22 people have been injured in a mob attack on an Ahmadiyya Mosque in Bangladesh.

According to a report by the Daily Star, a group of 70-80 people from another mosque attacked the Ahmadiyya mosque following Friday prayers. Both of the Mosques are located in the Madarganj Upazila of Jamalpur district, a locality in the north of Bangladesh.

Shahidul Islam, the local president of the Madarganj Upazila area, said he had donated his land for the building of an Ahmadi Mosque.

We were in the process of inaugurating the Mosque on Friday when suddenly a group of people attacked us, said Shahidul, also a resident of the village.

Guests of the inauguration ceremony which included SM Asaduzzaman Razib, an Ahmadiyya imam of Hosnabad village, and Faridul Islam, president of the local Ahmadi community also got injured during the attack.

Imam Razib claimed that the attack was carried out under the orders of Monirul Islam Monir, a religious affairs secretary of the upazila unit of Awami League. He said the

“Soon after the attack, villagers rushed to the scene and rescued the victims from further voilence” He added that he reported the attack to the local police over the phone.

On information, police rushed to the spot and took the people of the community to the police station on security grounds, said Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Madarganj police.

Officer Islam said that Monirul and his group were asked to come down to the police station.

The issues were settled there after both sides agreed that they would refrain from any untoward incident in future, added the OC.

Meanwhile, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at expressed its concern over the attack saying that the attack was a part of an ill attempt to turn the country a ‘fundamentalist and militant’ one.

In a statement, it said a vested quarter is trying to make chaotic situation ahead of the national elections. It also feared the recurrence of such incidents in future.

The statement also blamed so-called waz mahfil (religious discussion) for misleading people and instigating them.

The community demanded that the authorities concerned take measures to bring perpetrators of the incidents to justice.</s>State Of Faith: More Than Faith

Stained glass windows, Bible verses, and gospel hymns. It's a common sight in churches across Missouri. However, they're just as common at the Capitol. Sally Faith sings and plays the piano under the Capitol Rotunda every Wednesday night.

"At church I just saw people playing the piano and I thought, that is so cool, and it looks so easy. And I just wanted to so bad to play that piano," Rep. Sally Faith said.

Faith's music isn't the only thing she shares in the Capitol. This state representative also takes her last name to heart.

"I don't think there can be too much religion in anything. I think there has to be understanding, but I believe whether it's in my job, if I'm working for a private enterprise, you know, it's my faith and it's part of me," Faith said.

Faith isn't alone. Religious beliefs at the state Capitol cut across party lines, ideologies and partisanship.

"Faith is the foundation of all that I believe in and all that I find dear and all of my priorities. So as I set priorities for what I think is the role of government in the life of people, my faith plays a big part in it," Rep. Judy Baker said.

Sen. Delbert Scott holds a Bible study each Thursday morning in his office.

"We'll have six or seven senators and staff, I mean, every chair in the room is filled up. And it's an hour of sharing on different issues and prayer requests. It's a real strengthening part of every week," Sen. Delbert Scott said.

That time with fellow legislators often translates to business on the Senate floor.

"If you could be in this group on a Thursday morning after we spend an hour together in sharing the gospel, sharing needs together and have prayer. And we walk from this room with an optimistic point of view knowing that we have friends and friends on a higher level, I think you'd be refreshed to know that the pulse of faith is strong," Scott said.

"They have such passion on Sundays, and they're singing and they're shouting and they're praising. And, you know, you can see the transfer of what they believe on the floor. Because it comes through and they get impassioned about what they speak, about what they believe in, you know, and I can see that comparison and I'm like, oh okay," Rep. Leonard Hughes said.

But for some lawmakers strong faith is a private matter.

"Even Jesus says that when one prays his instruction for prayer is to go into a closet and to close it off and not pray for the powers that be or to be seen as someone righteous," Baker said.

For others faith isn't a black and white issue, but one colored with nuances. And legislators like Sally Faith hope a few notes can go a long way to bring people together.

"It's a way for me to know other people, and it's a way for them to express their thoughts and their ideas about music and about gospel songs. And it's a camaraderie to be able to do that, so we can relate to each other, and then we can talk about other things from there," Faith said.

To see a complete faith breakdown, click on the KOMU.com extra to learn how lawmakers worship.</s>Getting elected to the Missouri legislature is no small feat. It takes money, volunteers and, of course, votes. Faith is another factor that can make or break a campaign. Christianity dominates the Missouri landscape both socially and politically. But finding out just how many people of faith live in Missouri isn't easy. The U.S. Census Bureau hasn't collected any information on religious affiliation since 1936. And by law, it can't.

