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Dear World of Faith readers, 

This week, we tell you about an American teen identified as a reincarnated Buddhist lama. We also dive deep into the moral dilemmas in vitro fertilization raises for some Christians. And in Key West, Florida, we talk to Black divers about the spiritual significance of undertaking a pilgrimage to a wrecked slave ship. 

U.S.-born Buddhist lama Jalue Dorje walks out of a prayer hall during a series of rituals and prayers bestowed by the spiritual leader of Shechen Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

YOUNG AMERICAN MONK

Journey of a lifetime: A US teen Buddhist lama is now a monk studying in the Himalayan foothills 

At a monastery in the Himalayan foothills, a teenage Buddhist lama recently blessed thousands. He tapped bowed heads with a ritual vase and a peacock feather, sprinkling holy water. Just six months earlier, thousands of miles away, this same young man was pulling all-nighters to play Madden NFL on his Xbox at his home near Minneapolis. Two separate worlds. Both are home to Jalue Dorje. Read more. 

Key points:

• A typical American teen, he grew up loving rap music, video games and football. He is also an aspiring spiritual leader who, from an early age, was recognized by the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist leaders as a reincarnated lama. 
  
  
• Now he’s 19. He graduated from high school last year and moved to India to join the Mindrolling Monastery. Recently, he came to Nepal to meet his parents and attended rituals and teachings conducted by the abbot of Shechen Monastery in Kathmandu. 
  
  
• Following several years of contemplation and study, Dorje hopes to return to the United States to teach in Minnesota’s Buddhist community. His goal: become “a leader of peace,” following the example of the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Gandhi. 

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Photo Gallery of Jalue Dorje

• Today he is a high school football player. Soon he’ll be a Buddhist lama in the Himalayas 

• From South Korea to India, devotees mark the birthday of Buddha with lanterns and prayer 

• Teeth, finger bones and blessings: Buddhist relics inspire belief 

• AP Video: Exiled monks usher in the Tibetan new year in Dharamshala, India 

IVF DOCTOR

A crisis of conscience spurred this Christian IVF doctor's career pivot 

A Tennessee doctor is practicing reproductive medicine aligned with his Christianity. Dr. John Gordon’s Knoxville clinic limits how many embryos it creates and does not discard viable ones, genetically test them or donate them to science. His clinic draws patients nationwide who are concerned over the moral issues that surround in vitro fertilization. Read more. 

Why this matters:

• The IVF debate has been growing since court decisions ended federal abortion rights nationally and designated embryos as children in Alabama.  
  
  

• Some Christians and anti-abortion activists who believe IVF is unethical have criticized Gordon. But he says he's still committed to reconciling his work with his faith. 
  
  

• The Catholic Church has long opposed IVF, and evangelicals are increasingly grappling with it. In 2024, the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest U.S. Protestant denomination, called for IVF restrictions when it destroys “embryonic human life.” 

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• More than 6 in 10 U.S. adults support protecting access to IVF, AP-NORC poll finds 

• Trump announces a deal with a manufacturer to make a common fertility drug cheaper for IVF patients 

• Alarmed by embryo destruction, Southern Baptists urge caution on IVF by couples and government

UNDERWATER PILGRIMAGE

Underwater memorial to wrecked slave ship draws pilgrims seeking to connect with their roots

A group of Black divers recently visited the site where a British slave ship sank 326 years ago. The Henrietta Marie, which had transported enslaved people from West Africa to Jamaica, sank near Key West, Florida. Divers said they felt a deep spiritual connection to their ancestors during the pilgrimage. It included a dive at the wreck site, a visit to the museum housing artifacts from the ship, and a cemetery containing remains of African refugees who arrived at Key West on other slave ships. Read more. 

Key points:

• The Henrietta Marie had delivered 200 enslaved people from West Africa to Jamaica and was heading back to Britain in 1700 — near the peak of the transatlantic slave trade — when it sank near New Ground Reef, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Gulf of Mexico. 

   

• At a Key West beach, the pilgrims visited a memorial and burial ground for 297 African refugees who died in 1860 after being rescued by the U.S. Navy from three slave ships. Over 1,400 refugees were housed by the government in a compound and provided food and medical care. 

   

• Only a few slave ships were found, out of roughly 35,000 used to transport over 12 million enslaved Africans. Most vessels were intentionally destroyed to hide the illicit trade.