Religions Around The World

In the early morning hours, monks can be seen walking on their alms round in Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Showing humility and detachment from worldly goods, the monk walks slowly and only stops if he is called. Standing quietly, with his bowl open, the local Buddhists give him rice, or flowers, or an envelope containing money.  In return, the monks bless the local Buddhists and wish them a long and fruitful life.
Christians Celebrate Good Friday
Enacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in St. Mary's Church in Secunderabad, India. Only 2.3% of India's population is Christian. 
Ancient interior mosaic in the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora
The Church of the Holy Saviour in Istanbul, Turkey is a medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church.
Dome of the Rock located in the Old City of Jerusalem
The site's great significance for Muslims derives from traditions connecting it to the creation of the world and to the belief that the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey to heaven started from the rock at the center of the structure.
Holi Festival in Mathura, India
Holi is a Hindu festival that marks the end of winter. Also known as the “festival of colors”,  Holi is primarily observed in South Asia but has spread across the world in celebration of love and the changing of the seasons.
Jewish father and daughter pray at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Israel.
Known in Hebrew as the Western Wall, it is one of the holiest sites in the world. The description, "place of weeping", originated from the Jewish practice of mourning the destruction of the Temple and praying for its rebuilding at the site of the Western Wall.
People praying in Mengjia Longshan Temple in Taipei, Taiwan
The temple is dedicated to both Taoism and Buddhism.
People praying in the Grand Mosque in Ulu Cami
This is the most important mosque in Bursa, Turkey and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture built in 1399.
Savior Transfiguration Cathedral of the Savior Monastery of St. Euthymius
Located in Suzdal, Russia, this is a church rite of sanctification of apples and grapes in honor of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Fushimi Inari Shrine is located in Kyoto, Japan
It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. Fushimi Inari is the most important Shinto shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice.
Ladles at the purification fountain in the Hakone Shrine
Located in Hakone, Japan, this shrine is a Japanese Shinto shrine.  At the purification fountain, ritual washings are performed by individuals when they visit a shrine. This ritual symbolizes the inner purity necessary for a truly human and spiritual life.
Hanging Gardens of Haifa are garden terraces around the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel
They are one of the most visited tourist attractions in Israel. The Shrine of the Báb is where the remains of the Báb, founder of the Bábí Faith and forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Bahá'í Faith, have been buried; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahá'ís.
Pilgrims praying at the Pool of the Nectar of Immortality and Golden Temple
Located in Amritsar, India, the Golden Temple is one of the most revered spiritual sites of Sikhism. It is a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to worship God equally. Over 100,000 people visit the shrine daily.
Entrance gateway of Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple Kowloon
Located in Hong Kong, China, the temple is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. The Taoist temple is famed for the many prayers answered: "What you request is what you get" via a practice called kau cim.
Christian women worship at a church in Bois Neus, Haiti.
Haiti's population is 94.8 percent Christian, primarily Catholic. This makes them one of the most heavily Christian countries in the world.

A quiz on the Supreme Court’s new religious opt-out standard

(RNS) — Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that parents have a right to withdraw their children from public school classes when stories with LGBTQ+ themes are being discussed. 

Writing for the court’s 6-3 conservative supermajority, Justice Samuel Alito used as an example “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,” a book that, according to Alito, “presents a specific, if subtle, message about marriage. It asserts that two people can get married, regardless of whether they are of the same or the opposite sex, so long as they ‘love each other.’ That view is now accepted by a great many Americans, but it is directly contrary to the religious principles that the parents in this case wish to instill in their children.”



In a dissent signed by the court’s three liberals, Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out that the decision would have the effect of permitting students to opt out of any school activity that violates their parents’ religious beliefs.

Here’s a quiz to gauge how you view the justices’ ruling: Answer Y if you believe public schoolchildren should be permitted to opt out of the following, N if not. Put your response in the comment section below as follows, e.g.: 1N, 2Y, 3N, 4Y, etc. Bases for religious grounds for opting out are in parentheses. Feel free to include explanations.

1. Biographies of famous female political leaders such as Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir, and Hillary Clinton for presenting a subtle message that it’s good for women to work outside the home. (Religious belief in traditional gender roles)

2. An American history textbook for presenting the subtle message that religious freedom is a good thing in its description of the Puritans coming to America in order to worship as they please. (Catholic Integralism)

3. John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” for portraying Satan as evil. (Satanism)

4. The Bible for conveying the overt message that the Judeo-Christian God is the one and only God. (Hinduism)

5. A biology textbook for teaching that life on Earth evolved over millions of years. (Fundamentalist Protestantism)

6. The Pledge of Allegiance for treating a country as an object of worship. (Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Truth)

7. A social studies textbook for presenting a non-subtle message that chattel slavery is a bad thing. (Christian Identity)

8. Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” for implying that Christians are better than Jews. (Judaism)

9. The “Song of Roland” for presenting the overt message that Muslims are bad. (Islam)

10. Mozart’s “Magic Flute” for presenting a subtle message of support for Freemasonry. (Catholicism, Greek Orthodoxy)

11. A world history textbook for containing a critical message about the Crusades. (Christianism)

12. A prayer led by a football coach for conveying a not-so-subtle endorsement of Christianity. (Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, etc.)

Your correspondent will tally the answers and comment on the results in a subsequent column.



Original Source:

https://religionnews.com/2025/06/30/a-quiz-on-the-supreme-courts-new-religious-opt-out-standard/