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.

World Religions News

Federal employees sue USDA secretary over Christian messaging

(RNS) — Federal employees are suing Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, arguing that her use of Christian messaging in the workplace is “unconstitutionally coercive.”

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday (May 13) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, said Rollins “has adopted a practice of sending increasingly proselytizing communications to the entire USDA workforce, promoting her own preferred brand of Christian beliefs and theology to the captive audience of employees that report to her.”

The complaint was filed by the advocacy groups Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Democracy Forward Foundation and the California-based firm Bryan Schwartz Law on behalf of the National Federation of Federal Employees and seven named plaintiffs of a variety of faiths and no faith — including Jewish, Buddhist, pagan and atheist employees of the USDA, according to the lawsuit.

The union of more than 110,000 federal workers — including more than 19,000 USDA staffers — and the individuals charge that Rollins’ actions do not reflect the secular mission of the department.

“The Secretary’s practice reached a crescendo,” their complaint said, with an Easter (April 5) email that described the holiday as marking “the greatest story ever told, the foundation of our faith, and the abiding hope of all mankind.” It went on to declare “Jesus has been raised from the dead. And God has granted each of us victory and new life.” Her entire Easter message to “Team USDA” is attached to the complaint and features an illustration of a tomb with a stone rolled away and the words “Christ is Risen.”

Asked to comment, a USDA spokesperson said: “While we do not comment on pending litigation, we will keep the plaintiffs in our prayers during this process.”

RELATED: A Christian nation? At 250, America is still fighting over what that means 

The suing parties said Rollins’ Easter message “communicates that there is a preferred religious ‘in-group’ at USDA,” a sentiment not permitted by the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, which states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” They also said her messaging violates a USDA policy adopted in November 2025 that requires department officials not to “use official authority to pressure subordinates” about their religious beliefs.

The union and individuals also allege that Rollins has not sent messages about holidays for other religions.

The complaint says it seeks to protect the rights of USDA employees from proselytizing and religious coercion, including those who may feel intimidated, fear retaliation for objecting to Rollins’ messages or feel compelled to hide their beliefs if they don’t share those of their department head.

“The Trump administration is waging a relentless and increasingly brazen crusade against church-state separation and the religious freedom of federal workers,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United, in a statement. “Trump is not Jesus, federal agencies are not churches, and cabinet secretaries are not government preachers.”

NFFE President Randy Erwin said employees of other government departments also have expressed concerns about the state of the federal workplace.

“Every agency feels like it’s the epicenter for a new outbreak of Christian Nationalism,” Erwin said in a statement. “We just want to do our jobs without having to fend off proselytizing and preaching.”

The suit goes on to describe “an escalating pattern of subjecting all USDA employees to proselytizing Christian messaging promulgated from (Rollins’) position of authority.” According to the suit, her July 4 message last year said, “May God continue to protect the United States of America and may His favor shine over all her land” and her Thanksgiving message expressed “gratitude towards a loving God.” In a Christmas video message addressed to department staff, she said, “The spirit of generosity flows from the very first Christmas when God gave us the greatest gift possible, the gift of his Son and our Savior Jesus Christ, who came to free us from our sins and open the door to eternal life. This is the reason for the season.”

The suing parties also state that they feel compelled to read Rollins’ email messages because they often include nonreligious information that may affect their job duties.

“And historically, even holiday emails from USDA leadership have included specific job-related announcements, such as, for example, notifications regarding administrative leave,” the plaintiffs said in the suit.

RELATED: Church-state separation is a ‘lie,’ says Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission chair

Original Source:

https://religionnews.com/2026/05/13/agriculture-secretary-sued-over-christian-messaging-by-federal-employees/