all the more, and think he's “making himself equal with God.” And now Jesus will again speak in verses 19–30. So, let's see three marvelous words he speaks with his voice, and about his voice.1. The voice of Jesus commends his Father. (Verses 19–20)Jesus's first response to the charge that he is making himself equal with God is that it's not what they think. He starts with “it's less than you think.” But then he's going to say, essentially, “it's almost what you think,” and then finish with, “it's more than what you think.” But first verses 19–20:Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.So, first, Jesus deescalates: “the Son can do nothing of his own accord.” And he'll come back here in verse 30: “I can do nothing on my own.” It's almost the exact same humble, dependent words — he just says “I” in verse 30 and calls himself “the Son” in verse 19. Which is important.Jesus mentioned his Father in verse 17: “My Father is working till now, and I am working.” So, God is his Father, and he is the Son. And the first thing he says about that, which distinguishes Father from Son, puts Jesus in the humble, dependent position of sonship: “I can do nothing on my own.”Jesus is not the Father. And the Father is not the Son. There are not two Gods. Jesus is not “making himself God” alongside God. This is not ditheism. Rather, this will come to be known as Christian monotheism.But then, granting that dependent, humble sonship, Jesus escalates things again. At the end of verse 19, he says, the Son does “whatever the Father does,” and then in verse 20: “the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.” So, not only is this Father-Son relationship less than what the Jewish leaders assume, but it is almost what they assume. Jesus is not independent of his Father, but neither is the Father independent of the Son.This passage, along with many others, is why Christians confess the doctrine of “the Threeness,” the Trinity. There is a threeness in the one God — and very soon in this Gospel we'll hear more about the Spirit. The claims Jesus makes in John 5 reveal within the one God a plurality of persons. The Father is God. And the Son is God. But the Son is not the Father. What's striking in John 5 is the ordered equality between Father and Son. Consider what Jesus says the Father does in these verses: The Father acts first; the Son sees what the Father does and the Son does likewise.The Father loves the Son and shows the Son; the Son is beloved and shown. The Father has given all judgment to the Son, that all might honor the Son like they do the Father. And the Father has given the Son authority to execute judgment. Not vice versa. Not reciprocal.As we'll see in verse 26: The Father has life in himself, and he grants the Son to have life in himself.If we wanted to sum up the relation between Father and Son we might say the Father gives, and the Son receives. The Father gives cues; the Son takes them. The Father gives the Son guidance and direction, and gives all judgment to the Son, and gives honor to the Son, and he gives him “life in himself.”A word for fathers in the room. (This is relevant for mothers too, but especially fathers.) Fathers, if you had to name the difference between you and your children, what would it be? You wouldn't say, I'm human and their children. No, you're human; they're human. Human nature is not the difference between father and son. Soon enough, the children grow up, and you're all adults together. Rather, what you'd say, most fundamentally, is that the father begets his children. That is, he and their mother give them life. They generate the children.And a good father keeps giving to his children, giving himself, his energy, his attention — yes, his money, but oh so much more than just finances — your presence, your listening, your patience, your counsel, your prayers, your example, your priorities, your love. You give and give and give, until one day, they are ready to give and give and give to give life to the next generation.So, Dads — and Moms too, but focusing on Dads right now — Dads, that's the very heart of our calling: give and give and give. And it's a glorious honor and profound joy. To be like our heavenly Father who gives and gives and gives. And Dads, we're not God the Father. Human dads get tired; we run on fumes, we get empty; we sin; we're impatient, unloving, unsupportive, distracted, inattentive, emotionally absent. But the difference between a good human father and a bad one isn't that one makes mistakes and the other doesn't. The difference is whether the human father, when in sin, when empty, when failing, knows and goes to his heavenly Father to get help — both forgiveness and fresh effort. Dads, your energy, your emotional resources, your love is not bottomless like our Father's. And that's okay. Because your fundamental identity is not father but son; your Father has life in himself, and his capital-S Son, Jesus, our brother, has life in himself, and they never tire and never empty. You know where to refill when you're empty.2. The voice of Jesus gives life to whom he desires. (Verses 21–27)Jesus says at the end of verse 20, “And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.” Impressive as it is to heal a man who could not walk — and do so with only a word — Jesus and his Father have greater works in store, to make people marvel, and so shake them from their unbelief. Now, verses 21–27 are very dense. Let's first read verses 21–23, and talk about the honor of the Son (and then verses 24–27). Verse 21:For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life [that is, he is God, this is what God does], so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.We'll say more in a minute about the Father himself judging no one but giving all judgment to the Son. This he does, Jesus says, “that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father.”And then comes the inverse: “Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.” And there is scarcely a more incendiary word in our world today. Not that it was easy then. Can you imagine, a man in flesh and blood, standing before the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem saying, “The one true God, the God of the Hebrew Scriptures, has given all judgment to me, that all might honor me, just as they honor him”? So, it was incendiary then. And in our pluralistic world, the offenses multiply. This is not only a word for Jewish people today. This is a word for Muslims, and Buddhists, and Hindus, and various folk religions, and the so-called “irreligious,” and for anyone presuming to be a Christian. Check yourself here, not just your neighbor.This is the question for every religion and every human: Do you honor God? Do Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and nice, charitable secular people honor God? Verse 23 says the issue is this: Do they honor the Son? What do they do with Jesus? How do they orient on Jesus? What do they believe and say about Jesus? Do they honor the divine Son for who he is, and what he says, and what he has accomplished, or do they dishonor him as simply a moral man and good teacher and influential person? Which makes him into a liar or lunatic.Jesus is the dividing line in every soul: “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12).So, the negative word, the distancing word, is “No Jesus, no spiritual life.” But what about the positive word? Verse 21 says, “the Son gives life to whom he will.” What about them? Verse 24:Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.Oh this is such good news. The voice of Jesus gives life, even now, to those who hear him with faith. Verse 24 is in the present: “whoever hears my word and believes,” and Jesus says that person “has eternal life.” Not: will have, someday. But: has, right now. Jesus says the hour “is now here, when the (spiritually) dead will hear his voice and their souls will live.”And there's one more “has” in verse 24. If you hear Jesus's word even now, and believe in him and his Father who sent him, Jesus says you do not come into judgment but have (already) passed from death to life.The all-important question this morning is, Do you believe in him now? Has he opened the eyes of your heart to see him in his glory, and believe his words, and receive him as sent from his Father, and trust him for the forgiveness of your sins, then have eternal life in your soul already? Now, you don't have the fullness of all that eternal life will be — no sin, new heavens and new earth, glorified human body, surrounded by those who love and worship Jesus. But that simple faith in your soul — that coming awake in your heart to Jesus — is new life in your once spiritually dead heart. And that new life is the first taste and beginning of the full eternal life we will experience when Jesus returns.When Jesus says about you, “He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life,” you know how we might say that in the words of Paul? “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This, friends, is justification by faith alone. If you believe now in Jesus, eternal life has begun in you. If your faith is genuine, it is the very life of God in you and will endure to and blossom one day into the fullness of eternal life. Already, through faith, there is no condemnation.And marvelous as that is — almost too good to be true — Jesus has one last marvel for us in verses 28–29. 3. The voice of Jesus will raise all the dead. (Verses 28–29)It's one thing to heal a paralyzed man with a word, and take on the Jewish leaders by yourself. It's another thing, then, to speak a word and give life to a dead soul, as you choose — and an increasing number of dead souls. But Jesus takes us to one further level in verses 28–29.We saw the “now” in verse 25: “an hour is coming, and is now here.” So, I take verses 21–27 to be about the present, from the first century to the 21st century. But these last two verses turn to an hour that is coming, and not here yet. Look at verses 28–29:Do not marvel at this [the power Jesus has to speak life into spiritually dead souls even now], for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.Earlier we heard that the Father “has given all judgment to the Son.” Verses 24–27 fleshed this out in terms of the spiritual life the Son gives now to dead souls. But verses 28–29 give us what it will mean in the future. Not only does the voice of the Son — springing from the will of the Son, perfectly in sync with the will of the Father — give spiritual life now to his people, but one day the voice of the Son will ring in the ears of all the dead: “all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out.” Come out to what? To the final judgment, with the Son presiding.We skipped over the phrase “the Son of Man” at the end of verse 27. These verses are so dense, and Jesus is laying it on so thick here, that the end of verse 27 comes and goes by so quickly. But it is a stunning claim.“Son of Man” is an ambiguous phrase. It could just mean a man, or human. Like Psalm 8, “what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” Or, throughout Ezekiel, God calls him as “Son of man.” It's a humbling term. “Son of man, know your place. Not only are you a man, but the son of one.” But “Son of Man” is also the name of this enigmatic figure who steps forward in a vision of the final judgment in Daniel 7:As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. 10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. . . . . . . and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory [honor!] and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. So, two meanings for the phrase “son of man” — one humble one, and one exalted. And throughout Jesus's ministry, as he refers to himself as “the Son of Man,” it's often tough to tell exactly which one he means. But here in John 5, with the final judgment in view, it's clear what Jesus means, even if he passes over it quickly. And it's Daniel 12 he alludes to when he mentions the resurrection of all, some to eternal life and some to judgment. A messenger from God says in Daniel 12:2,“those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”And now Jesus says, My voice will do that. I am the God-exalted Son of Man, and my Father has given me the authority, as man, to execute judgment. One day soon, I will speak, and all the dead will hear my voice. And if they have believed in me, and have life in them from me, I will raise their bodies and glorify them and they will pass into the fullness of eternal life. And if they have rejected me, and not had life in them but continued in evil and unbelief, I will raise their bodies and send them into everlasting judgment and shame.Which brings us back, in verse 30, to Jesus's humble word he started with in verse 19. The divine Son never goes rogue in willing what he wills, or saying what he says, or doing what he does, or judging how he judges. Jesus says,“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”Resurrection LifeSo, we come to the Table, and we remember the one who knelt in the garden. One day soon the Son of Man will sit in judgment over the nations. But during Holy Week, we remember what he achieved to offer life to sinners like us. The one who will sit in judgment is the one who rode in honor into Jerusalem on a donkey and staggered out in shame on Good Friday carrying his own cross. He's the one who knelt on Thursday with sweat like drops of blood as he faced the cross for sins not his own. He's the one who was crucified on Friday, lay dead in the tomb that night, and all day that final Sabbath, till early Sunday morning, when his Father, who raises the dead and gives them life, gave him the indestructible life of the new creation — the very life that is in us now who trust him by faith.
About this PodcastWhat did European missionaries misunderstand about Hinduism when they first arrived in India?How did colonial power and missionary pressure help reshape Hindu identity from within?Could the rise of modern Hindu nationalism be traced back to these early cultural and religious encounters?When European missionaries arrived in India in the sixteenth century, they entered a world both fascinating and bewildering. Hinduism, as they saw it, was a pagan mess: a worship of devils and monsters by a people who burned women alive, performed outlandish rites and fed children to crocodiles. But it quickly became clear that Hindu ‘idolatry' was far more layered and complex than European stereotypes allowed, surprisingly even sharing certain impulses with Christianity.Nonetheless, missionaries became a threatening force as European power grew in India. Western ways of thinking gained further ascendancy during the British Raj: while interest in Hindu thought influenced Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire in Europe, Orientalism and colonial rule pressed Hindus to reimagine their religion. In fact, in resisting foreign authority, they often adopted the missionaries' own tools and strategies. It is this encounter, Manu S. Pillai argues, that has given Hinduism its present shape, also contributing to the birth of an aggressive Hindu nationalism.Gods, Guns and Missionaries surveys these remarkable dynamics with an arresting cast of characters – maharajahs, poets, gun-wielding revolutionaries, politicians, polemicists, philosophers and clergymen. Lucid, ambitious, and provocative, it is at once a political history, an examination of the mutual impact of Hindu culture and Christianity upon each other, and a study of the forces that have prepared the ground for politics in India today. Turning away from simplistic ideas on religious evolution and European imperialism, the past as it appears here is more complicated – and infinitely richer – than previous narratives allow.
Ende Februar ist im indischen Bundesstaats Uttar Pradesh die Kumbh Mela, das weltgrößte Pilgerfest, zu Ende gegangen. Geschätzt waren es mehr als 600 Millionen gläubige Hindus, die nach Prayagraj im Norden Indiens kamen. Für Besucher ist die Kumbh Mela ein einzigartiges Erlebnis, für die Behörden ein logistischer Kraftakt.
