Lead story
Editor's note:
The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose feast day falls on Dec. 12, has long been used as a symbol of resistance — claimed by those who feel a kinship with a Virgin Mary apparition in the form of a mixed-race woman speaking an Indigenous language. Recently Latino activists and artists in the U.S. and Mexico have adorned images of the patron saint of Mexico with keffiyehs and watermelons to signal support for Palestinian liberation. An Instagram account, “Where’s Lupita?,” features many of these illustrations. Its creator, Gustavo Martinez Contreras, sees this work as a continuation of the tradition of Chicanos who harnessed the Virgin as a symbol “in defiance against the system,” writes Alejandra Molina for RNS. Another artist, who helped create a Virgin of Guadalupe banner with the words “My son is Palestinian” in Spanish on it, sees her as the perfect conduit to evoke reaction. “We wanted to reach people’s hearts. The Virgin is a figure of authority. It’s as if she’s saying, ‘My children, don’t be indifferent.’”
Religion News
Giant statue of the Buddha in New Jersey becomes interfaith hub
One of the largest statues of the Buddha in the United States springs up unexpectedly in the middle of a backyard just off a busy New Jersey state highway. It has become a hub for interfaith efforts. By Luis Andres Henao/The Associated Press
Hindus debate the legacy of caste in America
As more institutions adopt policies against caste discrimination, disagreements about caste's prevalence among those in the Hindu diaspora are stronger than ever. By Richa Karmarkar/Religion News Service
A lawsuit filed in Mexico seeks personhood status for the Ring of Cenotes, a group of hundreds of subterranean lakes surrounding part of the Yucatan peninsula. They are sacred to Indigenous Mayans. By Teresa de Miguel/The Associated Press
Rural resurrection: A Greek village leans into faith in fight against demographic collapse
In the remote mountains of central Greece lies Fourna, a village in danger of disappearing due to its aging population. An unlikely duo, the local priest and a schoolteacher, have joined forces to raise money to attract families and breathe life back into their community. By Derek Gatopoulos and Thanassis Stavrakis/The Associated Press
Indigenous leaders bring first case under Texas' COVID-19-era religious liberty measure
In oral arguments before the state Supreme Court, Texas’ deputy solicitor general argued that the amendment was ‘not a Swiss Army knife of religious liberty’ and that ‘the amendment’s scope is designed to protect the right to gather,’ not to protect sacred spaces themselves. By BeLynn Buckley/Religion News Service
Commentary and Analysis
Mindfulness – meant to support health and detachment – is becoming a tool to support the corporate bottom line. By Jaime L Kucinskas for The Conversation
The study of martial arts involves physical training − but also raises larger questions about ethics and what justifies the use of force. By Kenneth Andrew Andres Leonardo for The Conversation
Bonhoeffer matters precisely because he reminds us that Christian behavior and attitudes are more than calculations for a partisan edge. By Charles Marsh/Religion News Service
Many philosophers cast doubt on ‘doxastic voluntarism’: the idea that we can control what we believe, just like that. So can people be held to account for their beliefs? By Mark Boespflug for The Conversation
Officers carry Buddha's sacred tooth relics, on loan from China, to the Royal Garden in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
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