United States law "prohibits the census bureau from asking a question on religious affiliation," because "the Bureau of the Census is not the source for information on religion."

That's exactly why the graduate center at the City University of New York conducted more than 50,000 phone interviews in 48 states to determine the makeup of religion in America. The study found more than 75 percent of Missourians consider themselves Christians. Baptists and Catholics are the largest Christian denominations in the state.

KOMU conducted a survey of Missouri's legislature for this report and found Catholics make up more than 26 percent of the legislature. St. Peter's Cathedral sits right on the doorstep of the Capitol and its impact is felt every day. Lobbyists for the Missouri Catholic Conference are here whenever lawmakers are.

"We are charged by the bishops of the state of Missouri, being the leaders of the Catholic church in Missouri to go into the state capitol and into the halls of state government and do our best to ensure that public policy in Missouri reflects appropriate Christian values," Lawrence Weber, Missouri Catholic Conference Lobbyist said.

But the Catholic Conference isn't the only lobbying group vying for the souls of legislators. The Jewish Federation of St. Louis lobbies for Jewish causes and concerns.

"We try and provide them with information about what's happening during the session. We try to provide them with kind of up-to-date status reports on various bills that they are concerned with," Dave Winton, Jewish Federation of St. Louis lobbyist, said.

Practicing Jews make up less than one percent of Missouri's population, but are the largest non-Christian group in the legislature.

"It's the lens through which we see the world and every legislator brings a set of traditions and values to the job. But certainly it provides me with a set of values for which to make decisions," Rep. Rachel Storch said.

"If there is a small minority who represent a minority faith, I do think they may take into account that there may be times they have to speak up for that group even if they don't have any of those people in their district," Kurt Jefferson, Professor of Politcal Science at Westminster College, said.

15 percent of the people who responded to the statewide telephone survey said they have no religion at all. But those numbers don't translate to the legislature, where every lawmaker who responded to our survey said they were religious.

"I think in Missouri you do have a real transformation, and you have a transformation that does have as a significant variable, religion. It's not something that we can pretend doesn't exist, it's not something we can write away," Jefferson said.

Faith also plays an important part in being elected in Missouri.

"It's a very strong measure whether you have a strong faith or not and it probably depends on the area you are in. I think if you tried to run as an agnostic, if you will, you'd have trouble getting elected in either party," Sen. John Loudon said.

The influence of religion can mean different things for different lawmakers.

"Some decisions are made to pander to certain faith-based groups and some religious groups use faith in a very heavy-handed way. But then again, there are other faith-based groups that are out there that talk about faith because they want to integrate faith-based beliefs into policy making," Storch said.

"First of all, their responsibility is to their constituents. If an overwhelming majority of their constituents are of one particular faith they have to be cognoscent of that and recognize that," Jefferson said.

And as long as the people of Missouri continue to be religious, the legislature will continue to reflect those values. Our survey of Missouri lawmakers showed something else interesting: The breakdown of religions mirrors, almost to a percentage point, the population of Missouri.</s>“The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal God and avoid dogmas and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity.”

WHILE some might believe that Buddhism best describes this. Mother Marcia Mc Clashie-Belgrove and Sterling Belgrove of the Rose Foundation who are also practising Spiritual Baptists, believe that Spiritual Baptist faith, homegrown in TT, best fits this description.

Religious cosmology is defined as “a way of explaining the origin, the history and the evolution of the cosmos or universe based on the religious mythology of a specific tradition,” (taken from Religious Cosmology: Religious Explanations for The Origin of The Universe by Paul F. Kisak.)

For the Rose Foundation’s co-founder and chairman Sterling Belgrove, the answers to understanding the universe and one’s place in it, can be found right here through the faith.

But as TT and the universe develop, the Belgroves see the faith as the “pathway to peace” that TT is longing for.

Spiritual Baptist/Shouter Liberation Day being observed today, was first granted by former prime minister Basdeo Panday in 1996.

On the 22nd observance of the day, Mc Clashie-Belgrove said in e-mailed responses to Newsday, “It (the faith) is the solution when understood that guides a pathway of peace, security and legacy for the land and its people. A promise of what can remain if a true value system is maintained, fear retreats and camaraderie, contentment and belonging is once again created.”

While all faiths, Belgrove said, “are cosmic in origin. The Spiritual Baptists, when they go into meditation, they travel into the cosmic dimensions.”