Syaifudin Zuhri's book Wali Pitu and Muslim Pilgrimage in Bali, Indonesia: Inventing a Sacred Tradition (Leiden, 2022) is a detailed examination of the recent emergence of the Wali Pitu (“Seven Saints”) tradition in Bali, Indonesia. The study is a multi-sited ethnography of pilgrimage traditions to the grave sites of the Wali Pitu, which is a part of a larger context of rising interest in saint veneration in Indonesia generally, and Muslim religious tourism on the Hindu-majority island of Bali in particular. Themes of the book include saint veneration in historical and contemporary Indonesia, the relationship between religious invention and religious authenticity in Islamic traditions, religious cultures and the economic imperative of the tourism industry, relationships between Hindus and Muslims sharing religious space, and the diversity of approaches to religion and Islamic experience in Southeast Asia. Zuhri's work offers important new perspectives on Indonesian Islam by examining the creation, experience, economy, and contestations of popular Muslim practices that are only growing in their significance. Dr. Syaifudin Zuhri is a lecturer at the State Islamic University of Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung (UIN SATU) and a former research fellow at the Berlin Graduate School of Muslim Cultures and Societies. Dr. Jaclyn Michael is Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (USA). She is the author of several articles on Muslim cultural representation, performance, and religious belonging in India and in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Syaifudin Zuhri's book Wali Pitu and Muslim Pilgrimage in Bali, Indonesia: Inventing a Sacred Tradition (Leiden, 2022) is a detailed examination of the recent emergence of the Wali Pitu (“Seven Saints”) tradition in Bali, Indonesia. The study is a multi-sited ethnography of pilgrimage traditions to the grave sites of the Wali Pitu, which is a part of a larger context of rising interest in saint veneration in Indonesia generally, and Muslim religious tourism on the Hindu-majority island of Bali in particular. Themes of the book include saint veneration in historical and contemporary Indonesia, the relationship between religious invention and religious authenticity in Islamic traditions, religious cultures and the economic imperative of the tourism industry, relationships between Hindus and Muslims sharing religious space, and the diversity of approaches to religion and Islamic experience in Southeast Asia. Zuhri's work offers important new perspectives on Indonesian Islam by examining the creation, experience, economy, and contestations of popular Muslim practices that are only growing in their significance. Dr. Syaifudin Zuhri is a lecturer at the State Islamic University of Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung (UIN SATU) and a former research fellow at the Berlin Graduate School of Muslim Cultures and Societies. Dr. Jaclyn Michael is Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (USA). She is the author of several articles on Muslim cultural representation, performance, and religious belonging in India and in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies
Syaifudin Zuhri's book Wali Pitu and Muslim Pilgrimage in Bali, Indonesia: Inventing a Sacred Tradition (Leiden, 2022) is a detailed examination of the recent emergence of the Wali Pitu (“Seven Saints”) tradition in Bali, Indonesia. The study is a multi-sited ethnography of pilgrimage traditions to the grave sites of the Wali Pitu, which is a part of a larger context of rising interest in saint veneration in Indonesia generally, and Muslim religious tourism on the Hindu-majority island of Bali in particular. Themes of the book include saint veneration in historical and contemporary Indonesia, the relationship between religious invention and religious authenticity in Islamic traditions, religious cultures and the economic imperative of the tourism industry, relationships between Hindus and Muslims sharing religious space, and the diversity of approaches to religion and Islamic experience in Southeast Asia. Zuhri's work offers important new perspectives on Indonesian Islam by examining the creation, experience, economy, and contestations of popular Muslim practices that are only growing in their significance. Dr. Syaifudin Zuhri is a lecturer at the State Islamic University of Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung (UIN SATU) and a former research fellow at the Berlin Graduate School of Muslim Cultures and Societies. Dr. Jaclyn Michael is Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (USA). She is the author of several articles on Muslim cultural representation, performance, and religious belonging in India and in the United States. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies
Syaifudin Zuhri's book Wali Pitu and Muslim Pilgrimage in Bali, Indonesia: Inventing a Sacred Tradition (Leiden, 2022) is a detailed examination of the recent emergence of the Wali Pitu (“Seven Saints”) tradition in Bali, Indonesia. The study is a multi-sited ethnography of pilgrimage traditions to the grave sites of the Wali Pitu, which is a part of a larger context of rising interest in saint veneration in Indonesia generally, and Muslim religious tourism on the Hindu-majority island of Bali in particular. Themes of the book include saint veneration in historical and contemporary Indonesia, the relationship between religious invention and religious authenticity in Islamic traditions, religious cultures and the economic imperative of the tourism industry, relationships between Hindus and Muslims sharing religious space, and the diversity of approaches to religion and Islamic experience in Southeast Asia. Zuhri's work offers important new perspectives on Indonesian Islam by examining the creation, experience, economy, and contestations of popular Muslim practices that are only growing in their significance. Dr. Syaifudin Zuhri is a lecturer at the State Islamic University of Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung (UIN SATU) and a former research fellow at the Berlin Graduate School of Muslim Cultures and Societies. Dr. Jaclyn Michael is Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (USA). She is the author of several articles on Muslim cultural representation, performance, and religious belonging in India and in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology
Syaifudin Zuhri's book Wali Pitu and Muslim Pilgrimage in Bali, Indonesia: Inventing a Sacred Tradition (Leiden, 2022) is a detailed examination of the recent emergence of the Wali Pitu (“Seven Saints”) tradition in Bali, Indonesia. The study is a multi-sited ethnography of pilgrimage traditions to the grave sites of the Wali Pitu, which is a part of a larger context of rising interest in saint veneration in Indonesia generally, and Muslim religious tourism on the Hindu-majority island of Bali in particular. Themes of the book include saint veneration in historical and contemporary Indonesia, the relationship between religious invention and religious authenticity in Islamic traditions, religious cultures and the economic imperative of the tourism industry, relationships between Hindus and Muslims sharing religious space, and the diversity of approaches to religion and Islamic experience in Southeast Asia. Zuhri's work offers important new perspectives on Indonesian Islam by examining the creation, experience, economy, and contestations of popular Muslim practices that are only growing in their significance. Dr. Syaifudin Zuhri is a lecturer at the State Islamic University of Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung (UIN SATU) and a former research fellow at the Berlin Graduate School of Muslim Cultures and Societies. Dr. Jaclyn Michael is Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (USA). She is the author of several articles on Muslim cultural representation, performance, and religious belonging in India and in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology
Syaifudin Zuhri's book Wali Pitu and Muslim Pilgrimage in Bali, Indonesia: Inventing a Sacred Tradition (Leiden, 2022) is a detailed examination of the recent emergence of the Wali Pitu (“Seven Saints”) tradition in Bali, Indonesia. The study is a multi-sited ethnography of pilgrimage traditions to the grave sites of the Wali Pitu, which is a part of a larger context of rising interest in saint veneration in Indonesia generally, and Muslim religious tourism on the Hindu-majority island of Bali in particular. Themes of the book include saint veneration in historical and contemporary Indonesia, the relationship between religious invention and religious authenticity in Islamic traditions, religious cultures and the economic imperative of the tourism industry, relationships between Hindus and Muslims sharing religious space, and the diversity of approaches to religion and Islamic experience in Southeast Asia. Zuhri's work offers important new perspectives on Indonesian Islam by examining the creation, experience, economy, and contestations of popular Muslim practices that are only growing in their significance. Dr. Syaifudin Zuhri is a lecturer at the State Islamic University of Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung (UIN SATU) and a former research fellow at the Berlin Graduate School of Muslim Cultures and Societies. Dr. Jaclyn Michael is Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (USA). She is the author of several articles on Muslim cultural representation, performance, and religious belonging in India and in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion
Keith hosts a discussion with Pastor Jon Sanders on the Bible's teachings about money. They explore the context of biblical verses, emphasizing that wealth itself is not sinful but how it's used matters. They discuss tithing, noting it's a principle of generosity, not a legalistic rule. The Bible does not condemn real estate or property ownership, as it is not explicitly forbidden. Wealth can be a tool for doing good and providing housing for others. Resources: Explore the EntrePastors platform to learn more about Pastor Jon Sanders' work in helping pastors with entrepreneurship and financial management. Show Notes: GetRichEducation.com/546 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching:GREmarketplace.com/Coach Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments. You get paid first: Text FAMILY to 66866 Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search “how to leave an Apple Podcasts review” For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— text ‘GRE' to 66866 Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript: Automatically Transcribed With Otter.ai Keith Weinhold 0:01 Welcome to GRE, I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, what does the Bible say about money? Is it virtuous to acquire wealth, or are you going to hell for that one Bible verse reads, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God". I asked Pastor John Sanders all about it, as well as what other religions say about money today on get rich education since 2014 the powerful get rich education podcast has created more passive income for people than nearly any other show in the world. This show teaches you how to earn strong returns from passive real estate investing in the best markets without losing your time being a flipper or landlord. Show Host Keith Weinhold writes for both Forbes and Rich Dad advisors, who delivers a new show every week since 2014 there's been millions of listener downloads of 188 world nations. He has a list show guests and key top selling personal finance author Robert Kiyosaki, get rich education can be heard on every podcast platform, plus it has its own dedicated Apple and Android listener phone apps build wealth on the go with the get rich education podcast. Sign up now for the get rich education podcast or visit get rich education.com Corey Coates 1:19 You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is get rich education. Keith Weinhold 1:35 Welcome to GRE from Bel Air, Maryland to Bel Air, California and across 188 nations worldwide. I'm Keith Weinhold, and this is get rich education. I hope that your week's off to a good start with 546 weekly episodes. We've approached investing from a lot of angles. Commonly, it's a strategic approach, but there are other wealth building approaches we discussed here, like mindset, what type of vehicle you're going to use, the academic perspective, the protective approach, then there's a mathematical angle. But today, for the first time, it's the theological perspective. Now, even if you're not a Christian or religious at all, what the Bible says about money has import, because the Bible is the number one selling book of all time, so it surely affects the mindset and the approach of those around you. I've got a pretty inflammatory question for you, if money is the root of all evil, then why do they ask for it at church? Now I say that a little jokingly. We're going to debunk that in fact and more as Pastor John joins us shortly, I will hit that verse head on and ask him about it, the verse that says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. I'm really interested in what he says about that. I mean, in fact, that's actually something I wanted to know about for decades. That's always piqued curiosity inside me, and especially since I'm the 10 plus year host and founder of a platform called get rich education. There's a lot I'd like to ask about that. There is more that I'd like to ask about, if we get time. I'd also like to know what the Bible says about tithing and real estate and gambling and more. Let's meet Pastor John. With over 20 years in pastoral ministry, this week's guest, also has a passion for using his voice to motivate and inspire ministry leaders. His father was also a pastor. He is non denominational. Hey, welcome to GRE Jon Sanders. Jon Sanders 4:04 Keith, this is my pleasure to be here. Man, been looking forward to this conversation, so thanks for having me on the show Keith Weinhold 4:09 me too. We're doing something really different this week. I've been anticipating it, and I sure have some specific things I want to ask you, even some Bible verses later that are somewhat antagonistic to wanting to build wealth. But before we drill down and get into that, just big picture, John, when we talk about what the Bible says about money broadly, what should we keep in mind Jon Sanders 4:34 with anything when it comes to Scripture? One of the greatest principles to keep in mind is that context matters, because without context, you can make the Bible say about anything you want it to say. And that's probably what we're going to dig into a little bit, is that if you just read a verse in one little snippet and divorce it from not only its context, but the rest of Scripture, you can come away with a pretty skewed view, as many people in the world. Have, as well as many people in the church, many Christians have a skewed view about money and about wealth because of some, you know, certain verses that I'm sure we'll get to today, I would say just an overarching principle, context matters, and hopefully we can show a little bit of that context in our conversation and just see that maybe what you thought the Bible says about money is not, in fact, what the Bible says about money. We'll see where this goes. Keith Weinhold 5:24 Context matters and mindset matters. You know that we're a real estate investing show, but episode number one of the get rich education podcast from 2014 is titled, your abundance mindset. Do Christians worship a God of abundance, where he would want you to use your God given talents to flourish and produce and make more in this world. Or do you not see it that way? Jon Sanders 5:53 I 100% see it that way. And what's interesting to me is that as believers, we would say, many of us would agree with things like we believe in this limitless God who spoke the universe into existence by nothing more than the power of his spoken word and just the abundant world in which we live like we believe in that God who can do all kinds of miraculous things. And yet, then, when it comes to the subject of money, so often, we live out something very different than that. With such scarcity, we act as though there's such limited resources at our disposal, and our thinking is so enmeshed in poverty thinking and scarcity thinking. And I think as God's people, we ought to be some of the most abundant thinking people there is because we are supposedly tapped into the most abundant source the world has ever known. So there is a discrepancy there, but I'm 100% with where you are on that we serve an abundant God, and we would do well to think in abundant terms, because I think we're gonna find that his resources never run out. Keith Weinhold 6:57 Right? We're here to think abundantly in flourish. One thing I like to say is, don't live below your means. Grow your means. Christians should when I'm asking you as a pastor, I would think they would believe that God was an abundant creator. He created the earth that we live on a gigantic piece of real estate. Jon Sanders 7:17 Yeah, and so much more. And like I said, it never runs out. Whether we're talking about his physical resources or we're talking about the more intangible resources that we can't necessarily hold in our hands. There is always more than enough with the God that we serve. And yet, how then do we come to such places of scarcity and limitation? I would contend this Keith that if someone is actually reading the Bible, applying the principles to their life, they will inevitably, more and more grow in their wealth and in their abundance and in their ability to manage well the resources that God has put into their hand. Now that's not the same as what some might put into the category of what they'd call the prosperity gospel, where God wants everyone to be rich and never to have any sickness or financial difficulties like those are not the same messages. We're not all promised the same exact outcomes, but I believe if we follow the timeless principles, the laws that have been established by the Creator that he's shared with us through His word, I think we can expect to flourish and thrive and prosper and do well and continually grow whatever resources he's put into our hands. As a matter of fact, I would point to a parable that Jesus told, many of the parables that Jesus told in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, many of them deal with money. Now, all of Jesus's parables got to a deeper, like more Kingdom spiritual lesson. But in many of them, he used something that all of us can relate to, and that is money. Because scripture has a lot to say about money. And then, specifically, in one of those parables in Matthew 25 I believe Jesus told a story of the master who represents God in the story how he gave differing talents or financial amounts to three different servants based upon their own abilities. And right in there, there's some truth that we can learn and apply, that we don't all have the same abilities, but God allows us, He gives us certain things that are in our capability to handle, and then with that comes an expectation that we manage that well, because it doesn't actually belong to us. That's a big principle of money in Scripture is that none of it actually belongs to us. All of it belongs to the Lord, but we are stewards. That's kind of a Bible word. We are the managers of the resources He's given us. And even from that parable I mentioned in Matthew 25 there is an expectation that we take what has been entrusted to us and we multiply it. And if we fail to do that, the words of the master that Jesus. In that parable, were you wicked and lazy servants? The words of the master to the one servant who basically squandered what had been entrusted to him, he was called a wicked and lazy servant. So there's an expectation that we are not wicked and lazy servants, but that instead, we take whatever resources have been entrusted to us and multiply them for the good of God's kingdom and for His glory. So that's just one. I mean, there's countless stories that Jesus told that we can learn principles like that from. Keith Weinhold 10:30 I think building prosperity is being the opposite of laziness or sloth. Is it bad to be wealthy? Jon Sanders 10:39 I would say, according to the Bible, 100% No, it is not wrong or immoral or sinful to be