This article is just plain disturbing. It describes the Jain ritual of fasting and how some followers in India take it to its extreme. Jainism is my family’s religion, and the whole fasting thing is part of what drove me away from the religion (and all religion) in the first place. Granted, in America, I’ve never heard of Jains fasting until death, but there are many Jains who fast for eight days straight (boiled water being one exception) during the… Read more
Last weekend, I was speaking in Wisconsin. Before I went, I was also invited to join a small group from a local church during the same time– they were going to do some volunteer work and asked if I wanted to join them. I couldn’t go because of the previous engagement, but the idea of what the group was doing sounded interesting. (more…) Read more