Its very cosmic nature, has given much to the universe and by extension TT, be it family, economics or culture, said Belgrove.

He, too, said in e-mailed responses, “in agriculture, construction, families, Caribbean communities, cross-border or inter-island trade they (Spiritual Baptists) led the way.

The Spiritual Baptist community of the Caribbean established their version of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME). Neither by treaty nor memorandum, but by mutual and social agreement they had become the veins that connected all the islands and its people by the essence of the blood of understanding and cooperation that flowed almost as a silent and given code.”

The well-documented oppression members of the faith suffered during the 20th century “drove their organisation of culture, social cohesion and industry.”

The meeting of members of the religion across the region and across churches, he said, were like the planets, “navigating rhythmically the bonds of love and fellowship. They provide brotherly counselling, wisdom and support to each other in times of need.” The religion’s influence can also be felt in TT’s music. “The soul-rending music of the faith has influenced the music and culture of the region in folk song, calypso, soca, rapso and other Caribbean rhythms.

The unintentional curiosity and love allows the Spiritual Baptists, to tap into the wellsprings of the deepest creativity of life and its meanings,” Belgrove said.

It also, Belgrove said, helps maintain strong family bonds. She said, “The family, its cornerstone resident in the structure of its originality in the spiritual father, spiritual mother and spiritual child and the values that are a constant practise of remembrance of the first estate of man as represented by the very essence of creation.”

The faith, Belgrove said, also mentors young men and women “in the harmonics in life.

“The role and function of a father, a mother and a child are enshrined values, held over time. The Spiritual Baptist faith is a silent, unrecognised repository of traditional wisdom teachings, moral values and ethics.”

The foundation said the faith’s practise of alternative and healing techniques “from the dawn of creation” has been monetised. Historically, he said, “When the members of the faith bought essential oils and coloured candles, they were labelled as devil worshippers. Today, the world has monetised the same essential oils and coloured candles, for their medicinal properties.”

But for the Belgroves, there is one enduring principle to the Spiritual Baptist faith and that is its wholeness. Liking it to the solar system, they said, structure of the governance and administration of the faith provides a model for true and strong family values.

“The role of the father as the central sun and the mother as the balancing moon in the church remains ‘uncontestable’. The humility and obedience of the congregation, as encircling planets of respectful children, genuflects before their parents. The value ascribed to the leadership of the Spiritual Baptist faith and the instructions is recognition that God is present and directing all things.”</s>STAMFORD — Each Monday and Thursday afternoon, a group of young Christians — known as Huskies in Christ — meet on the second floor at the University of Connecticut-Stamford.

The college students gather for about an hour to read the Bible and discuss what the passages mean to each of them.

It was coincidence the group met on Holy Thursday, a day commemorating the Last Supper of Christ prior to his arrest and crucifixion. At this meeting, the Huskies discussed a reading from the Book of James about Elijah, who prayed for and received rain after three and a half years.

The students discussed how to have hope and faith and how to maintain patience during moments of suffering, all within the context of the Holy Week. After watching an animated video about hope in the Bible, they ended the meeting with a prayer.

The students may be part of the majority in the state — Pew Research Center shows 70 percent of adults in Connecticut are Catholic — but they’re in the minority for their age group. According to the same 2014 Pew study, about 17 percent of Christians are between the ages of 18 and 29. A similar Pew study from 2015 shows this age group is most likely to have no religious affiliation.

So what compels these students toward Christ? Many of the Huskies in Christ members were raised in religious families to some degree.

Joanne Gonzalez, 27, a senior general studies major who joined the group this semester, was raised Roman Catholic, but her parents were lax about their faith. But when the Greenwich resident was 19, she wanted to find some direction.

“I was going through this period of isolation,” she said. “It was really painful going through it all alone. I realized something’s missing in my life.”

Gonzalez tried pursuing her dream becoming a cartoonist in hopes she’d find fulfillment. But she noticed religious themes kept popping up in her drawings. She began to turn back to religion and is now the only member of her family who regularly attends church. She identifies as simply Christian as she continues to explore her faith.

“The closer I get (to God), the more stability I feel,” she said. “I feel like he’s transforming me and I feel like it’s going to be a process until the end of my life.”

Gonzalez thinks many young people shy away from religion because they don’t want to believe a higher power has control of their lives. But for Jennifer Flores, God gives her free will as well as opportunities to honor him, whether it’s going to church weekly or studying the Bible or praying.