wealthy. We can point to many heroes of our faith who were men and women of great wealth. We can also point in Scripture to wicked people who also were men and women of great wealth. So the question is not whether or not someone has money. That's not what sets them apart as righteous or wicked. It's what they do with that money. It's how they live. It's their character that really is what we measure that by. And so here's what I would contend without money, it's really hard to do good things in the world. You're very limited when you put money in the hands of good people, those people can use those resources for all kinds of good purposes and to help a lot of people. I mean, that's just common sense, and so it's not a bad thing for righteous people to multiply their wealth and to grow in their wealth in order to be in a position to help even more people. Keith Weinhold 11:39 The way I think about it, is that producers and entrepreneurs, they need to give first before they can create any prosperity for themselves. And what's foundational in our mission here at GRE is to do good in the world, provide housing that's clean, safe, affordable and functional. You're giving you're qualifying for a loan, you're buying property, you're taking on risk before anything can possibly come back to you and John here, I've often touted, hey, we provide housing that's clean, safe, affordable and functional. We can maybe abolish the term slumlord, for example. So that's what I'm talking about with doing good in creating prosperity for ourselves as a result of that. Jon Sanders 12:24 Yeah, and I'll point out another biblical principle that you just outlined, whether you realize it or not, and that is the law of sowing and reaping. It's the law of the harvest. You don't have to believe in God for this to be true. If you go plant something, you will get more of the thing you planted, if you tend to the soil well, and if the conditions are right, and you mentioned it, that is risk. Like there's risk involved. Every time a farmer goes and sows seed into the soil, like there's no guarantee that I'm going to get that back, things can happen. It's a believable risk. It's a relatively manageable risk. It's a risk, nonetheless, to take a great amount of seed and put it into the soil in faith. And I want to point that word out. There's faith when we as entrepreneurs go out, we're acting in faith when we take that risk. And again, it's something that we have to kind of weigh it out, is this a wise risk to take? But at the end of the day, there still is no guarantee. But there is that law of sowing and reaping and the law of the harvest. And I think God honors that, I know he honors that I believe he is honored by our faith. It literally can be an act of worship done to him was we go start businesses, as we invest in real estate, as we buy properties like that, actually can be part of our worship, and us fulfilling the very purpose for which God put us here, to manage what he's given us, to multiply it, and then to do good with it, as you're describing. I agree totally. Keith Weinhold 13:48 that's a good point. It really is an act of faith to provide an income property, faith that you're going to have a rent paying tenant, faith that you're going to be able to maintain the place, faith that you're buying a property in a market where you have a good expectation that you're going to be able to have future rent paying tenants. Yeah, it really is an act of faith. Well, John, there are some specific verses in the Bible that are really well known and deal with money. One is the often misquoted verse that everyone is familiar with. And what's misquoted is that people say that money is the root of all evil. But as we know, that verse from the book of Timothy is misquoted. It is for the love of money that is the root of all evil. Can you tell us more about that, why it's misunderstood, and actually, just what that really means for the love of money is the root of all evil, Jon Sanders 14:42 by the way, just stepping back a second in the conversation to your question, is it wrong to be rich? Here's another supporting text where the answer is no, because the verse you're speaking of the apostle Paul wrote this in a letter to Timothy. He's telling Timothy again, in the context, he's telling Timothy. To address the rich people in the church and say some things to them, teach the rich people some things, and he didn't tell them, you know, shame them for having wealth and for being rich. Instead, he's teaching them how to be rich, how to be a good rich person. And it's in that context where that line is found, that the love of money is the root of all evil. Fast forward to modern times. We've kind of thrown the word love out of it, and we just said, There it is. Money is the root of all evil, and we say it with a sense of self righteousness. As I'm sitting here, broke, living paycheck to paycheck, I don't want to be one of those evil rich people. That's not what it says at all. It's saying the love of money is the root of all evil, and we do need to step into this for just a moment. There are warnings in Scripture about money, because if we don't realize and recognize the power of wealth and the power of money, I believe probably one of the reasons God's word says more about money than it does so many other topics is because the danger that money has to compete with God himself. I often say I don't think it's God and the devil that are in competition with each other. In many ways, it's God and money, because Jesus even said you can't serve both. You can't have two masters. You'll either love the one or despise the other. That doesn't mean you can't worship God and have money. It says you can't worship them both, because your allegiance is going to go one way or the other, and the more wealthy we become. There is a danger in that, or maybe even before the wealth shows up. If there is this just burning desire to be rich above all else, it can pull us off course. It can pull our focus away from the Lord. So there is a warning in that that we should heed and listen to. Apparently, according to Scripture, money is powerful, and it's powerful for good and it's powerful for evil. And so if we're going to have some of it, and if we're going to grow the amount that we have, it sounds like it's a pretty powerful tool that we ought to know how to use and how to use properly, no different than when you throw the keys to the car to your teenage driver, like we just put a very powerful tool in their hands, and we pray and trust that they're going to use it wisely and not drive it off the cliff, you know, or kill someone in the process. And money's very much the same way. So the warning is good, but what's not good is to take it out of context and build this paradigm of somehow, the less money I have, the more righteous I am. And in the platform that I'm building, we have a online community. We call it entree pastors, that specifically helps pastors do better financially through entrepreneurial business man, we combat this mindset all the time, because we're dealing not only with people who've been in the church most of their life, but people who have led in the church, and there is so much scarcity thinking around money that we have to address so many of these themes that you and I are unpacking right now. So yeah, often I have found myself taking people to this Scripture and having them read it again and again until they hear themselves say that the love of money is the root of all evil, not having money that is not the root of all evil, it's the love of it. So hopefully that helps shine some light on that confusion Keith Weinhold 18:15 yes, so one can take it too far if it becomes the love of money? Well, there is a verse in the Bible. In fact, I think it occurs in more than one place. That verse is it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. How does someone that's building wealth for themselves square that up. We're going to talk about that more when we come back. I'm talking with Pastor John Sanders about what the Bible has to say about money. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, you know what's crazy? Your bank is getting rich off of you. The average savings account pays less than 1% it's like laughable. Meanwhile, if your money isn't making at least 4% you're losing to inflation. That's why I started putting my own money into the FFI liquidity fund. It's super simple. Your cash can pull in up to 8% returns and it compounds. It's not some high risk gamble like digital or AI stock trading. It's pretty low risk, because they've got a 10 plus year track record of paying investors on time in full every time. I mean, I wouldn't be talking about it if I wasn't invested myself. You can invest as little as 25k and you keep earning until you decide you want your money back. No weird lockups or anything like that. So if you're like me and tired of your liquid funds just sitting there doing nothing, check it out. Text family to 66866, to learn about freedom. Family investments, liquidity fund again. Text family to 68866 Hey, you can get your mortgage loans at the same place where I get mine at Ridge lending group and MLS 420, 056, they provided our listeners with more loans than any provider in the entire nation because they specialize in income properties. They help you build a long term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage, you can start your pre qualification and chat with President Caeli Ridge personally. Start Now while it's on your mind at Ridge lending group.com, that's Ridge lending group.com Chris Martenson 20:40 this is peak prosperity. Chris Martinson, listen to get rich education with Keith Weinhold, and don't quit your Daydream. Keith Weinhold 20:56 Welcome back to get rich education. We've got a pretty special episode today. Our discussion is what the Bible has to say about money, and we're talking with Pastor John Sanders. He's breaking it down for us. John, this is the one thing I thought about more than any other before chatting with you today. It is that well known verse about the camel going through the eye of a needle. And John, I first remember my mom telling me about this verse. Perhaps I was as young as age 12, and that verse is, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Here I am a 10 plus year host of a show called get rich education, helping people build wealth ethically through real estate investing. But how do we square up that verse if we're looking to make more of ourselves financially? Jon Sanders 21:53 Yeah, and like we said at the beginning of the show, if that's all it said, and if that's the only thing you knew, you would come away from that pretty convinced that Jesus thinks it's impossible to love God and also be rich, like there's just no way a rich person can enter the kingdom of heaven. But as we said, context matters. So if we kind of zoom out a little bit and look at the greater context of what's happening in that passage of Scripture, you will recall, and maybe some are hearing this for the first time. But there was a rich man who approached Jesus, and he basically was kind of wanting to justify himself, and so he asked the question, you know, what good things must I do to inherit eternal life and inherit the kingdom of God? And Jesus starts by saying, follow the commandments. And this rich guy basically says, I'm paraphrasing all of this. You can go read it for yourself, but he's saying I've done all those things which, by the way, side note, No, he hasn't. None of us have followed all of God's 10 Commandments and more, like we just I've broken every single one of them. We're all sinners. Probably you have too Exactly. So he's already off base, this rich guy. So then Jesus hits him where he knows it's gonna hurt, and he says, Okay, here's the one thing you're still lacking. Go sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and then come and follow Me. And what it says is that the rich man turned away very sad, because he had great wealth, and see Jesus exposed what this man really worshiped in that I don't believe that that is a commandment from Jesus to all of us to go, sell everything we have, give to the poor and come follow him. That was a specific statement spoken to this specific man, and it did exactly what it was meant to do. It kind of smoked out the real heart issue that was happening here. So then Jesus turns to his disciples after this man walks away sad because he was not willing to pay that price. And that's where Jesus makes this statement that is so classic, where we all know, you know, it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. If you keep reading a few verses later, Jesus goes on to say, with man, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. So it is possible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. It may be more difficult. It may be more challenging because, as we said a minute ago, when we do have great wealth, that wealth competes in many ways with our heart for the place that God wants to hold in our heart. It is easy when we have margin and we don't need God as much, or we don't think we need God as much. We don't necessarily have to humble ourselves as much when I have all these resources. But that's not impossible. It is possible for godly people to have great wealth and to bow in humility before King Jesus, and to worship Him, and ultimately, to inherit the kingdom of heaven and be better for it, and not, you know, worse off. So again, I hopefully that explains that a little bit or gives some more light to that, because if you just take that little snippet, you're essentially taking it out of the greater context and missing the point, and you're. Making the point something that Jesus never intended, which was to say, rich people can't get to heaven. That's a mishandling of that text Keith Weinhold 25:08 yeah? Because I think it states that, or something close to it three times in the Bible, in the Quran, the Muslim holy book, also has something similar in it, yeah. Jon Sanders 25:19 And again, I know in in the New Testament, where it's mentioned multiple times, it's probably because it's found in those Gospel accounts that basically tell the same story just from four different authors. So that's sometimes where you see that repetition in the New Testament is because it's the same story being told just from a slightly different vantage point a different author. But the principle is there, to try to say that scripture forbids people from being wealthy or from pursuing wealth, would be a complete misstatement. It's simply not true. You know, to read scripture in its entirety, you can walk away from it with this understanding that God, not only is he not opposed to wealth, but God is the source, because he owns it all. It all belongs to him, and he actually the more I walk in faithfulness with what he's given to me and what he's entrusted to me, the more I can actually expect will be given to me, because I will see the fruits of those labors multiplied. That's the path I'm on right now, unashamedly, unapologetically, I am working on growing wealth, not only for my family in this generation, but scripture says a righteous man leaves an inheritance to his children's children and man, what if we started telling that story more than trumpeting these verses that make it sound like God is really upset with people who have Money? What if we actually encourage God's people to go build wealth and create more of it? Yeah, because Keith Weinhold 26:46 I've heard a few different takes on that verse, John, about a rich man not being able to enter the kingdom of God. You know, some have joked, Oh, does the church just want you to put everything in the offering plate and not have anything for yourselves? Another take on it, I guess. If I read the verse closely about how a rich man cannot enter the kingdom of God, well, don't die rich. You be wealthy and then bequeath everything to your heirs upon your death. So technically, you're not dying rich. There are a lot of takes upon that verse. Really appreciate getting your perspective and your interpretation on that context piece being really important, John, when we think about what the Bible says about money, in the intersection of both money and the Bible, oftentimes we think about tithing, which I think of that is giving a 10% of your income to the church. So do you have any thoughts about tithing, or just some of the other general things that the Bible says about money. Jon Sanders 27:41 I certainly have some thoughts, but more importantly, Scripture says some things. So it really doesn't matter what John thinks about it, but tithing is a controversial subject, so let me start with maybe something that's not so controversial, and we can jump into the tithing. Here's something that is not controversial from Scripture. The more we give, the more of a blessing it is for us. The more that we can give, the more God blesses us. God blesses generosity. So hopefully we can all agree upon that For God so loved the world John 316 that He gave His one and only son. So there's a direct correlation between loving and giving. And the more that I give, the more God seems to bless my life. And I know it sounds cliche, if you grew up in the church, we always heard statements like, you cannot out give God. The more I give, the more God gives back. And again, I'm careful to say that because I don't want to treat God like a cosmic slot machine where I put in $1 and pull the lever and hope to get 100 it is, again, it's just one of those laws that God has established that he blesses generosity. So then the question just becomes, what does our giving look like? What does our generosity look like when we look to Scripture, Old Testament? Bottom line tithing was, I mean, it was commanded. It was part of the overall giving that God required of his people. And a tithe is a 10% of the first fruits 10% off the top. And it's like when people argue that, or they say, Well, I'm tithing 2% that's like saying you ran a three mile marathon. My marathon is not three miles, right? Yeah, tithing is 10% the question is, is tithing for modern day believers? Are we supposed to be doing that? I will share my quick thoughts with you. I believe we are under grace. We are no longer under law. So I don't think that this is a matter of salvation. It's not at that level. But I will say this, I believe Jesus commended tithing, and I'll tell you where it took place, and you can go look at this on your own if you want. I think it's in Matthew 23 again, the context is not really about tithing. The context is Jesus is dealing with the religious establishment. The people he had the harshest words forever were the religious leaders, and he's taken them to task. And he says in there, like you guys tithe off of your mint and your dill, like you're tithing off of everything, like the illegal. Stick level, and yet you're ignoring the greater elements. You know, mercy, love, sacrifice. And then he goes on to say, You should do the first without ignoring the second. And I'm paraphrasing again, so go read it for yourself. What many people look at that passage and they say, here it is, Jesus commended tithing. He basically said, No tithing is good. You should do that. One other case I would make for New Testament, tithing is simply this. When Jesus stepped onto the scene in the New Testament, He never lowered the bar that was set in the Old Testament law. He actually elevated it. I'll give an example. Jesus said something like you have heard it said, You shall not murder. But I tell you, if you hate your brother, you're worse than a murderer. So he elevates it from just the physical act of killing to the heart condition of hating that leads to the killing. He did the same thing with adultery. You have heard it said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, but I tell you, if you look at a woman with lust, you've already committed adultery in your heart. So he raises the bar, not lowers it. So my question has always been, when it comes to tithing, would we believe Jesus to lower that bar and say, Ah, it's not important. Don't do it. You don't need to do it. Or would we expect him to raise the bar? I actually think the bar has been raised. He commended the poor widow that gave everything she had, and it wasn't much, but it was 100% sacrifice, and Jesus praised her. Now I don't think he's that's prescriptive of all of us to go drain our bank accounts, but I think what