The world's a wonderful and diverse place full of many different kinds of people. And with the variety of nations and races comes the entwined variety of religion. For this week in Faithful Friday we take a look at the religions around the world, what the future has in store for them, and how they've changed throughout the years. All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!
Historically, people with mental illnesses were often regarded as either "possessed" or struck with divine inspiration. How then has the advance of modern psychiatric medicine affected the spiritual interpretation of these phenomena? The Atlantic takes a look at this complex and perplexing question.
How does Mormonism differ from other branches of Christianity? It's been a question which both Mormon and non-Mormon theologians have debated for well over a century since the denomination's founding but this article from The Huffington Post makes a more specific examination: what do Mormons believe about magic?
In the wake of continuing violence in the Middle East, many are calling upon Muslims around the worldwide to decry the violence of their brethren. But, as this piece from The Guardian points out, many have already, and despise groups like ISIL as much as anyone.
Some imagine the future of religion is a rather diminished one, in which the faithful are outnumbered by non-believers. Don't be so sure though, argues Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry of The Week, while irreligion may be on the rise in some parts of the world (such as the U.S.), many religions are experiencing growth spurts in the rest of the world. Indeed, the world of tomorrow may be more religious than the world of today.
What is "yoga?" If you ask an American you're likely to hear about a healthcare practice involving a series of low-energy exercises and regimens. But if you ask an Indian, you might learn that this has relatively little to do with the original meaning of the term, which is the spiritual path to "moksha" or liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. This article at The Washington Post tackles the problematic and appropriative nature of western yoga's divorce from its Hindu roots.