Mata Vaishno Devi Pilgrim Accidents On Rise

KATRA, (GaeaTimes.com)- In the most religious season of the year, when many people travel to Mata Vaishno Devi for pilgrimage, accidents seem to be on a rise. This season has witnessed more than three pilgrim accidents in one week and strangely, all three of them died due to Cardiac attack.
Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrim, Rajinder Joshi … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Mata Vaishno Devi Pilgrim Accidents On Rise.

Navaratri 2010 Starts Today

(GaeaTimes.com)- The Navaratri 2010 festival kickstarts from today and the ten day long festival will see its closure on October 18. Navaratri, which in Sanskrit means nine nights, is dedicated to Shakti, represented by Goddess Durga. This is one of the most important festivals in India, which is celebrated in many stated.
Navaratri 2010 began from …. Read the original article  : Navaratri 2010 Starts Today.

Utah gay activists stage silent protest over Mormon church leader’s remarks on homosexuality

Utah gay activists protest Mormon church remarks

SALT LAKE CITY – Gay rights activists staged a silent protest Thursday outside the headquarters of the Mormon church in Salt Lake City in response to a church leader’s remarks that homosexuality is an immoral condition that can and should be overcome.
The sermon by Boyd K. Packer, president of … Read : Utah gay activists stage silent protest over Mormon church leader’s remarks on homosexuality.

Republican Angle’s longtime pastor denounces Reid’s faith, calls Mormon Church cult

Angle’s longtime pastor denounces Reid’s faith

LAS VEGAS – The former pastor of Senate candidate Sharron Angle denounced Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s faith, calling the Mormon Church a cult that pretends to embrace Christianity.
Sonrise Church Pastor John Reed told The Associated Press on Thursday that the Nevada Democrat has devoted his political career to advancing … Read more >>.

Iran thanks Pope for condemning Quran burning plan

TEHRAN – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has thanked the Pope for condemning an American pastor’s plan to burn the Quran, a media report said.

Ahmadinejad wrote a letter to Pope Benedict XVI, thanking him for condemning the move by a Florida pastor and stressed the necessity of close cooperation between religions, Xinhua reported citing the …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Mormon, Muslim, old, young: Gay community pouring hearts out on YouTube over teen suicides

Gay community sends video message: It gets better

NEW YORK – David Valdes Greenwood was 15 when he climbed to the highest arch of a bridge in his small Maine town and got ready to jump.
It was 1982. He was distraught over a pastor’s Sodom and Gomorrah sermon that his homosexuality would bring God’s wrath down …. Original source  : Mormon, Muslim, old, young: Gay community pouring hearts out on YouTube over teen suicides.

French Constitutional Council endorses ban on Islamic face veils, removing key hurdle

France’s constitutional watchdog endorses veil ban

PARIS – France’s constitutional watchdog on Thursday endorsed a divisive law forbidding face-covering Islamic veils anywhere in public, but expressed concern about applying it in places of worship such as a mosque.
The decision of the Constitutional Council removes a key hurdle for the law, overwhelmingly approved in both houses of … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : French Constitutional Council endorses ban on Islamic face veils, removing key hurdle.

Swedish Prophet cartoonist Lars Vilks completes disrupted lecture amid tight security

Controversial Swedish artist finishes lecture

UPPSALA, Sweden – A Swedish artist who angered Muslims by caricaturing the Prophet Muhammad has given a lecture on artistic freedom at a location heavily guarded by police.
Police say there were no disturbances as Lars Vilks spoke in Uppsala, near Stockholm. He was continuing a lecture he had tried to give …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Sri Lanka\’s Buddhist monks seek release of ex-army chief

DPA
COLOMBO – Hundreds of Buddhist monks held a prayer meeting in Sri Lanka Thursday to call for the release of the country\’s ex-army chief and presidential candidate who was jailed last week.

An estimated 1,000 monks plus members of the public held a prayers in Kandy, 117 km from the capital, and offered flowers at a …. Source article  : Sri Lanka\’s Buddhist monks seek release of ex-army chief.

Pope taps Italian to head office for world’s clergy; Guinean takes over Vatican charity branch

Pope taps Italian to head office for world priests

VATICAN CITY – The pope has tapped an Italian to head the Vatican office in charge of the world’s 400,000 Catholic priests.
Monsignor Mauro Piacenza, 66, replaces retiring Cardinal Claudio Hummes of Brazil as prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy. Piacenza had been Hummes’ No. 2.
In another …. Original article  : Pope taps Italian to head office for world’s clergy; Guinean takes over Vatican charity branch.

Durga Puja Countdown Begins

KOLKATA, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- The countdown for Durga Puja the biggest festival for the Bengalis has started. The Puja this year will begin on October 14 and conclude on Oct 19th. This is a festival millions of people wait for the whole year. While lots of money is spent after the Puja all over … Read : Durga Puja Countdown Begins.

Navratri 2010 Commences From Tomorrow

NEW DELHI, INDIA (Gaea Times.com)- The nine day festival of Navratri is commencing from tomorrow, Oct 8, 2010. “Nav” means nine and “ratri” means night, this translates into the festival of “nine nights”. Though the festival is associated with Durga, the festival worships the nine forms of “Shakti” on the nine nights. The nine …. Original source  : Navratri 2010 Commences From Tomorrow.