God is celebrating in the New Testament is sacrificial giving. For me personally, my personal opinion is that tithing is just kind of a good starting place for biblical giving. But I don't hold it up as a legalistic rule that says Thou shalt tithe based on what we see in the Old Testament and how we see it transition over into the New Testament. That tithing is not a bad idea, but if you're a modern day Christian that says I don't believe in tithing, I don't think I need to tithe. Okay, cool. I'm not mad about it. My challenge to you then would simply be this, what does generosity look like to you, and are we lowering the bar? Are you pushing back on tithing because you desire to give less? And if so, maybe there's a heart condition. There of you wanting to cling to something instead of being open handed. It's not my place to sit and look over your shoulder and go. You need to give more of your income. I mean, the Holy Spirit does a better job of being the Holy Spirit than than I do. So really, that's between you and the Lord. But my question and my challenge to modern Christians would be, what does generosity look like for you. You know, what is your discipline or your habit, your system around giving? If there is none, I personally think that's a problem. I think there ought to be some level of generosity happening in your life, because you'll be blessed, and God will use you to bless others. And that's a pretty cool thing, when God gets to channel his resources through you to someone else. So I don't believe everything that God allows us to have in our hands is 100% for us to hold for ourself. I think some of it is he's using us as a channel or a conduit to flow those resources in other directions. So those are just a few kind of high level thoughts of not only what Scripture says about tithing, for sure, but also maybe how we might look at it in a New Testament context, Keith Weinhold 33:23 there's some good questions for you, the listener, to ask yourself when it comes to the framing and the importance of your giving and your tithing. John, what does the Bible say about real estate or property? Jon Sanders 33:35 There are places I can't tell you you know exact location in Scripture off the top of my head, but I know there are places in Scripture that talk about going and purchasing land, or somebody owning land, and so I believe scripture upholds the idea of personal private property, and private property ownership, obviously, under the context of what we said earlier, that all of it ultimately belongs to the Lord. But I think it's a good thing. I certainly will tell you this. It's not condemned in Scripture. I know of nowhere in Scripture where we are forbidden from pursuing real estate or pursuing land. Is it like I say on the flip side, I could find examples where people bought and sold land. I'll give you one. Just popped into my head. In the early church, Ananias and Sapphira, they actually were put to death. And it's a really deep story. The issue, the reason they were judged instantly is because they lied about it. But they had land, they went and sold it, and they did not give all of it to the church leaders. And that was not the issue. The issue was they lied about the fact that they were giving all so they wanted to look a certain way, and that's the sin that God was kind of rooting out of the early church. But right in there, I think it's in like Acts chapter four, maybe or five, right in that area, it says directly, was not the land yours before you sold it and after you sold it, was not the land the money yours to keep. Why have you done this wicked thing? And the thing, again, that they were being judged for was lying to the Holy Spirit. And it was kind of like in that moment in the early church, the Lord was saying, we're not doing this like we're not going to live this fake, hypocritical life. And he judged it instantly, kind of grateful that God doesn't still deal with us in that way. It's not to say that he could not. That's a quick story that popped into my head as an example of buying and selling land. So if you do buy and sell land, just don't lie to the Lord about about how much you sold it for, because he knows it was his in the first place. He knows how much you sold it for. So just be honest in your dealings. There you go. Keith Weinhold 35:39 Well, I'm grateful that the Bible doesn't say you have a limit of five rental properties. That's really good to hear. Right? Well, John, as we're winding down here, we've talked about Christianity and what the Bible says about money. Are there any non Christian religions that, just if you could spotlight one, that have a really interesting approach to money, whether that's Muslims avoiding debt, or anything, Hindus or Buddhists believe just any one thing. That's particularly noteworthy with non Christian religions approach to money. Jon Sanders 36:09 I'm going to acknowledge a lot of my ignorance when it comes to other world religions. I can speak of one thing very locally to where I live, I don't know. It's kind of a religious thing. It's kind of a cultural thing. So where I live in South Dakota, I'm surrounded by, you know, an Indian reservation not too far from me. And the Native American culture is very prevalent here. And one thing that's been interesting to me to learn over the years is that, as I understand it, the Native American culture does not believe that you can own property. So they don't own land. They don't believe in owning land, at least historically, traditionally. So again, is that a religious thing? Is that a cultural thing? Not exactly sure. I don't share that belief, but it's an interesting take on things. So I'm sure there's so much more that a different guest could give you in terms of insight on other world religions when it comes to, you know, their view on certain deaths and philosophies around finances and things like that. For me, I really have studied one very deeply, and that's Christian faith. So I don't really feel like I'm much of an expert to speak from those other perspectives. Keith Weinhold 37:18 Well, John, this has been enlightening to me. I've learned some things, and I sure might now know how to explain my way out of the whole camel in the eye of a needle. Verse there, if someone wants to learn more about you, tell them how Jon Sanders 37:34 you can look me up online. I have a website called entrepastors.com me and my partner, les Hughes, as I said earlier, we help pastors provide better for their families through entrepreneurial business. If you want to connect with me, if you just go to entrepasters.com all of the links to connect with my social media and everything else are right there, and I'd be happy to jump on a call or serve you in any way that I can. So I would welcome you reaching out. Keith Weinhold 38:01 Oh, thanks a lot for offering that to our audience. It's been a pleasure hosting you. Jon Sanders 38:05 Thanks, Keith. Been a fun conversation. I appreciate you having me. Keith Weinhold 38:15 Oh, yeah, good stuff from Pastor John today. I did not know that Pastor John would agree with me this much. I guess I'm frankly, a little relieved I learned some things too. Check out his platform again. It's called entre pastors. This was definitely an anticipated episode here today. The good news is we've got more anticipated episodes amidst an expected economic slowdown in potential recession. What actually happens to real estate in a recession? I will cover that and then with a lot of political turmoil and policy change coming from the White House that promises to massively swing the economy. I would like to have someone that's inside the White House and advising President Trump himself on his economic policy to come here on the show so that I can go ahead and ask them about it. Well, that's hard to do while they're in office and the administration is in full swing like this. So speaking of anticipated shows coming up here on the GRE podcast in future weeks, we have the financial advisor, the budget director of a past president that advised that president in the White House. He will be our guest here on the show. You'll learn what you can expect from him for the next nearly four years. And you know, something that might be even better to have that past president's White House Advisor here on the show, because he will feel emboldened to be more critical. Perhaps. Stay tuned for that big thanks to the terrifically knowledgeable John Sanders today in. Till next week, I'm your host, Keith Weinhold, don't quit your Daydream. Dolf Deroos 40:07 Nothing on this show should be considered specific, personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of get rich Education LLC exclusively. Keith Weinhold 40:31 You know, whenever you want the best written real estate and finance info, oh, geez, today's experience limits your free articles access and it's got paywalls and pop ups and push notifications and cookies disclaimers, it's not so great. So then it's vital to place nice, clean, free content into your hands that adds no hype value to your life. That's why this is the golden age of quality newsletters, and I write every word of ours myself. It's got a dash of humor, and it's to the point because even the word abbreviation is too long, my letter usually takes less than three minutes to read, and when you start the letter, you also get my one hour fast real estate video, course, it's all completely free. It's called the Don't quit your Daydream. Letter, it wires your mind for wealth, and it couldn't be easier for you to get it right now. Just text GRE to 66866, while it's on your mind, take a moment to do it right now. Text GRE to 66866. The preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth, building, getricheducation.com
"This field recording was of the crowds of people at Kumbh Mela, in Pryagraj, India. This Hindu pilgrimage is celebrated every 6 or 12 years and is the largest gathering of people on earth with an estimated 400 million people attending earlier this year (2025). The festival is located at the flood plain of the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers. The water is an important aspect of this religious event -- where the flowing water has a divine energy representing spiritual sustenance. The sound of water flowing gently is included in the background of my piece along with the sounds of the huge crowds -- the sea of humanity -- that has gathered here. Woven throughout the sounds of these people, are traditional classical instruments, like the tabla and sitar to provide the piece with a background rhythm or pulse. And then perhaps most importantly, the voice of a female Indian classical singer is included and slowed down, which to me represents the significance of each person gathered here out of all these millions. "I lived in India for one year awhile ago, and gained a deep respect for the significance of these religious holidays, festivals, and pilgrimages for the Hindus from the friends and colleagues I worked and spent time with. In some ways these massive religious events remind me by contrast of what has been lost in our calendar year traditions in the West, where the main holidays are simply opportunities to go shopping and buy stuff that no one needs. I appreciated the opportunity to work with this field recording of this year's Kumbh Mela pilgrimage, as a reminder of the importance of honouring my own family and cultural heritage, and of the importance of understanding that everyone has a place in the wonderful and awe inspiring varieties of cultures from around the world." Kumbh Mela reimagined by Wayne DeFehr. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage
A real Christian is not someone who simply says they know about Jesus but is someone who has a personal experience of Jesus. There is a very big difference to being a Christian in name and being a Christian in reality. And that is the big theme that the apostle John focusses on in the five chapters of 1 John. John writes about many ‘anti-Christs who have come' (1 John 2:18) so he wants people to know how to recognise and know the real Jesus, outlining several key truths about Jesus. 1. Jesus is God who came to Earth (John 1:1-2,14; 1 John 1:1-3; 1 John 4:2-3). 2. Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:31; 1 John 3:23; 1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:5) 3. Jesus is the saviour of the world (1 John 2:1-2; 1 John 3:16; John 3:16) 4. Jesus is coming again (1 John 2:28; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 22:12) Apply 1. Jesus is God who came to Earth. Christianity is rooted in real history in real time. Jesus is a real person who was born in Israel 2000 years ago in the time of Roman rule. He was an observant Jew who became a well-known rabbi for His healing and teaching ministry in the region of Galilee. He suffered and was crucified under Pontius Pilate and His resurrection caused an explosion of Christian belief throughout the Roman empire. These are the facts of history, but who was Jesus? That's the question that caused great debate in the first century and continues to do so today. So, the apostle John wanted everybody to be clear who Jesus was (John 1:1-2,14; 1 John 1:1-3). The Greek word for Word refers to Jesus Christ, the eternally existing second person of the Trinity. In other words, John was not only saying that Jesus was God in human form walking on this earth, but also that he and the other disciples had firsthand experience of the eternal God being with them at a particular moment in time. They had seen Him and touched Him. To know Jesus is first to understand that God is great and Almighty way up in the heavens, and also that He came down to earth. He is called Emmanuel which means ‘God with us'. Knowing that Jesus came in the flesh is a sign of a real Christian (1 John 4:2-3). 2. Jesus is the Son of God. John explained that he wrote his gospel so people would believe in Jesus and have life through Him. (John 20:31). In his first epistle John states that it is a God given command to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that this is a sure sign that someone is truly connected to God (1 John 3:23; 1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:5). Of course, other religions may believe and proclaim that Jesus was a prophet but as Christians we believe and proclaim what the first apostles proclaimed, and that Jesus was more than a prophet: He was and is the Son of the God (see: CS Lewis ‘Mere Christianity' and Bono from U2 references on Jesus being the Son of God). 3. Jesus is the saviour of the world (1 John 2:1-2; 1 John 3:16; John 3:16). What John is saying is that God loves all people, of all colours, from all cultures, all nations and all religious backgrounds. He loves Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, atheists and Christians. He loves you and He loves me. Jesus died on the cross to pay the sins of the whole world. John here is giving us reassurance that Jesus is in our corner petitioning for us to the Father. He is our advocate. So don't allow yourself to feel guilty for your sins but come and confess your sins and receive the forgiveness that Christ offers to us when we trust and believe in Him. 4. Jesus is coming again (1 John 2:28). There are many references in the New Testament to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, all promising that He will return to earth with great power and glory. John was with the disciples when Jesus ascended to Heaven and was promised to return (Acts 1:9-11). Today the return of Jesus is much closer than we know so we need to get ready (Revelation 22:12). So how confident are you that you will be ready to meet Jesus on that day? How confident are you that your sins are washed away? Today we must ask ourselves, do we really know Jesus? Well, if you are not sure, this your moment to get to know Him personally. Right now, you can have an encounter with Jesus.
Religious groups and churches have patterns or rhythms weekly worship monthly communion Liturgies Annual festivals or meals Muslims have the month of Ramadan where they fast during the day, give alms, and feast at night Hindus have Diwali and specific celebrations tied to their deities Jews have several…
A real Christian is not someone who simply says they know about Jesus but is someone who has a personal experience of Jesus. There is a very big difference to being a Christian in name and being a Christian in reality. And that is the big theme that the apostle John focusses on in the five chapters of 1 John. John writes about many ‘anti-Christs who have come' (1 John 2:18) so he wants people to know how to recognise and know the real Jesus, outlining several key truths about Jesus. 1. Jesus is God who came to Earth (John 1:1-2,14; 1 John 1:1-3; 1 John 4:2-3). 2. Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:31; 1 John 3:23; 1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:5) 3. Jesus is the saviour of the world (1 John 2:1-2; 1 John 3:16; John 3:16) 4. Jesus is coming again (1 John 2:28; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 22:12) Apply 1. Jesus is God who came to Earth. Christianity is rooted in real history in real time. Jesus is a real person who was born in Israel 2000 years ago in the time of Roman rule. He was an observant Jew who became a well-known rabbi for His healing and teaching ministry in the region of Galilee. He suffered and was crucified under Pontius Pilate and His resurrection caused an explosion of Christian belief throughout the Roman empire. These are the facts of history, but who was Jesus? That's the question that caused great debate in the first century and continues to do so today. So, the apostle John wanted everybody to be clear who Jesus was (John 1:1-2,14; 1 John 1:1-3). The Greek word for Word refers to Jesus Christ, the eternally existing second person of the Trinity. In other words, John was not only saying that Jesus was God in human form walking on this earth, but also that he and the other disciples had firsthand experience of the eternal God being with them at a particular moment in time. They had seen Him and touched Him. To know Jesus is first to understand that God is great and Almighty way up in the heavens, and also that He came down to earth. He is called Emmanuel which means ‘God with us'. Knowing that Jesus came in the flesh is a sign of a real Christian (1 John 4:2-3). 2. Jesus is the Son of God. John explained that he wrote his gospel so people would believe in Jesus and have life through Him. (John 20:31). In his first epistle John states that it is a God given command to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that this is a sure sign that someone is truly connected to God (1 John 3:23; 1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:5). Of course, other religions may believe and proclaim that Jesus was a prophet but as Christians we believe and proclaim what the first apostles proclaimed, and that Jesus was more than a prophet: He was and is the Son of the God (see: CS Lewis ‘Mere Christianity' and Bono from U2 references on Jesus being the Son of God). 3. Jesus is the saviour of the world (1 John 2:1-2; 1 John 3:16; John 3:16). What John is saying is that God loves all people, of all colours, from all cultures, all nations and all religious backgrounds. He loves Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, atheists and Christians. He loves you and He loves me. Jesus died on the cross to pay the sins of the whole world. John here is giving us reassurance that Jesus is in our corner petitioning for us to the Father. He is our advocate. So don't allow yourself to feel guilty for your sins but come and confess your sins and receive the forgiveness that Christ offers to us when we trust and believe in Him. 4. Jesus is coming again (1 John 2:28). There are many references in the New Testament to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, all promising that He will return to earth with great power and glory. John was with the disciples when Jesus ascended to Heaven and was promised to return (Acts 1:9-11). Today the return of Jesus is much closer than we know so we need to get ready (Revelation 22:12). So how confident are you that you will be ready to meet Jesus on that day? How confident are you that your sins are washed away? Today we must ask ourselves, do we really know Jesus? Well, if you are not sure, this your moment to get to know Him personally. Right now, you can have an encounter with Jesus.
