not all religions are equal

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Mar 03, 2008

Careful readers of Off the Record will remember the story of a 10-year-old Nepalese girl, worshipped as a goddess in her native land, who caught some attention in the English-speaking press during a trip to the US last year.

You could probably figure out for yourself that the girl in question is now 11 years old. But we thought you'd want to know what she isn't a goddess any more. She has retired from her post as deity, because (her father reports) she wants to undergo another religious ritual.

Last year, when we first learned about this peculiar religious phenomenon, we were puzzled by the requirement that a goddess would be required to step down upon reaching puberty. Sort of violates the principle of omnipotence, don't you think?

But this week's story is even more puzzling. What sort of religion has rituals that are off-limits for deities?

Maybe it's the altitude.