For Flores and her husband, Anthony, 21, who is head of Huskies in Christ, one of the ways they felt they could honor God was by getting married last August. The UConn-Stamford juniors met while at Stamford High and now live in Bridgeport.

Getting married at a young age has drawn some awkward reactions from peers, but Jennifer Flores said it was a way to show her love for her husband and God.

“Growing up, I always thought dating was a whatever thing,” she said. “You just date cause why not? I grew up in the church, but I didn’t always understand what relationships meant in regards to marriage. Marriage is actually really important in the eyes of God. In our position, we prayed about it and we did feel we were led to be married so we thought ‘why not walk in faith with that step and honor God with our lives?’ Us getting married at age 21 can give God glory. It’s not always about traveling the world and feeding people who are hungry. Sometimes it’s a simple act of faith.”

Flores said she also got married because she loves her husband. Flores said assumptions about them getting married young simply because of God is one of the several misconceptions she and her Christian peers face.

“Some people just don’t understand what the Christian faith is about because of all the mess that they’ve heard growing up,” Flores said. “We just don’t like your sin. One of the biggest things we as believers understand is all sin is all equal. ... But I guess they don’t understand we’re just called to love. There’s nothing in there about hating them for their sin.”

UConn is a nonsecular school, but Huskies in Christ members said they’re not the only Christians on campus. However, not everyone is as comfortable expressing their faith.

“There are a lot of Christian students that won’t necessarily be comfortable talking about their faith or having any sign they’re part of the faith, especially on campus, for whatever reason,” Anthony Flores said. “That’s one of the reasons why we’re trying to angle this group toward those people as well, to make them feel more comfortable with their faith on campus. ... It’s a perceived fear that they would be rejected because of their faith.”

Huskies in Christ, in its third year, aims to be a place where people can explore their faith regardless of how they identify. In studying the Bible and sharing ideas, Anthony Flores said the group has helped strengthen his beliefs.

But even discussing his faith with his non-religious peers has strengthened his beliefs. Flores said that while many UConn students may not be believers, all seem relatively accepting and open to his faith.

“My peers are far different types of people,” he said. “I relate to them on all different levels. When I talk to them about faith, they’re understanding . A lot of peers are very atheist and very nonchalant about it all...I talk to them about these things to give them a clear picture about what I believe in. I feel like I’m strengthening myself showing them what I believe in.”</s>This week is a celebration for many of those of faith. Christians around the world will celebrate the most Holy Day of solemn and celebratory seasons of Christian faith — Easter. The holiday, this Sunday, ends a four-week period of lament and self-denial and causes Christians to pause and pray over the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and contemplate with awe His miraculous resurrection.

Children will also celebrate Easter by dyeing eggs in colorful patterns, hunting for plastic eggs containing special treasures, and going to sleep with visions of the Easter bunny hopping through their heads.

On Easter morning many children will wake up excitedly to find the Easter baskets left behind by the roaming rabbit, and enough chocolate, jelly beans and Peeps to keep them awake for two days.

Those of the Jewish faith will celebrate Passover during the same time as Easter. It begins on the evening of Friday, March 30, and will end Saturday, April 6.

Passover commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. During this time, unleavened bread is eaten to commemorate the same that was eaten by the Israelites when they left Egypt. The highlight of Passover is the Seder dinner, which includes a recitation of the liturgy that describes the Exodus from Egypt.

The two faith-filled celebrations are tied together, as some of the earliest mentions of Easter come from the Greek or Latin word Pasch, for Passover.

Springtime celebrations can also be traced back to early gods and goddesses. According to the History Channel and other sources, some say the word Easter is derived from the word Eostre, the Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility.

The History Channel and other sources also report the choice of the bunny to be the Easter hero — as a prolific procreator, rabbits are a symbol of fertility — as are eggs, for obvious reasons.

As spring descends, the earth is a fertile cradle from which the sleeping bounty of plants, vegetables and fruits abounds. Many animals choose the spring to give birth for this reason.

Whatever faith you profess, these weeks are a time to celebrate some of our most holy, and to realize the long winter is finally over and spring will be blooming soon.

These are trying times around the the world as acts of terror, violence and political rancor are at an all-time high. Let’s unite — for the next few weeks at least — to honor peace, love, sacrifice, and a time of growth and renewal, which all of us need.