A version of this essay was published by firstpost.com at https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/shadow-warrior-britains-outsized-malign-role-in-global-chaos-13872084.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialBeing a keen observer of the United Kingdom, I have lately noticed a few apparently unconnected events with dismay. If I were to connect the dots, it begins to appear that Britain has had an outsize influence on international affairs. Maybe the James Bond meme isn't the total fantasy I had assumed it was: a juvenile wet dream about nubile maidens and irresistible heroes bumping off sundry villains.The reality appears to be quite impressive. This tiny, rainy island off Northwest Asia has been running quite a number of worldwide schemes. Its administrative center, Whitehall, manages a global web of intrigue and narrative-building, and has created a number of ‘imperial fortresses', thus punching above its weight-classOne of their principal assets in gaslighting others is the BBC (not to mention their plummy accents that, for example, make Americans just melt). The BBC has a sterling reputation which does not seem well-deserved. There have been many instances of motivated bias (eg. in their Brexit or India coverage), lack of integrity (eg. sexual transgressions by senior staff) and so on. In reality, it is about as unabashed at pushing its agenda as Al Jazeera is about its own.Admittedly, Britain has made one major blunder along the way, though: Brexit, which left them in trisanku mode, sort of adrift mid-Atlantic. They were distancing themselves from the European Union, counting on their so-called ‘special relationship' with the US to sustain them, away from what they perceived, correctly, as a declining and disunited Europe. They also thought they could dominate their former colonies again (see the frantic pursuit of a Free Trade Agreement with India?) without onerous EU rules. Sadly, none of this quite worked out.The reason is a fundamental problem: there is not much of a market for British goods any more. Indians once coveted British products as status symbols, but today, with the possible exceptions of Rolls Royce cars and single-malt whiskey, there's very little anybody wants from them. They still do good R&D, make aircraft engines (India could use that technology), and their apparently for-hire journalism is well-known, but that's about it.On the other hand, they have managed to stay entrenched in the international financial system, starting with colonial loot, especially the $45 trillion they are believed to have taken from India. It is rumored that they used stolen Indian gold to buy distressed assets in the US after the Civil War. It is possible they had the same game plan for Ukraine: acquire rich agricultural land and mineral deposits at distressed prices. Some point to the port of Odessa as another targetUkraine: bad faith actor?It is remarkable how Boris Johnson, then PM of UK, is alleged to have single-handedly ruined the chance of a ceasefire in April 2022 during his visit to Kiev in the early days of the Ukraine war, when there was a chance of a negotiated cessation of hostilities with all parties adhering to the Minsk 1 and 2 agreements.In January, just before President Trump took office, UK PM Starmer signed a minerals agreement with Ukraine as part of a “100-Year Partnership” that appears to pre-emptively undercut Trump's proposed $500-billion US deal. That lends credence to allegations about the UK's coveting minerals, as well as its not being interested in ending the tragic war.Gold: is it all there?The UK does have a thing for tangible assets, including gold. A lot of the world's gold (5000 metric tons) is supposedly held in secure custody in London. But there are fears that this may not physically be there in the vaults of the Bank of England any more. They may have indulged in ‘gold leasing', where the actual gold ends up being replaced by paper promises after it is lent out to bullion banks, from where it may be moved around and be inaccessibleExtraordinary delays in gold deliveries in 2025 (on withdrawals to New York triggered by tariff fears) increase this concern. There is a lack of transparency in transactions in the metal in the UK. Spooked, many countries are taking their gold back. India repatriated 200+ tons of its own gold from London in 2024. Venezuela is fighting a court battle to get its gold back.Then there are concerns raised by the arguably unfair freezing of Russian assets held abroad as part of Ukraine-war sanctions: Starmer recently promised to give Ukraine $2 billion, basically the interest generated by those assets. This doesn't sound quite right, and has dented the image of London as a reliable financial hub. Brexit was a blow; the rise of Dubai, Singapore, Shanghai and Zurich all threaten the City of London, but it is second only to New York, still.Imperial Fortresses galoreAnother win for the British was the selection of Mark Carney, a former Bank of England governor, as the Prime Minister of Canada. The Anglosphere continues to be dominated by the UK, although the Commonwealth is a club that serves no particular purpose any more, except as a curious relic of the British empire.This highlights the concept of ‘imperial fortresses': far-flung outposts that have helped sustain British military power and diplomatic clout despite the loss of empire. Traditionally, these were naval bases/garrisons such as those in Malta, Gibraltar, Bermuda, etc. that allowed Britain to keep an eye on the ‘restless natives'. However, I contend that the entire Anglosphere has been treated as imperial fortresses by them.Canada, Australia and New Zealand still continue to have the British King as their Head of State, which is astonishing for supposedly sovereign nations. But it's far more interesting that, in effect, the US has been treated as another vassal by the Brits, pillow-talked into doing things that are generally only in the interests of Britain. All that pomp and circumstance has beguiled poor Americans. Whitehall, I assert, have been Svengalis to Foggy Bottom.Master Blaster blowback?The other metaphor is from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), where "Master Blaster" is a literal duo: Master, a cunning dwarf, and Blaster, his brawny, enforcer bodyguard. The Americans unwittingly have provided the muscle to the calculating dwarf's machinations, which generally end up mostly benefiting the latterBut there is yet another imperial fortress that we should consider: Pakistan. It was created expressly to be a geographically well-placed client state for the Brits to continue their 19th century Great Game from afar to checkmate Russia, and incidentally to contain India. From that point of view, Pakistan has been a successful imperial outpost, notwithstanding the fact that it, despite decades of US largesse, is a failing state (see the Baloch train hijack recently).This is part of the reason why Americans have a hard time explaining why they get involved in Pakistan and Afghanistan again and again to their ultimate regret, with painful exits. They have been induced to do this by the clever Brits, who, quite evidently, sided with Muslims against Hindus in the sub-continent, for instance in the British-led merger of Gilgit-Baltistan into Pakistan, contrary to the Instrument of Accession.There is considerable irony in all this, because one could argue that Pakistani-origin Brits have now done a ‘reverse master-blaster' to the Brits. That sounds eerily like the ‘reverse-Kissinger' that Trump is supposed to be doing. Or maybe it is a ‘recursive master-blaster', although the mind boggles at that.Consider the facts: UK rape-gangs are almost entirely of Pakistani origin; several current mayors (including Sadiq Khan in London) and past mayors are of that ethnicity, indicating a powerful vote-bank; they have at least 15 MPs and a large number of councillors.There's Pakistani-origin Sir Mufti Hamid Patel, the chair of the Office of Standards in Education; Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary; Humza Yusuf, the former First Minister of Scotland. This imperial fortress is fighting back, indeed, and winning. The UK may not have quite anticipated this outcome.The American vassal-state is also beginning to rebel. Trump was personally incensed by the fact that Starmer sent 50 Labor operatives to work against him in the 2024 US elections: their interactions have been a little frosty.Khalil, an embedded asset?Then there is the case of a current cause celebre in the US, Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born Algerian citizen of Palestinian descent. He has been accused of leading violent anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, and detained on that count. Interestingly, he had a security clearance from the UK, and was part of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, living in Beirut and leading a scholarship program for Syrians. Yes, Syria.And then Khalil suddenly showed up with a green card (not a student visa), got married to a US citizen named Noor Abdalla, finished his program at Columbia, and so on. To me, all this sounds like it was facilitated, and that he has certain powerful foreign friends. No prizes for guessing who they were.Iraq, Libya and Syria: Humanitarian crisesSpeaking of Syria, Whitehall spent at least 350 million pounds sterling between 2011 and 2024 in regime-change activities targeting the Assad government, according to Declassified UK.The UK's meddling in the Middle East, going back to the Sykes-Picot carving up of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, and mandates in Palestine and Iraq, and even earlier to the antics of T E Lawrence, was clearly intended to advance and sustain British interests in, and influence on, the region. Which is not unreasonable.The sad fact, though, is that it appears the British have actively fomented, or been deeply involved in, a lot of the military misadventures that have turned the region into a mess of human misery. To take relatively recent history, the invasions of Iraq, Libya, and now of Syria were arguably dreamt up or at least actively supported by Britain.The invasion of Iraq was certainly endorsed by Tony Blair's infamous September 2002 dossier about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMD), which turned out to be imaginary, but then, lo! Saddam Hussein was overthrown and killed.The invasion of Libya saw Britain take on an even more active role. David Cameron and France's Nicolas Sarkozy in effect prodded a somewhat reluctant Barack Obama to invade, even co-drafting the UN Security Council Resolution 1973 in 2011 that was the formal permission for the war. The net result was the killing of Muammar Gaddafi.In the case of Syria, Britain began covert operations in 2012, with MI6 allegedly organizing arms shipments, training and coordination of groups opposed to the Assad regime. The sudden fall of Assad in December 2024, driven by groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that Britain indirectly supported, underscores the successful outcomes of this policy.In all three cases, a secular dictatorship was overthrown and religious extremists took over. Earlier, civilians had reasonably prosperous lives; women were generally educated and present in the workforce. After the regime changes, all three are bombed-out hellholes, with no rights for women or religious minorities. In particular, the latter have been consistently subjected to massacres, as in the recent large-scale executions of Alawites in Syria.Even though Americans were the principal players in all these cases, the impression is that British Whitehall's gaslighting of their US counterparts in Foggy Bottom could well have tipped the scales and turned skirmishes into outright war and disaster.Thus it is clear that Britain is still a formidable player in the world of international relations, despite the loss of empire and relative decline. It is unfortunate, however, that the net result of its actions is to add to entropy and chaos and the loss of human lives and rights. Perfidious Albion it still is.1950 words, Mar 16, 2025AI-generated podcast from NotebookLM.google.com: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com/subscribe
We are 50 podcasts old! For the special golden jubilee episode of The Hindu Parenting Podcast, we feature a conversation with Dr. Sampadananda Mishra, who has done more for the cause of children and Sanskrit than anyone else today.What are the benefits of Sanskrit for children? Learn from his insights - how can we make Sanskrit interesting for children? And much, much more, packed into this hour-long episode. Please share with all Hindus, especially Hindu parents.Dr. Sampadananda Mishra, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and passionate proponent of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), has made significant contributions to the promotion and preservation of Sanskrit language and culture. He founded and launched the world's first 24-hour Sanskrit radio channel, 'Divyavani Sanskrit Radio', in 2013. Dr. Mishra recently launched a monthly e-magazine for children called 'Saptavarna', further enriching the domain of Sanskrit children's literature. Among the many awards he has been honoured with is the 'Kendra Sahitya Akademi Bala Puraskar' in 2018 for his book “Shanaih Shanaih” for children. Among his many popular books, “The Wonder That is Sanskrit”, clearly explains the uniqueness of the language.Note: Please support us by signing up for our newsletters on Substack and if possible, upgrading to a paid subscription. Our podcasts (The Hindu Parenting Podcast) can be heard on Spotify, YouTube, Apple and Google Podcasts too.Please follow us on Twitter (X), Instagram or any social media platform of your choice.We are on most social media platforms with the handle “hinduparenting”. We have a Whatsapp and Telegram channel too. Our website is hinduparenting.orgFor comments and podcast suggestions, please use the comments tab or write to us at contact@hinduparenting.orgThe opinions expressed by guests on The Hindu Parenting Podcast are their personal opinions and Hindu Parenting does not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, completeness, suitability or validity of anything shared on our platform by them.Copyright belongs to Hindu Parenting. Get full access to Hindu Parenting at hinduparenting.substack.com/subscribe
This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam and Anand Vardhan are joined by writer and podcaster Amit Varma. The panel first discusses pre-Holi communal concerns, including a Sambhal cop saying Muslims should stay inside this Holi if they don't want to be smeared with colour. Jayashree says communal provocations during Holi have become normal: “We have this delusional idea of Hindus and Muslims holding hands and celebrating Holi. But that is not the country we live in now.” Anand explains the history of Bhojpuri Holi songs and the evolution of vulgarity. “The sexualised space has been taken into account by the pop music industry for its titillation value…These songs were not always vulgar, some even represented female desire.”The panel then moves on to the controversies around the recently concluded Champions Trophy. Abhinandan says, “There was nothing offensive about the Indian team not wanting to go to Pakistan due to security issues. Look at what has happened with the Balochistan train hijack this week.” Amit explains the tariff wars with the US: “Of all that Trump is doing, tariffs are the most bizarre. They are a disaster, period, and this has been the economic consensus for the last 200 years.” This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 – Introductions and announcements 00:03:22 – Headlines 00:19:33 - Holi and communal narratives00:26:41 - Holi and vulgar songs00:42:52 - Introduction to tariff wars00:45:37 - Champions Trophy and cricket controversies01:01:08 - Tariff wars01:39:38 - Amit's recommendations01:42:17 - Panel recommendationsCheck out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra, Hassan Bilal and Anil Kumar. This episode is outside of the paywall for now. Before it goes behind the paywall, why not subscribe? Get brand-new episodes of all our podcasts every week, while also doing your bit to support independent media. Click here to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A special crossover episode from our sibling show All About Hinduism: One of the underlying themes in the first series of episodes of All About Hinduism is that this spiritual tradition is often misunderstood by those people outside of it. Some of this misunderstanding is basic exposure to Hinduism and Hindus. But sometimes, we Hindus ourselves are unwittingly to blame. If we want non-Hindus to better understand Hinduism and we want to ourselves better understand Hinduism, the way in which we talk about Hinduism needs to change. Missed the first series of episodes of All About Hinduism? Start here on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Punjab में कुछ बड़ा होने वाला है | Attack on Hindus | Waqf हटने वाला है | Anuj Choudhary | HarshKumar
