India's Parsi community is in an uproar over an activist visited Mumbai's Tower of Silence and photographed decomposing bodies, many of which had been placed in the towers months before. The photographer, a Mumbai social worker, was moved to publicize the conditions after her horrified discovery of her mother's remains still decomposing many months after she was placed in the Tower. (Note: the article incorrectly states that Zoroastrians worship fire.)

The Towers of Silence are an ancient Zoroastrian funerary tradition, wherein the bodies of the deceased are placed on high towers to avoid pollution of the sacred elements of earth, water, or fire. The practice depends upon vultures to make quick work of the bodies of the dead, but in recent years the vulture population has declined precipitously due to environmental contaminants.

Of course, the loss of the vultures is the least concern of the faith, which itself faces extinction due to dwindling numbers due in part to restrictions on marriage and refusal of most Zoroastrians to accept converts. The New York Times profiles American Zoroastrian priests and discusses the issues of intermarriage and religious conversion in the community.

Related: An ancient Zoroastrian temple has been uncovered in Iraq.

Dan Brown Miscellany

Author Dan Brown is reportedly collaborating on a novel about exorcism with a former Archbishop, which seems to almost guarantee controversy. There is still no word on Brown's upcoming Masonic thriller, although the genre is already heating up with offerings from other writers. Meanwhile, Nigerian Church officials jump very belately on the bandwagon to demand the banning of the Da Vinci Code. Perhaps if they're fast enough, they might prevent the eternal damnation of the four people who haven't read it yet?

An Unexpected Career

An American exchange student who landed in Japan through a twist of fate (she meant to go to Germany), sheds some misconceptions about religion, and ends up becoming a Shinto priest. (More about Shinto)

Pray For Common Sense?

We can now add prayer to the list of behaviors that will get you thrown off an airplane, after a Jewish man created a panic in jittery passengers after he was spotted reading aloud from a prayer book.

"We're not Pagans"

A reporter makes the usual mistake of allowing one person to make sweeping generalizations about an entire faith group, and so we are informed that Native Americans are not Pagans, but believe in Jesus just like everyone else. Yep, the Powwow is just one big tent revival. At least the pictures are nice.

Another example of silly generalizing in this report on an Indiana Pagan Pride day, which includes "Pagans are required..." (Ha!) and "Pagan Thanksgiving."

A Priest in England has infuriated locals by refusing to bless a traditional well-dressing because the well was decorated with a traditional Green Man image, sparking a flurry of costumed protests

Religion in School

A judge has ordered a Missouri school to end faculty-led student prayer which included mandatory assemblies and to stop bible giveaways, and a Colorado school decides to ban all groups from distributing fliers at school rather than allow groups they disagree with to distribute materials. Groups which have received permission in the past include Christian groups, while the 'objectionable material' includes political campaigns and 'occult groups,' which I'm guessing is their objective term for Pagans/Wiccans.

Hearing Voices?

An Australian study on people who hear disembodied voices reveals some unexpected findings- namely, that almost half the participants found the voices to be friendly or useful, and that most had not been diagnosed with psychiatric problems. The voices were variable perceived as those of the dead, Gods, or even aliens. Best: next Thursday is "World Hearing Voices Day."

A Slow News Day

A "mystical fairy ring?" I guess that depends on whether or not you're eating them...