Let’s figure out a way to reinforce our faith — if only in humanity.</s>PAOMBONG, Bulacan – The Catholic Church does not sanction the reenactment of Jesus Christ’s suffering and crucifixion but this does not stop devotees from doing so particularly on Holy Week.



Yesterday at high noon, five faith healers, one of them a woman, were alternately nailed to a wooden cross installed beside a chapel at the farming village of Kapitangan here.

Local residents participated in the reenactment, playing the role of Roman Centurions, dragging and whipping the Jesus Christ-wannabes towards a rather frail-looking cross.

First to be crucified before thousands of kibitzers, including local and foreign tourists, was faith healer Efren L. Balines, 40.

The Bacolod City-native was nailed on the wooden cross for some 5 minutes before being replaced by another faith healer from Brgy. Sto. Rosario known simply as Badji.

At about 11:30am, Balines’ twin brother, Loren, was also nailed on the same cross for the first time.

He was followed by a Ka Precy, who, according to relatives, has been doing the same for six years now.

Ka Precy stayed on the cross for a good 15 minutes before supporters took her down.

She was followed by a Ka Roger from Brgy. Sto. Rosario, who, according to locals, is also not a newbie to the game, engaging in the dangerous activity for several years now.

Prior to the quintet having themselves nailed on the cross, the multitudes in attendance watched hundreds of bareback flagellants whip themselves bloody with thorny sticks while walking barefoot as part of an effort to atone for their sins.</s>Every Christian knows someone who is pulling away from faith in Jesus Christ. The young person brought up in a Christian home who now has little interest in the faith he once professed; the enthusiastic volunteer who seems close to leaving the church; the friend who has suffered great loss and now wonders why he or she should believe at all.

What we see and experience is a microcosm of a well-documented trend in our culture: People are abandoning faith in growing numbers.

Back in the 1930s, only 5% of Americans did not identify with any religion. In 1990 that number had risen to 8%, a modest increase after more than half a century.

But these last years have brought a dramatic change. By 2008, the number of Americans not identifying with any religion had risen to 12%, and by 2012, it had risen to 20%, with the number among millennials around 30%.

To put this in perspective, it is important to say that the number of Americans committed to living for Christ seems to be holding steady. But Americans who have been Christians in name only are casting aside the faith they once professed and leaving the church in large numbers.

Walking away from faith is not new, and it should not take us by surprise. Our Lord taught that some seed springs up quickly, but having no root, it withers away (Mk 4:5-6, 16-17).

Many of our Lord's disciples turned back and no longer followed Him (John 6:66). The best known of these is Judas Iscariot. Judas heard the finest teaching, saw the clearest evidence and, in Jesus, had the perfect example. He was connected with a small group of disciples, and he was engaged in ministry. He was a gospel preacher and had been sent out by Christ Himself on a missionary endeavor. Yet this man walked away from the faith he had once professed. How was that possible?

The first sign we are given of the defection in Judas' heart came at a dinner given in honor of Jesus, after He raised Lazarus from the dead. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Mary came up with a lavish and innovative way to express her love for Jesus. She brought a jar of ointment worth about a year's wages, and poured it out in its entirety over our Lord.

Judas objected: 'Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor? (John 12:5). For Judas, the cost of the perfume made what Mary did wrong. For Mary, it was the cost of the perfume that made what she did right. Jesus was a means to an end for Judas, and it is only a matter of time before a person who tries to co-opt Jesus to another cause will give Him up.

The Bible makes clear that the devil played a major role in Judas' defection. Satan entered into him (Luke 22:34; John 13:2; John 13:27), and this has caused some to view Judas as a victim of powers beyond his control.

But Satan cannot gain a foothold in the lives of people who are walking in the light with Jesus. He only has access when we open the door, and Judas opened himself to satanic invasion by holding onto unconfessed sin. He had been stealing from the bag (John 12:6), and at no time was this confessed, not even when he sat next to our Lord at the Last Supper.

But perhaps the most striking factor in Judas' defection was his persistent resistance to the love of Jesus. At Bethany, our Lord reached out to show Judas the value of what Mary had done in anointing Him, describing it as a beautiful thing. In the Upper Room, Jesus washed the feet of Judas, and at the Last Supper, He handed Judas the bread, which was a sign and offer of friendship.

Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was reaching out Judas in love. Before the traitor was able to plant his kiss on the cheek of Jesus identified himself to the arresting party, (John 18:4-5). Our Lord was giving Himself into the hands of his enemies and so the kiss would serve no purpose whatever.

