An addict is reborn

India’s Sikhs grapple with addiction and use religious practice to overcome it in this new documentary

Religion Unplugged

Jan 25

Cross-post

Hi ReligionUnplugged readers,

India is climbing toward economic greatness.

With a growing population — one that may now be larger than China’s — and a country-wide push for manufacturing and startups, the country is garnering interest worldwide.

This growth poses questions about other aspects of a valuable life for India’s residents and what challenges stand in the way.

Our top story today, a 50-minute documentary, explores one of those challenges: a surprising substance abuse struggle in the Sikh-populated northern state of Punjab and how religious practice can help.

Unhealthy attachment is one of the five greatest sins in Sikhism, making addiction a particularly disgraced issue.

Pavitra, the main subject of this documentary, is a Sikh whose struggle with substance abuse represents the stories of many in the state.

You won’t want to miss this powerful story.

Video Documentary: India’s Sikhs Aim To Curb Substance Abuse In Punjab State

In Sikhism, a religion which originated in India about 500 years ago, unhealthy attachment is considered one of the five biggest sins. Therefore, alcoholism and drug addiction are discouraged. Despite this, the northern Indian state of Punjab, home to 16 million Sikhs, has struggled with substance abuse for decades. by Surabhi Singh

Islamic Paintings Of The Prophet Muhammad Are An Important Piece Of History — Here’s Why Art Historians Teach Them by Christiane Gruber

(ANALYSIS) Many Muslims today believe it is inappropriate to depict Muhammad, but it was not always so in the past. Debates about this subject within the Muslim community are ongoing. Within the academic world, this material is taught in a neutral and analytical way to help students assess and understand historical evidence.

Cardinal Pell’s Death Puts A Spotlight On The Catholic Church’s Future by Clemente Lisi

(ANALYSIS) The Catholic Church recently lost a giant. The recent death of Cardinal George Pell at age of 81 was the literal loss of a giant — he stood at a towering 6 feet, 6 inches. But he was also a man who attracted both controversy and consternation. Now his final words regarding what he thought about Pope Francis and the direction of the church have come into fuller view since his death.

Conservative Methodist Group Shuts Down, Says Goal Met By New Denomination by Art Rainer

The Confessing Movement, a lay-led conservative Christian movement that pushed back against the influence of liberalism and progressivism in the United Methodist Church, has shut down in reaction to the recent launch of a new conservative Methodist denomination.

‘To Kidnap A Pope’ Recounts How Napoleon Normalized Religious Freedom by Joseph Hammond

(ANALYSIS) Ambrogio A. Caiani, in his book “To Kidnap a Pope: Napoleon and Pius VII,” tells the story of how Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII tussled over church versus state superiority and eventually ironed out a foundation of religious freedom whose effects Europe still enjoys today.

Firebombed Pregnancy Center Conducts Private Investigation Into Violence by Kim Roberts

A pro-life pregnancy center firebombed last June in Buffalo, New York, has decided to conduct its own investigation into the violence. CompassCare, a ministry to women in crisis pregnancies that has been operating since 1980, incurred over $500,000 in damage to its facility due to the violence.

Making Sweat Feel Spiritual Didn’t Start With SoulCycle by Cody Musselman

(ANALYSIS) The notion that fitness is a religion — a place where people find community, ritual and ecstatic experience — has become a common refrain. Can fitness really be a religion? Given the difficulty of defining religion, it’s an almost impossible question to answer.

Opinion

🍼 March For Life Coincides With 50th Anniversary Of Roe V. Wade 🔌

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the state of the anti-abortion movement 50 years after Roe v. Wade — and seven months after Roe’s overturning. Plus, as always, catch up on all the top headlines and best reads in the world of faith.

Don’t forget! You can subscribe to receive Bobby’s column directly in your inbox on Friday mornings!

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Two Leaders Of The New US House Could Put Baptist Diversity In The News Spotlight by Richard Ostling

Martin Luther King Jr. Was A Saint, But Also Just A Man — That’s The Glory Of It by Paul Prather

Holy Water And Orthodox Memories Of A Vase Of Fresh Flowers by Terry Mattingly

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Thanks again for reading!

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