A special crossover episode from our sibling show All About Hinduism: One of the underlying themes in the first series of episodes of All About Hinduism is that this spiritual tradition is often misunderstood by those people outside of it. Some of this misunderstanding is basic exposure to Hinduism and Hindus. But sometimes, we Hindus ourselves are unwittingly to blame. If we want non-Hindus to better understand Hinduism and we want to ourselves better understand Hinduism, the way in which we talk about Hinduism needs to change. Missed the first series of episodes of All About Hinduism? Start here on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's Monday, March 10th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Police arrest Christians in India for evangelism On February 23rd, police arrested nine Christians in two locations in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India for holding Sunday prayer meetings, which Hindu groups alleged were intended to convert Hindus, reports ChurchinChains. Five Christians, including a pastor, were arrested in Sitapur district, where a case was registered following a complaint by Anuj Bhadauria, the district coordinator of a Hindu nationalist organization named Bajrang Dal. Plus, four others, including a pastor, were arrested in Raebareli district. In each case, the Christians had gathered for regular Sunday prayers in a home when a Hindu mob barged in and alleged that they were defaming the Hindu religion, and its deities, and offering inducements to convert people. Police seized Bibles and other religious materials as evidence of conversion activities. Over one hundred Christians are reportedly being held in different jails across Uttar Pradesh state, with 35 jailed so far in 2025. Christians make up less than one percent of the 200 million people who live in the state there in India. The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act 2021, a strict anti-conversion law, was amended last year to include harsher punishments including life imprisonment for religious conversion activities. Many Indian Christians find solace in Joshua 1:9 which says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Trump's pro-America speech wins accolades Last Tuesday night, President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress. (Read the transcript here) TRUMP: “America is back! (applause) Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden age of America.” CBS News polled Americans and discovered that 91% said the 47th president actually discussed issues that were important to them, and 74% said the address was entertaining. Overall, a total of 71% said the speech was inspiring. Trump used humor to address the border and wasteful spending No doubt, Trump's description of his policies was indeed entertaining. Listen to what he had to say about the border. TRUMP: “The media, and our friends in the Democrat Party, kept saying we needed new legislation. We must have legislation to secure the border, but it turned out that all we really needed -- was a new president.” (cheers) He was equally entertaining as he described the waste that the Department of Government Efficiency has identified under the leadership of Elon Musk. TRUMP: “Just listen to some of the appalling waste we have already identified. “$22 billion from HHS to provide free housing and cars for illegal aliens. $45 million for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion scholarships in Burma. $40 million to improve the social and economic inclusion of sedentary migrants. Nobody knows what that is. (laughter) $8 million to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of. (laughter) $8 million for making mice transgender. (laughter) This is real. … “Under the Trump administration, all of these scams have been found out and exposed and swiftly terminated by a group of very intelligent, mostly young people, headed up by Elon [Musk]. And we appreciate it. We found hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud.” (applause) Post-abortive women have higher suicide rate In a new topic-blind study, 2,829 American women, between ages 41 and 45, were surveyed about their reproductive health and suicide attempts, reports LifeNews.com. Authored by Elliot Institute Director David Reardon and published in The Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, the study found that women who had abortions or natural pregnancy loss were twice as likely to attempt to end their lives. The research sought to discern whether post-abortive suicide attempts are “entirely incidental and most likely fully explained by pre-existing mental illness,” as some have claimed, or directly related to the loss of life in the womb. To garner unbiased results, the respondents were completely in the dark as to what the purpose of the research was. Among women with a history of abortion, 35% of them had attempted suicide. Even women who did not have abortions, but lost their babies due to miscarriages or problematic pregnancies, had suicide attempt rates of roughly 30%. Notably, the research found that women who were coerced into having abortions had the highest rates of suicide at 46% of whom tried to end their own lives. Only 13% of women who had successful deliveries with no abortions, no miscarriages, no problems within the pregnancies were found to have made suicide attempts — the lowest rates among all surveyed women. Trump DOJ ends Biden lawsuit to force Idaho to allow ‘emergency' abortions The Trump administration has ended a Biden-era attempt to force Idaho pro-life doctors to participate in so-called “emergency” abortions, but a federal judge is still attempting to delay the law's enforcement, reports LifeSiteNews.com. Idaho's Defense of Life Act bans all abortions except those deemed “necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman.” On Wednesday, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America reported that the new Justice Department under President Donald Trump has moved to drop the case, ending the federal government's efforts to invalidate the Idaho Defense of Life Act. Actor Chris Pratt: “I care enough about Jesus to take a stand!” And finally, Chris Pratt has built a career on playing heroes — from the lovable goofball Andy Dwyer on "Parks and Recreation" to Marvel's Star-Lord, he's won over audiences with his humor and charm. But his greatest mission, said the “Guardians of the Galaxy” star, is far bigger than Hollywood, reports The Christian Post. After having listened to the entire Bible, Leah Klett asked Pratt which Scripture has had the most profound impact on his life. PRATT: “Matthew 5:14. Being a light in this world, a city on a hill cannot be hidden. I'm being called to be that city on the hill at this moment in my life. I feel like you take a risk. I think being in the entertainment world, being vocal about anything that's divisive, religion is divisive. I do care enough about Jesus to take a stand, even if it cost me. If it costs me everything, I don't care. It's worth it to me, because this is what I'm called to do, is where my heart is. “I'm a father of four. I want to raise my children up with an understanding that their dad was unashamed of his faith in Jesus, and with a profound understanding of the power of prayer and the grace and the love and the joy that can come from a relationship with Jesus. That's something that's really important to me. You don't hear that a lot from people in entertainment, but it's who I am. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. So, get back to Matthew 5:14.” Now there's a Hollywood star whose knee bends to his Savior Jesus Christ. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, March 10th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.
In Postcolonial Bollywood and Muslim Identity: Production, Representation, and Reception (Oxford UP, 2024), Nadira Khatun explores the contentious Muslim identity in contemporary India as reflected in recent Bollywood films. She argues that the approach towards Muslim identity in Bollywood films are influenced by the changing political landscape from Nehruvian India to the rise of BJP, which views Hindus and Muslims as separate religious communities instead of recognizing the syncretic culture manifesting in Hindu-Muslim unity. By analyzing the representation of Muslims in various films like Roja, Fanna, Mission Kashmir, Black Friday, New York, A Wednesday, Sarfarosh, she shows that the militant portrayal of Muslims is good for commercial success as opposed to a secular image. Overall, the study problematizes Muslim identity formation in Bollywood against the backdrop of nationalism and communalism in India. Author: Dr. Nadira Khatun, Associate Professor of Communications, Xavier University, India Host: Dr. Nilanjana Paul, Associate Professor of History, Department of History, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is the author of Bengal Muslims and Colonial Education, 1854-1947: A Study of Curriculum, Educational Institutions and Communal Politics, Routledge, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
In Postcolonial Bollywood and Muslim Identity: Production, Representation, and Reception (Oxford UP, 2024), Nadira Khatun explores the contentious Muslim identity in contemporary India as reflected in recent Bollywood films. She argues that the approach towards Muslim identity in Bollywood films are influenced by the changing political landscape from Nehruvian India to the rise of BJP, which views Hindus and Muslims as separate religious communities instead of recognizing the syncretic culture manifesting in Hindu-Muslim unity. By analyzing the representation of Muslims in various films like Roja, Fanna, Mission Kashmir, Black Friday, New York, A Wednesday, Sarfarosh, she shows that the militant portrayal of Muslims is good for commercial success as opposed to a secular image. Overall, the study problematizes Muslim identity formation in Bollywood against the backdrop of nationalism and communalism in India. Author: Dr. Nadira Khatun, Associate Professor of Communications, Xavier University, India Host: Dr. Nilanjana Paul, Associate Professor of History, Department of History, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is the author of Bengal Muslims and Colonial Education, 1854-1947: A Study of Curriculum, Educational Institutions and Communal Politics, Routledge, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies
In Postcolonial Bollywood and Muslim Identity: Production, Representation, and Reception (Oxford UP, 2024), Nadira Khatun explores the contentious Muslim identity in contemporary India as reflected in recent Bollywood films. She argues that the approach towards Muslim identity in Bollywood films are influenced by the changing political landscape from Nehruvian India to the rise of BJP, which views Hindus and Muslims as separate religious communities instead of recognizing the syncretic culture manifesting in Hindu-Muslim unity. By analyzing the representation of Muslims in various films like Roja, Fanna, Mission Kashmir, Black Friday, New York, A Wednesday, Sarfarosh, she shows that the militant portrayal of Muslims is good for commercial success as opposed to a secular image. Overall, the study problematizes Muslim identity formation in Bollywood against the backdrop of nationalism and communalism in India. Author: Dr. Nadira Khatun, Associate Professor of Communications, Xavier University, India Host: Dr. Nilanjana Paul, Associate Professor of History, Department of History, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is the author of Bengal Muslims and Colonial Education, 1854-1947: A Study of Curriculum, Educational Institutions and Communal Politics, Routledge, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/film
In Postcolonial Bollywood and Muslim Identity: Production, Representation, and Reception (Oxford UP, 2024), Nadira Khatun explores the contentious Muslim identity in contemporary India as reflected in recent Bollywood films. She argues that the approach towards Muslim identity in Bollywood films are influenced by the changing political landscape from Nehruvian India to the rise of BJP, which views Hindus and Muslims as separate religious communities instead of recognizing the syncretic culture manifesting in Hindu-Muslim unity. By analyzing the representation of Muslims in various films like Roja, Fanna, Mission Kashmir, Black Friday, New York, A Wednesday, Sarfarosh, she shows that the militant portrayal of Muslims is good for commercial success as opposed to a secular image. Overall, the study problematizes Muslim identity formation in Bollywood against the backdrop of nationalism and communalism in India. Author: Dr. Nadira Khatun, Associate Professor of Communications, Xavier University, India Host: Dr. Nilanjana Paul, Associate Professor of History, Department of History, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is the author of Bengal Muslims and Colonial Education, 1854-1947: A Study of Curriculum, Educational Institutions and Communal Politics, Routledge, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies
In Postcolonial Bollywood and Muslim Identity: Production, Representation, and Reception (Oxford UP, 2024), Nadira Khatun explores the contentious Muslim identity in contemporary India as reflected in recent Bollywood films. She argues that the approach towards Muslim identity in Bollywood films are influenced by the changing political landscape from Nehruvian India to the rise of BJP, which views Hindus and Muslims as separate religious communities instead of recognizing the syncretic culture manifesting in Hindu-Muslim unity. By analyzing the representation of Muslims in various films like Roja, Fanna, Mission Kashmir, Black Friday, New York, A Wednesday, Sarfarosh, she shows that the militant portrayal of Muslims is good for commercial success as opposed to a secular image. Overall, the study problematizes Muslim identity formation in Bollywood against the backdrop of nationalism and communalism in India. Author: Dr. Nadira Khatun, Associate Professor of Communications, Xavier University, India Host: Dr. Nilanjana Paul, Associate Professor of History, Department of History, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is the author of Bengal Muslims and Colonial Education, 1854-1947: A Study of Curriculum, Educational Institutions and Communal Politics, Routledge, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications
Big Win for Hindus - Court Declares Sambhal Masjid Disputed | Sanjay Dixit Explains
Yogi Adityanath is making bold moves following the Mahakumbh, with the latest controversy surrounding the Sambhal Masjid intensifying. The ASI's assertion of ownership has sparked tensions, while reports suggest internal discussions within the Muslim community regarding Waqf properties. Baba Ramdas sheds light on the deeper implications of these developments. As Uttar Pradesh takes decisive steps in governance and heritage matters, the impact of these actions could be far-reaching
America has many problems, much of which stems from the multicultural nature of the nation. Not so much the incompatibility of cultures, but the weaponizing of differences, elevation of some over others, and discrimination still of those considered lesser. Those upset that Kash Patel would put his hand on the Bhagavad Gita, or that Hindus would be elected to congress, or that the VP's wife is Hindu, proves the extreme left correct in their accusations against the extreme right of having fear over different cultures and religions. However, the left's complaining about ‘who will pick the food' or ‘mow my lawn' if we deport illegals shows what nasty and vile creatures these people are too. The bottom line is the United States was founded in part because of religious persecution, and on principles of protection for all religions - particularly those that uphold a higher authority. The issue therefore should not be Kash putting his hand on the Hindu scripture so much as it should be his prioritizing of Israel first, which almost guarantees the 911 and Epstein files will remain sealed or heavily blackened. Likewise, it is odd that a dark skinned Hindu would not be praised by the racially charged political left. This proves that the US has no issue inherently with differences, but that those things are weaponized when necessary to advance agendas hostile to the well being of Americans. The same can be said about Muslims who every 4 years become a protected class or a lesser class. The move to rename and rewrite history is still ongoing in the US, too, as part of this weaponization of culture. In Tucson, Christopher Columbus Park has been renamed after an Indigenous leader. Online there is also a strange rewriting of world history, where Africans are said to be the founders of all civilizations and countries, from Ireland and Finland to Japan and Australia. This agenda is in full swing at Ubisoft where their new Assassin Creed Shadows game, based in Japan, has been delayed, protested against, etc., because it depicts highly insulting themes to the Japanese. Now, after a promotional video of the game was released of a black samurai killing Japanese worshipers at the Itate Hyozu Shrine, that shrine and possibly the Association of Shinto Shrines, is seeking legal recourse against Ubisoft for their blatant cultural insensitivity and provocation. -FREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVEX / TWITTER FACEBOOKWEBSITECashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tst-radio--5328407/support.