So Jesus reached out in love again: "Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" (Luke 22:48). Even in the garden, our Lord was inviting Judas back. The resolve of this man to resist the love of Christ must have been very great indeed.

There is a fascinating contrast between the story of Judas and the story of the thief on the cross. These men had lived very different lives; one as a follower of Jesus, the other as a criminal. Both died on the same day, but their destinations on the other side of death were very different. The thief who was on the brink of hell, ended up in heaven, and Judas, who for three years had come as close to heaven as is possible in this life, ended up in hell.

At a time when many are walking away from faith we do well to remember that the distinguishing mark of those who truly belong to Christ is that the hold their original confidence firm to the end (Hebrews 3:14). They hear the voice of the shepherd and they follow him (John 10:27). These sheep will never perish. Make sure you are among them.</s>RALEIGH (AP) The North Carolina prison system must recognize humanism as a faith group and allow its adherents behind bars to meet and study their beliefs, a federal judge has ruled in an order released March 29.

The American Humanist Association and a North Carolina inmate serving a life sentence for murder sued state Department of Public Safety officials in 2015. They accused prison leaders of violating the religious establishment and equal protection clauses of the Constitution by repeatedly denying recognition the requests of the inmate, Kwame Jamal Teague.

In the order, U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle wrote that prison officials failed to justify treating humanism differently from those religions that are recognized behind bars. Boyle also ordered the state to adjust its computer system so prisoners who declare themselves humanists can be registered under that group.

Federal prisons began recognizing humanism as a faith group in 2015 after similar litigation was filed.

“Humanist inmates have the same constitutional rights to study and discuss their values in a group as other religious inmates do,” Speckhardt said in a statement.

The association describes humanism as a nontheistic belief system advocating rational thinking and living ethically for the greater good of society.

The judge’s order noted that state prison authorities keep a list of approved faith groups, providing them time and space for study and worship. But Boyle’s order noted that there were no written standards in that department designed to define what comprises a faith group.

A prison department committee that makes decisions on religious practices had previously rejected Teague’s application for several reasons over time, including that humanism appeared to be “a philosophy of life” rather than a religion practice, according to court filings. The judge’s ruling said the committee had determined humanism appeared to lack a religious structure that included a hierarchy of religious leaders. The committee, however, did allow Teague to study humanism on his own and receive pastoral visits.

Boyle, in the order dated March 28, said the department had approved other faith groups that lacked a formal structure or centralized head, such as Hinduism, Rastafarianism and American Indian religion. State officials “have not demonstrated a secular purpose for denying humanism recognition as a religious group or for the decision to prohibit humanist inmates from organizing group meetings,” Boyle wrote.

Pamela Walker, a department spokeswoman, wrote late March 29 in an email that the agency needs to review the ruling before deciding on its next steps, such as a possible appeal.

Teague and the association identified at least eight inmates other than Teague who are humanists and association members, according to Boyle’s order. There are more than 37,000 people in North Carolina state prisons. Teague previously designated himself as Muslim but later changed to Buddhist because it was the only nontheistic option other than “none,” the ruling said.</s>CHICAGO (CBS) — On this Good Friday, we wanted to take a look at what Sister Jean’s time in the spotlight has done for all nuns.

CBS 2’s Vince Gerasole introduces us to some hard working Chicago women motivated by faith.

The nuns at St. Scholastica Monastery are reviewing their brackets.

Sisters motivated by a woman they knew in their youth.

“She’s a shot in the arm for all religious women,” says Sister Mary Melady.

Melady is talking about the Loyola Ramblers’ 98-year-old chaplain Sister Jean.

“She was Sister Jean Delores when we knew her,” says Sister Judith Murphy.

At Mudelein College Sister Jean helped teach these women and many other nuns in Chicago philosophies of education.

Even then, Jean the Dean also provided spiritual guidance.

Coming forward as a nun, showing faith is part of all aspects of life, even a basketball tournament, is what touches the sisters most.

“She breaks the stereotype people have of Catholic religious sisters,” says Melady. “It makes me feel wonderful just to watch her.”

“It’s a very wonderful lesson she can give without even trying to teach a lesson,” says Murphy.

Sister Jean has been inspiring the team for years.

But in recent years the sisters’ say she’s also made a point of riding the Loyola shuttle between the downtown and Rogers Park campuses, just to be there to help talk to students along the ride about faith.
In Madarganj Upazila, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a group of between 70 and 80 people from one faith of mosque attack an inauguration ceremony for another faith of mosque, resulting in at least 20 injured.