Yogesh Patel, 69, has always celebrated Diwali — as a boy in Kenya, as a teenager in Zambia and as an adult in Britain. But until recently, he had not celebrated with so many white people.
Ramaswamy’s TPUSA moment leaves believers asking, ‘Why is Hinduism so hard to explain?’
Vivek Ramaswamy, who got further than any other Hindu in his run for president and is a veteran of Charlie Kirk’s “Prove me wrong” campus colloquies, is no stranger to discussing religious beliefs. But earlier this month, Ramaswamy, challenged at…
Three US states now recognize Diwali as a holiday
During the late 1970s in the quiet suburbs of Hamden, Connecticut, the Indian festival of Diwali hardly enjoyed mainstream recognition. For Hindus like Rajeev Pahuja, who was born and raised in that environment, the fall holiday season meant balancing two…
Why trade official’s use of the term ‘Brahmins’ on Fox News sparked Hindu outrage
President Donald Trump’s senior trade adviser has sparked accusations of Hinduphobia after using the term “Brahmins” to criticize India’s elite, prompting Hindu American groups to call for his immediate removal.
A Hindu’s Heroism In A Muslim School: When Having Faith Means Saving Lives
On April 22, a group of armed terrorists stormed the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, a scenic stretch in South Kashmir popular among tourists. The attackers, armed with assault rifles, singled out men based on their religion before shooting them at…
A dog on a scooter with Holi powder on its forehead shows how much Indians love their pets
On a normal day in India, this could be an ordinary picture of a dog sitting comfortably on the back of a scooter. Only it isn’t.
Hindu devotional singing is having a moment
The winner of the 2025 Grammy Award for best new age, ambient or chant album — a category once dominated by Enya — was an album titled “Triveni,” meaning “the confluence of three rivers” in Sanskrit, an apt description for its weaving…
Separation of church and state looks different through the eyes of minorities, BJC speaker says
The First Amendment and concepts such as separation of church and state and freedom of religion seem to signal that religious diversity is strong in the United States. “Well, that’s not really true,” Khyati Joshi, author of White Christian Privilege:…
Americans feeling ‘warmer’ toward Mormons and Muslims — but not evangelicals
Maybe Mitt Romney should have waited one election cycle to run for president. Romney was dogged by negative perceptions about his Mormon faith during his unsuccessful 2012 bid for the presidency. But new research shows attitudes about Mormons are warming,…
Most faith groups value formal education, new research shows
There are times when mixing religion and education is desirable. And there are times when it isn’t. Critics of Betsy DeVos have claimed the nation’s new education secretary is definitely an example of the latter. From her nomination last month…
President-elect inspiring more prayer, worship and (social media) fasting
It could be that the election of Donald Trump is having an unintended consequence: Driving more Americans to the practice of fasting. It’s already been reported that prayer and worship attendance among mainline Christians are rising since Election Day. So…
Congregational postcards from the edge of Christianity
Some years ago I had the opportunity to consult with a congregation with a great history and reputation for having at least one — if not more — internationally known pastors who delivered sermons of great fame and lasting popularity….