Atheist Republic News Summary: Jewish Funeral for Coronavirus Death

1. Close to 2,500 crowd Brooklyn streets for funeral of rabbi who died of coronavirus
https://www.facebook.com/AtheistRepublic/posts/3182048088548695
Location: New York USA
1.2k/380

2. Hungary Is Moving to Ban Trans People From Legally Changing Their Gender
https://www.facebook.com/AtheistRepublic/posts/3183718995048271
Location: Hungary
908/785

3. 'Do not buy from Muslims': BJP leader in India calls for boycott
https://www.facebook.com/AtheistRepublic/posts/3183944835025687
Location: India
297/412

4. E.W. Jackson: Atheists Reject a God They Can’t See, So Why Do They Fear a Virus?
https://www.facebook.com/AtheistRepublic/posts/3182175731869264
Location: US
245/128

5. Turkish students increasingly resisting religion, study suggests
https://www.facebook.com/AtheistRepublic/posts/3183838268369677
Location: Turkey
198/33

6. Uttar Pradesh: Man ‘sacrifices’ 2-year-old daughter on tantrik’s advice
https://www.facebook.com/AtheistRepublic/posts/3176572885762882
Location: Uttar Pradesh, India’
171/43

7. India should be placed on religious freedom blacklist, US panel says
https://www.facebook.com/AtheistRepublic/posts/3183596051727232
Location: US and India
148/134

8. Nigerian Police Arrest Humanist Leader Mubarak Bala for Alleged “Blasphemy”
https://www.facebook.com/AtheistRepublic/posts/3181983411888496
Location: Nigeria
103/13

9. Turkish Government Backs Muslim Cleric Who Said Homosexuality Causes HIV
https://www.facebook.com/AtheistRepublic/posts/3182264868527017
Location: Turkey
94/39
10. Some Catholics suffer sacramental withdrawal as virtual confessions are ruled out
https://www.facebook.com/AtheistRepublic/posts/3182235568529947
Location: US
86/15

 

1. On April 28th over 2,500 mourners gathered to mourn a Rabbi that died of the Corona Virus.  NYPD police attempted to persuade the crowd into dispersing, once word got to Mayor Bill de Blasio, he personally visited the site and ensured that the crowd did disperse. He has since “instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period”.

2. In Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban was pushed for an amendment that defines a gender as the “biological sex based on primary sex characteristics and chromosomes.” It has been met with criticism from the trans community who find themselves in a difficult position when it comes to healthcare or other financial matters, forcing those to ‘come out’.  Human rights advocates state, “Transgender persons have the right to legal recognition of their gender based on self-determination” and this amendment opposes that view.

3. The Bharatiya Janata Party in India have called on the public to stop buying vegetables from Muslim vendors stating that there are growing fears that Muslim vendors are contaminating their produce with salvia. Non-Muslim vendors were given saffron flags to differentiate them from Muslim vendors. India has faced issues related to Muslim lockdown related to call to prayer or adhan and many are pushing for an outright ban on the adhan.

4. Virginia based minister E.W. Jackson has made statements that atheists cannot see the Corona Virus and freak out stating, “You can’t see it! AHHH! They’re cringing in fear. AHHH”! Jackson continues saying that atheists can’t see God either and should be more afraid of God than a virus.

5. Recent polls in Turkey has indicated that there is a decline in religious youth, who describe themselves as “less religiously conservative” than older generations. Results indicated “people who described themselves as religiously conservative was 7%, down from 32% in 2008” and fasting during Ramadan has declined from 77% to 65%. With trends like this it seems Turkey’s youth is starting to turn away from religion.

6. Meerut, Uttar Pradesh in India: a father on the advice of a tantrik killed his 2-year-old daughter by strangling and then slitting the throat of the child. Turned in by the wife to the Kakrauli Police Station, both tantric and father were arrested. The reason for the murder was that the tantrik suggested a sacrifice to bring peace to the family and that the father stated that the daughter reminded him of a past girlfriend.

7. A US government panel has suggested India be put on a religious freedom blacklist for religious minorities under increasing assault under prime minister Narendra Modi. The US panel can make recommendations but it’s expected that the State Department will not heed the report as the US and India have good relations and are increasingly close allies.

8. Mubarak Bala, President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was forced into a mental hospital in 2014 and has been arrested for the crime of blasphemy, reportedly saying that Muhammed was a terrorist. Nigeria’s constitution does guarantee freedom or religion and expression its courts are becoming increasingly aligned with Sharia Law/Courts.

9. Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate, Ali Erbas, on the first day of Ramadan issued statements saying that homosexuality brings disease, illness and corrupts generations. Stating that homosexuality causes AIDS/HIV. On Monday April 27th Turkey government officials backed Erbas’ statements with a top trending hashtag #AliErbaşYanlızDeğildir (Ali Erbaş is not alone).

10. In March, Archbishop Leonard Blair of Hartford, Connecticut sent out a memo stating that the Vatican has banned all virtual/call in confessions. Catholic priests have been attempting to come up with new ways to continue confessionals.  Drive up, scheduled or outdoor are some of the different methods priests are using to continue the religious practice during the pandemic.

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