If you're struggling, consider therapy with our sponsor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/almanac for a discount on your first month of therapy.If you have questions about the brand relating to how the therapists are credentialed, their privacy policy, or therapist compensation, here is an overview written by the YouTube creators behind the channel Cinema Therapy that goes into these topics: https://www.reddit.com/r/cinema_therapy/comments/1dpriql/addressing_the_betterhelp_concerns_headon_deep/ Hello dearest poison friends! I hope you are all well and staying safe! I was pondering the pollution of our worlds waterways this week and thought we could take on the discussion of some toxic and polluted (sometimes deadly) rivers. Obviously, I cannot speak on every single river that could qualify for these titles in one episode, so if you like this topic then we can do more in a future episode. Today however we are visiting West Java, Indonesia, where the Citarum River supplies water for drinking, bathing, cleaning, and irrigation for crops for millions of people. There also happen to be around 2,000 industries on its banks dumping waste such as heavy metals and toxic byproducts into the water. Solid waste such as plastic, diapers, and other household trash is also dumped in and along the river by residents of the capital city of Bandung and many villages living near its waters. In some areas, you cannot even see the surface of the water and dead fish and other animals float alongside the rubbish. This along with livestock waste and human sewage has made the river dangerous to those living near it and using it on a daily basis. We also discuss the Rio Tinto in Spain, where the water runs orange-red to blood red in color due to over 5,000 years of mining in the area. The water is acidic and filled with heavy metals and other mining byproducts. Oh, and we have to discuss the company that now operates the mine, conveniently called the Rio Tinto Company, and their many shady dealings all over the world. The Ganges is well known for a few things: it is a holy site for Hindus and it is heavily polluted with untreated sewage, human remains, industrial waste, and agricultural run-off. The water quality has been so bad that the incidence for illness after getting into the water is over 65%. Even, so, many Hindu pilgrims come to bathe ritually in this river and to dispose of human ashes as it is considered a place where sins are forgiven. I had to put at least one US river on here (because there are a lot of polluted rivers here as well), so I decided to go with the Ohio River (a hard decision as I was also thinking of the Mississippi and the Hudson as well). Most of the pollution here is caused by past industrial waste (including PFAs, dioxin, benzene, etc) and agricultural run-off. Oh and as a bonus, we head to the jungles of Peru to talk about one of my favorite rivers. Thank you to all of our listeners and supporters! Please feel free to leave a comment or send us a DM for any questions, suggestions, or just to say, "hi."Support us on Patreon:patreon.com/thepoisonersalmanacFollow us on socials:The Poisoner's Almanac on IG-https://www.instagram.com/poisoners_almanac?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==Adam-https://www.tiktok.com/@studiesshow?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcBecca-https://www.tiktok.com/@yobec0?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Kumbh Mela ist das größte religiöse Fest Indiens. Noch bis Ende Februar treffen sich Hunderte Millionen Menschen an den für Hindus heiligen Flüssen Ganges und Yamuna auf der Suche nach Erlösung. Eine Reportage von Franziska Amler. Von Franziska Amler.
Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian continue their second series on Violent Majorities. Their previous episode featured Peter Beinart on Zionism as long-distance ethnonationalism; here they speak with Subir Sinha, who teaches at SOAS University of London, comments on Indian and European media, and is a member of a commission of inquiry exploring the 2022 unrest between Hindus and Muslims in Leicester, UK. The catalysts he identifies for the rise of Hindu nationalism (Hindutva) include the emergence of new middle classes after economic liberalization, the rise of Islamophobia after 9/11, the 2008 crisis in capitalism, and the spread of new communications technologies. The trio discuss the growth of Hindutva in the US and UK since the 1990s and its further consolidation. Social media has been key to Modi's brand of authoritarian populism, with simultaneous messaging across national borders producing a globally dispersed audience for Hindutva. Particularly useful to transnational political mobilizations has been the manufacture of wounded Hindu sentiments: a claim to victimhood that draws on the legitimizing language of religious minority rights in the US and UK. They also note more hopeful signs: Dalit and other oppressed caste politics have begun to strengthen in the diaspora; the contradictions between lived Hinduism and Hindutva have become clearer; there are some demographic and structural barriers to Hindutva's further growth in the UK and US. Subir's Recallable Book is Kunal Purohit's H-Pop:The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars (Harper Collins India, 2023), which looks at the proliferation of Hindutva Pop, a genre of music that is made to go viral and whip up mob violence against religious minorities. Mentioned in this episode: Subir Sinha, “Fragile Hegemony: Modi, Social Media, and Competitive Electoral Populism in India.” International Journal of Communication 11(2017), 4158–4180. Subir Sinha, “‘Strong leaders', authoritarian populism and Indian developmentalism: The Modi moment in historical context.” Geoforum, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.02.019 Subir Sinha, “Modi's People and Populism's Imagined Communities.” Seminar, 7 5 6 – A u g u s t 2022, pp.18-23. Edward T. G. Anderson, Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora: Transnational Politics and British Multiculturalism. London: Hurst & Co., 2023. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or National Volunteer Corps, is the parent organization of the Sangh Parivar, or Hindu nationalist family of organizations. It espouses principles of Hindu unity and aims to transform India into a Hindu supremacist nation-state. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), or World Hindu Organization, is a branch of the Sangh Parivar. Its stated aims are to engage in social service work, construct Hindu temples, and defend Hindus. On the anti-caste discrimination bill in the UK parliament, see David Mosse, Outside Caste? The Enclosure of Caste and Claims to Castelessness in India and the United Kingdom The Ganesh Puja period is a 10-day festival that honors the Hindu god Ganesha, and usually takes place in late August or early September. Diane M. Nelson, A Finger in the Wound: Body Politics in Quincentennial Guatemala. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Verso; Revised edition, 2016. Yohann Koshy, “What the unrest in Leicester revealed about Britain – and Modi's India.” The Guardian, 8 February 2024. Richard Manuel, Cassette Culture in North India: Popular Music and Technology in North India. University of Chicago .Press; 2nd ed. Edition,1993. Listen and Read here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian continue their second series on Violent Majorities. Their previous episode featured Peter Beinart on Zionism as long-distance ethnonationalism; here they speak with Subir Sinha, who teaches at SOAS University of London, comments on Indian and European media, and is a member of a commission of inquiry exploring the 2022 unrest between Hindus and Muslims in Leicester, UK. The catalysts he identifies for the rise of Hindu nationalism (Hindutva) include the emergence of new middle classes after economic liberalization, the rise of Islamophobia after 9/11, the 2008 crisis in capitalism, and the spread of new communications technologies. The trio discuss the growth of Hindutva in the US and UK since the 1990s and its further consolidation. Social media has been key to Modi's brand of authoritarian populism, with simultaneous messaging across national borders producing a globally dispersed audience for Hindutva. Particularly useful to transnational political mobilizations has been the manufacture of wounded Hindu sentiments: a claim to victimhood that draws on the legitimizing language of religious minority rights in the US and UK. They also note more hopeful signs: Dalit and other oppressed caste politics have begun to strengthen in the diaspora; the contradictions between lived Hinduism and Hindutva have become clearer; there are some demographic and structural barriers to Hindutva's further growth in the UK and US. Subir's Recallable Book is Kunal Purohit's H-Pop:The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars (Harper Collins India, 2023), which looks at the proliferation of Hindutva Pop, a genre of music that is made to go viral and whip up mob violence against religious minorities. Mentioned in this episode: Subir Sinha, “Fragile Hegemony: Modi, Social Media, and Competitive Electoral Populism in India.” International Journal of Communication 11(2017), 4158–4180. Subir Sinha, “‘Strong leaders', authoritarian populism and Indian developmentalism: The Modi moment in historical context.” Geoforum, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.02.019 Subir Sinha, “Modi's People and Populism's Imagined Communities.” Seminar, 7 5 6 – A u g u s t 2022, pp.18-23. Edward T. G. Anderson, Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora: Transnational Politics and British Multiculturalism. London: Hurst & Co., 2023. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or National Volunteer Corps, is the parent organization of the Sangh Parivar, or Hindu nationalist family of organizations. It espouses principles of Hindu unity and aims to transform India into a Hindu supremacist nation-state. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), or World Hindu Organization, is a branch of the Sangh Parivar. Its stated aims are to engage in social service work, construct Hindu temples, and defend Hindus. On the anti-caste discrimination bill in the UK parliament, see David Mosse, Outside Caste? The Enclosure of Caste and Claims to Castelessness in India and the United Kingdom The Ganesh Puja period is a 10-day festival that honors the Hindu god Ganesha, and usually takes place in late August or early September. Diane M. Nelson, A Finger in the Wound: Body Politics in Quincentennial Guatemala. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Verso; Revised edition, 2016. Yohann Koshy, “What the unrest in Leicester revealed about Britain – and Modi's India.” The Guardian, 8 February 2024. Richard Manuel, Cassette Culture in North India: Popular Music and Technology in North India. University of Chicago .Press; 2nd ed. Edition,1993. Listen and Read here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian continue their second series on Violent Majorities. Their previous episode featured Peter Beinart on Zionism as long-distance ethnonationalism; here they speak with Subir Sinha, who teaches at SOAS University of London, comments on Indian and European media, and is a member of a commission of inquiry exploring the 2022 unrest between Hindus and Muslims in Leicester, UK. The catalysts he identifies for the rise of Hindu nationalism (Hindutva) include the emergence of new middle classes after economic liberalization, the rise of Islamophobia after 9/11, the 2008 crisis in capitalism, and the spread of new communications technologies. The trio discuss the growth of Hindutva in the US and UK since the 1990s and its further consolidation. Social media has been key to Modi's brand of authoritarian populism, with simultaneous messaging across national borders producing a globally dispersed audience for Hindutva. Particularly useful to transnational political mobilizations has been the manufacture of wounded Hindu sentiments: a claim to victimhood that draws on the legitimizing language of religious minority rights in the US and UK. They also note more hopeful signs: Dalit and other oppressed caste politics have begun to strengthen in the diaspora; the contradictions between lived Hinduism and Hindutva have become clearer; there are some demographic and structural barriers to Hindutva's further growth in the UK and US. Subir's Recallable Book is Kunal Purohit's H-Pop:The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars (Harper Collins India, 2023), which looks at the proliferation of Hindutva Pop, a genre of music that is made to go viral and whip up mob violence against religious minorities. Mentioned in this episode: Subir Sinha, “Fragile Hegemony: Modi, Social Media, and Competitive Electoral Populism in India.” International Journal of Communication 11(2017), 4158–4180. Subir Sinha, “‘Strong leaders', authoritarian populism and Indian developmentalism: The Modi moment in historical context.” Geoforum, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.02.019 Subir Sinha, “Modi's People and Populism's Imagined Communities.” Seminar, 7 5 6 – A u g u s t 2022, pp.18-23. Edward T. G. Anderson, Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora: Transnational Politics and British Multiculturalism. London: Hurst & Co., 2023. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or National Volunteer Corps, is the parent organization of the Sangh Parivar, or Hindu nationalist family of organizations. It espouses principles of Hindu unity and aims to transform India into a Hindu supremacist nation-state. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), or World Hindu Organization, is a branch of the Sangh Parivar. Its stated aims are to engage in social service work, construct Hindu temples, and defend Hindus. On the anti-caste discrimination bill in the UK parliament, see David Mosse, Outside Caste? The Enclosure of Caste and Claims to Castelessness in India and the United Kingdom The Ganesh Puja period is a 10-day festival that honors the Hindu god Ganesha, and usually takes place in late August or early September. Diane M. Nelson, A Finger in the Wound: Body Politics in Quincentennial Guatemala. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Verso; Revised edition, 2016. Yohann Koshy, “What the unrest in Leicester revealed about Britain – and Modi's India.” The Guardian, 8 February 2024. Richard Manuel, Cassette Culture in North India: Popular Music and Technology in North India. University of Chicago .Press; 2nd ed. Edition,1993. Listen and Read here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science
Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian continue their second series on Violent Majorities. Their previous episode featured Peter Beinart on Zionism as long-distance ethnonationalism; here they speak with Subir Sinha, who teaches at SOAS University of London, comments on Indian and European media, and is a member of a commission of inquiry exploring the 2022 unrest between Hindus and Muslims in Leicester, UK. The catalysts he identifies for the rise of Hindu nationalism (Hindutva) include the emergence of new middle classes after economic liberalization, the rise of Islamophobia after 9/11, the 2008 crisis in capitalism, and the spread of new communications technologies. The trio discuss the growth of Hindutva in the US and UK since the 1990s and its further consolidation. Social media has been key to Modi's brand of authoritarian populism, with simultaneous messaging across national borders producing a globally dispersed audience for Hindutva. Particularly useful to transnational political mobilizations has been the manufacture of wounded Hindu sentiments: a claim to victimhood that draws on the legitimizing language of religious minority rights in the US and UK. They also note more hopeful signs: Dalit and other oppressed caste politics have begun to strengthen in the diaspora; the contradictions between lived Hinduism and Hindutva have become clearer; there are some demographic and structural barriers to Hindutva's further growth in the UK and US. Subir's Recallable Book is Kunal Purohit's H-Pop:The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars (Harper Collins India, 2023), which looks at the proliferation of Hindutva Pop, a genre of music that is made to go viral and whip up mob violence against religious minorities. Mentioned in this episode: Subir Sinha, “Fragile Hegemony: Modi, Social Media, and Competitive Electoral Populism in India.” International Journal of Communication 11(2017), 4158–4180. Subir Sinha, “‘Strong leaders', authoritarian populism and Indian developmentalism: The Modi moment in historical context.” Geoforum, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.02.019 Subir Sinha, “Modi's People and Populism's Imagined Communities.” Seminar, 7 5 6 – A u g u s t 2022, pp.18-23. Edward T. G. Anderson, Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora: Transnational Politics and British Multiculturalism. London: Hurst & Co., 2023. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or National Volunteer Corps, is the parent organization of the Sangh Parivar, or Hindu nationalist family of organizations. It espouses principles of Hindu unity and aims to transform India into a Hindu supremacist nation-state. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), or World Hindu Organization, is a branch of the Sangh Parivar. Its stated aims are to engage in social service work, construct Hindu temples, and defend Hindus. On the anti-caste discrimination bill in the UK parliament, see David Mosse, Outside Caste? The Enclosure of Caste and Claims to Castelessness in India and the United Kingdom The Ganesh Puja period is a 10-day festival that honors the Hindu god Ganesha, and usually takes place in late August or early September. Diane M. Nelson, A Finger in the Wound: Body Politics in Quincentennial Guatemala. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Verso; Revised edition, 2016. Yohann Koshy, “What the unrest in Leicester revealed about Britain – and Modi's India.” The Guardian, 8 February 2024. Richard Manuel, Cassette Culture in North India: Popular Music and Technology in North India. University of Chicago .Press; 2nd ed. Edition,1993. Listen and Read here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory
Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian continue their second series on Violent Majorities. Their previous episode featured Peter Beinart on Zionism as long-distance ethnonationalism; here they speak with Subir Sinha, who teaches at SOAS University of London, comments on Indian and European media, and is a member of a commission of inquiry exploring the 2022 unrest between Hindus and Muslims in Leicester, UK. The catalysts he identifies for the rise of Hindu nationalism (Hindutva) include the emergence of new middle classes after economic liberalization, the rise of Islamophobia after 9/11, the 2008 crisis in capitalism, and the spread of new communications technologies. The trio discuss the growth of Hindutva in the US and UK since the 1990s and its further consolidation. Social media has been key to Modi's brand of authoritarian populism, with simultaneous messaging across national borders producing a globally dispersed audience for Hindutva. Particularly useful to transnational political mobilizations has been the manufacture of wounded Hindu sentiments: a claim to victimhood that draws on the legitimizing language of religious minority rights in the US and UK. They also note more hopeful signs: Dalit and other oppressed caste politics have begun to strengthen in the diaspora; the contradictions between lived Hinduism and Hindutva have become clearer; there are some demographic and structural barriers to Hindutva's further growth in the UK and US. Subir's Recallable Book is Kunal Purohit's H-Pop:The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars (Harper Collins India, 2023), which looks at the proliferation of Hindutva Pop, a genre of music that is made to go viral and whip up mob violence against religious minorities. Mentioned in this episode: Subir Sinha, “Fragile Hegemony: Modi, Social Media, and Competitive Electoral Populism in India.” International Journal of Communication 11(2017), 4158–4180. Subir Sinha, “‘Strong leaders', authoritarian populism and Indian developmentalism: The Modi moment in historical context.” Geoforum, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.02.019 Subir Sinha, “Modi's People and Populism's Imagined Communities.” Seminar, 7 5 6 – A u g u s t 2022, pp.18-23. Edward T. G. Anderson, Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora: Transnational Politics and British Multiculturalism. London: Hurst & Co., 2023. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or National Volunteer Corps, is the parent organization of the Sangh Parivar, or Hindu nationalist family of organizations. It espouses principles of Hindu unity and aims to transform India into a Hindu supremacist nation-state. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), or World Hindu Organization, is a branch of the Sangh Parivar. Its stated aims are to engage in social service work, construct Hindu temples, and defend Hindus. On the anti-caste discrimination bill in the UK parliament, see David Mosse, Outside Caste? The Enclosure of Caste and Claims to Castelessness in India and the United Kingdom The Ganesh Puja period is a 10-day festival that honors the Hindu god Ganesha, and usually takes place in late August or early September. Diane M. Nelson, A Finger in the Wound: Body Politics in Quincentennial Guatemala. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Verso; Revised edition, 2016. Yohann Koshy, “What the unrest in Leicester revealed about Britain – and Modi's India.” The Guardian, 8 February 2024. Richard Manuel, Cassette Culture in North India: Popular Music and Technology in North India. University of Chicago .Press; 2nd ed. Edition,1993. Listen and Read here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology
Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian continue their second series on Violent Majorities. Their previous episode featured Peter Beinart on Zionism as long-distance ethnonationalism; here they speak with Subir Sinha, who teaches at SOAS University of London, comments on Indian and European media, and is a member of a commission of inquiry exploring the 2022 unrest between Hindus and Muslims in Leicester, UK. The catalysts he identifies for the rise of Hindu nationalism (Hindutva) include the emergence of new middle classes after economic liberalization, the rise of Islamophobia after 9/11, the 2008 crisis in capitalism, and the spread of new communications technologies. The trio discuss the growth of Hindutva in the US and UK since the 1990s and its further consolidation. Social media has been key to Modi's brand of authoritarian populism, with simultaneous messaging across national borders producing a globally dispersed audience for Hindutva. Particularly useful to transnational political mobilizations has been the manufacture of wounded Hindu sentiments: a claim to victimhood that draws on the legitimizing language of religious minority rights in the US and UK. They also note more hopeful signs: Dalit and other oppressed caste politics have begun to strengthen in the diaspora; the contradictions between lived Hinduism and Hindutva have become clearer; there are some demographic and structural barriers to Hindutva's further growth in the UK and US. Subir's Recallable Book is Kunal Purohit's H-Pop:The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars (Harper Collins India, 2023), which looks at the proliferation of Hindutva Pop, a genre of music that is made to go viral and whip up mob violence against religious minorities. Mentioned in this episode: Subir Sinha, “Fragile Hegemony: Modi, Social Media, and Competitive Electoral Populism in India.” International Journal of Communication 11(2017), 4158–4180. Subir Sinha, “‘Strong leaders', authoritarian populism and Indian developmentalism: The Modi moment in historical context.” Geoforum, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.02.019 Subir Sinha, “Modi's People and Populism's Imagined Communities.” Seminar, 7 5 6 – A u g u s t 2022, pp.18-23. Edward T. G. Anderson, Hindu Nationalism in the Indian Diaspora: Transnational Politics and British Multiculturalism. London: Hurst & Co., 2023. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or National Volunteer Corps, is the parent organization of the Sangh Parivar, or Hindu nationalist family of organizations. It espouses principles of Hindu unity and aims to transform India into a Hindu supremacist nation-state. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), or World Hindu Organization, is a branch of the Sangh Parivar. Its stated aims are to engage in social service work, construct Hindu temples, and defend Hindus. On the anti-caste discrimination bill in the UK parliament, see David Mosse, Outside Caste? The Enclosure of Caste and Claims to Castelessness in India and the United Kingdom The Ganesh Puja period is a 10-day festival that honors the Hindu god Ganesha, and usually takes place in late August or early September. Diane M. Nelson, A Finger in the Wound: Body Politics in Quincentennial Guatemala. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Verso; Revised edition, 2016. Yohann Koshy, “What the unrest in Leicester revealed about Britain – and Modi's India.” The Guardian, 8 February 2024. Richard Manuel, Cassette Culture in North India: Popular Music and Technology in North India. University of Chicago .Press; 2nd ed. Edition,1993. Listen and Read here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/indian-religions
The festival of Kumbh Mela is estimated to attract 400 million Hindus and other visitors from around the world. The 45-day festival is a massive economic engine, injecting billions in the economy of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, which is hosting the event. And this year, it is a Grand Mela, which only happens once every 144 years. From big businesses to street vendors and hotel owners, to major brands and digital entrepreneurs, all are looking to cash in on the influx of visitors.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Devina Gupta(Image: Shoppers next to a toy stall at Kumbh Mela in 2023. Credit: Getty Images)
Marriage is the most important decision a human being will make in life, so we need to put at least as much thought into it as we do preparing for exams and a career. Parents must guide young Hindus through finding a suitable partner and being happily married. Episode #49 of the Hindu Parenting Podcast, a conversation with Shri. Shankar Kumaran is a must-listen episode for young Hindus and parents alike.Shri Shankar Kumaran, Founder of Life Education Institute, is a counselor and coach who has worked with many young people, including married couples, and helped them have happy marriages. Shri Kumaran was educated in the traditional Gurukula style, which gave him a deep knowledge of Sanskrit and the shastras. At the same time, he holds a degree in psychology and has worked successfully with modern couples.In this podcast, he gives significant insights into the Hindu vivaaha and the secrets of a happy marriage. What do young people need to know before looking for a life partner? What can you do as a parent to ensure your child will have a happy marriage?On the eve of Valentine's Day today, encourage people to listen to this special podcast to understand marriage better.Listen to the complete podcast and share it with all Hindus - young people and parents.You can find more information about Shri Kumaran here.Note: Please support us by signing up for our newsletters on Substack and, if possible, upgrading to a paid subscription. Our podcasts (The Hindu Parenting Podcast) can also be heard on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, and Google Podcasts.Please follow us on Twitter (X), Instagram, or any social media platform you choose.We are on most social media platforms with the handle “hinduparenting”. We have a WhatsApp and Telegram channel, too. Our website is hinduparenting.orgFor comments and podcast suggestions, please use the comments tab or write to us at contact@hinduparenting.orgThe opinions expressed by guests on The Hindu Parenting Podcast are their personal opinions and Hindu Parenting does not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, completeness, suitability or validity of anything shared on our platform by them.Copyright belongs to Hindu Parenting. Get full access to Hindu Parenting at hinduparenting.substack.com/subscribe
With the Delhi Elections providing key insights into India's political landscape, this session will analyze the factors influencing the results and discuss the importance of Hindu unity in shaping the country's future. Featuring Bhau Torsekar, Baba Ramdas, Ashwini Upadhyay, Omkar Chaudhary, and Abhishek Tiwari, this discussion will focus on electoral trends, political strategies, and the challenges of uniting Hindus in a rapidly evolving political scenario.
What is the future of religious freedom and secularism in Bharat? Is the current secular framework sustainable, or is a shift towards Hindu Rashtra the logical next step? In this thought-provoking session, T Raja Singh, Kaartik Gor, Ex Muslim Sahil, Bhau Torsekar, Anupam Mishra & Sanjay Dixit will discuss the historical context, contemporary challenges, and future possibilities for a Hindu civilizational state. This session will examine the balance between religious rights and national identity while proposing practical pathways for the future.
On TTD barring non-Hindus from temple service, Owaisi cites waqf bill to slam Chandrababu's ‘hypocrisy' https://theprint.in/politics/on-ttd-barring-non-hindus-from-temple-service-owaisi-cites-waqf-bill-to-slam-chandrababus-hypocrisy/2482228/
I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 6th of February, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Joel 3:14:”Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” It's decision time, my dear friend. No more wasting time. The harvest is ripe ready and ready for reaping. We go to Romans 8:19:”For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.” The world is standing on tiptoes, waiting for you and me, the children of God, to tell them about eternity. You know, I've written a book, a devotional, that came out early this year. It's called “Living for Eternity”. The Lord laid on my heart about the urgency of the times in which we are living. Now I'm a farmer. I am familiar with seasons. There have been seasons in the past where it hasn't been right to reap the crop. Never reap a crop that's green because it will spoil. Wait for it until the harvest is golden and then reap it. You might say, ”Well, I'm not an evangelist.” You don't have to be an evangelist. I want to tell you some of the biggest multitudes and congregations, are found in the workplace. That's right - farmers praying and reading scriptures with their workers before they start work. Men going down underground in the mine, while they're waiting for the cages, can preach the Gospel. What about an assembly at school? What an opportunity to tell them that it is time to turn to the Lord. I get invited to go to hospitals sometimes to pray for a sick man. I've been into a hospital room where there are four beds and when I'm finished praying for that man and he's weeping and we're believing for a miracle, as I walk out the other three say, “Please, we also need prayer.” Some of them are Muslims, some of them are Hindus, some of them are atheists. It's the time for people to be saved.What about that old age home? Those are the people actually, that we should be speaking to more than anybody else because their time to meet their Lord is getting very close. The sports fields, what an opportunity! I just love it when I see young men running onto that rugby field and before they start, they fall to their knees and they pray and God undertakes. What about an auction yard. Oh yes, you laugh, I've been to auction yards where they've asked me to open in prayer and do a Scripture reading before they start selling their cattle and animals.Today, let's be aware that all creation is waiting for you and me to tell them about the coming of the Lord and that they must be saved.Jesus bless you and goodbye.
This Brown Pundits podcast episode features hosts Amey and Dr. Omar Ali in conversation with Vishal Ganesan, a lawyer and thinker, about his essay "Frontier Dharma" and the meaning of being Hindu in the diaspora. Vishal discusses how his observations of mainstream media and academic discourse led him to research the historical representation of Hindus, which he found to be distorted by a lens stemming from 18th and 19th-century missionary narratives. Vishal's essay - https://frontierdharma.substack.com/p/the-hindu-case-against-hinduism-a
'The Kumbh Mela—a congregation for spiritual cleansing of the soul, where taking a dip in the holy waters is believed to wash away sins and bring people closer to the divine—is something that should stand beyond politics. While the politicisation of the Kumbh Mela is something one can understand, what really catches my attention is the criticism it faces from modern Indians', says Amana Begam Ansari in her latest column for ThePrint https://theprint.in/opinion/maha-kumbh-mela-india-cultural-unity/2470781/
In Episode #48 of the Hindu Parenting Podcast, we talk with Rajesh Sengamedu about his new book of short stories titled “Desi, Dharma aur Dilemma - Beyond Movies, Music, Mufti and Masala”The stories are about the dilemmas faced by diaspora Hindus in USA, but the theme is applicable to much of urban India today.Through these stories, the author gets us to take a long-term perspective and think about what it means to be a Hindu today. His deft touch and gentle probing go to the root of many dilemmas we face today. The stories are not prescriptive, but leave us with lingering questions and a clear dharmik lens through which to look at our lives.The book is especially relevant for parents. It helps us to see the long-term effects of everyday parenting choices we make as Hindus in the modern world.Enjoy the podcast and please share with friends and family!Read more about the author, Rajesh Sengamedu, in this interview.The book “Desi, Dharma aur Dilemma” is available for purchase on Amazon internationally at this link.Buyers from India can find the book at this link.Note: Please support us by signing up for our newsletters on Substack and if possible, upgrading to a paid subscription. Our podcasts (The Hindu Parenting Podcast) can be heard on Spotify, YouTube, Apple and Google Podcasts too.Please follow us on Twitter (X), Instagram or any social media platform of your choice.We are on most social media platforms with the handle “hinduparenting”. We have a Whatsapp and Telegram channel too. Our website is hinduparenting.orgFor comments and podcast suggestions, please use the comments tab or write to us at contact@hinduparenting.org Get full access to Hindu Parenting at hinduparenting.substack.com/subscribe
Sahar Zand follows young Hindu activists Banamali and Sukanto, who are documenting the violence they say authorities and media are ignoring. She joins them as they respond to a new attack on a Hindu-majority village, where a mob set fire to a yet another building. The attacks are not just aimed at buildings. Sahar meets victims, including an elderly village doctor recovering from an attempted murder and a grieving mother whose 14-year-old son was killed trying to escape the country. In a tense interview, Sahar confronts Mahmudul Hasan Gunovi, a far-right Islamist leader accused of fueling the violence with his inflammatory rhetoric. She experiences the violence first-hand during a volatile encounter when Banamali and Sukanto visit a sensitive site, where a Hindu crematorium has recently been destroyed, and a make-shift mosque built on its ruins.
In the aftermath of Bangladesh's political unrest and the student-led protests that led to the collapse of Sheikh Hasina's government in August 2024, the country is facing a period of transition and uncertainty. Amid the chaos, harrowing videos and reports of violent attacks against the Hindu minority flooded social media—images of burning buildings, horrifying violence, and women weeping as they pleaded for help. However, some began to doubt the veracity and authenticity of these videos after they seemed to be sensationalised by right-wing influencers and news outlets in neighbouring India.Despite this, shocking new videos of alleged attacks continue to appear on social media, with little or no acknowledgement from a world that is now questioning their legitimacy. In the first episode of a two-part series for BBC World Service's Heart & Soul, reporter Sahar Zand travels to Bangladesh to investigate the truth behind the contradictory news headlines and the contrasting videos emerging daily online. There, Sahar follows two Hindu university students, Sukanto and Banamali, who have made it their mission to verify and document what they describe as brutal assaults on their community, determined to set the record straight.Sahar follows Sukanto and Banamali as they travel to some of the worst-affected areas, and sees and hears firsthand accounts of homes burned, families separated, temples desecrated, and entire villages torn apart by mob violence. Despite their tireless efforts to report the truth, the two friends say that the Hindu experience in Bangladesh has been met with silence from both the world's media and the country's authorities. Producer: Sahar Zand Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta