In 2017, a Catholic church in the village of Afferden in the Netherlands was sold to Buddhist monastics from the Dhammakaya movement in Thailand and converted into a Buddhist temple. The sale followed a trend of closing Catholic churches in the country, but it is the first to be transferred to a Buddhist group. Today, the Buddhist and non-Buddhist communities of the area have found harmony.

FAITH AND RECOVERY

To ensure the right to freedom of belief, religion in accordance with the Constitution 2013 and in conformity with the belief-related, religious activities in the real life in Vietnam, the 14th National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam passed the Law on Belief, Religion at its 2nd session on November 18, 2016.

The Relic Conservation Institute has released a new book entitled “Architecture of Vietnam Buddhist Temples Through Documented Materials of the Relic Conservation Institute - Volume 1”.

 “Côn Sơn suối chảy rì rầm/ Ta nghe như tiếng đàn cầm bên tai”

(Côn Sơn’s streams are babbling/ As music from a stringed instrument)

Recent political debates over Muslim immigration and related issues have prompted many people to ask how many Muslims actually live in the United States. But coming up with an answer is not easy, in part because the U.S. Census Bureau does not ask questions about religion, meaning there is no official government count of the U.S. Muslim population.

Researchers at Hong Kong’s Center of Buddhist Studies say the power of chanting is effective when dealing with psychological suffering.

Observing commitments to promoting human rights is an important part of Vietnam’s efforts and also an important achievement of the country in ensuring human rights.

Do churches and other religious organizations have a positive impact on the way things are going in the United States?

The Vietnam Constitution 2013 embodies important amendments on human rights in general, and the right to freedom of belief and religion in particular.

A seminar on Vietnam Buddhist cultural characteristics was held by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) on April 29 in Nghe An province.

The fourth edition of the book titled “Vietnam’s Worship of Mother Goddesses” or Dao Mau, written by Prof. Ngô Đức Thịnh, has been released by the Religious Publisher.

For years, the percentage of Americans who do not identify with any religion has been rising, a trend similar to what has been happening in much of Europe (including the United Kingdom). Despite this, in coming decades, the global share of religiously unaffiliated people is actually expected to fall, according to Pew Research Center’s new study on the future of world religions.

Mankind’s journey to become more socially intelligent might have begun with religion according to Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary scientist.

The book "Understanding of Hoa Hao Buddhism" compiled by late Professor Nguyễn Văn Hầu has been republished by Saigon Books and the Religious Publishing House.