Impressions from attending a mosque for the first time

[Pcp3t3]

I have no idea, but congratulations on visiting a mosque for the first time.

 

[frankfrank]

A mosque in your stomach ? wow LOL

That sucks. I thought it was a few mollusks. Squid or mussels...yum!!

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG...08327/**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mollusca

 

[cgymike]

Lucky you survived...mosques seem to favourite places to blow up...instant martyrdom and all that....

 

[72-Jay]

I would never step foot in a mosque, not until Islam changes its stance on homosexuality (among many other things)

Same here, I have absolutely zero interest in going in such a place...
I'll also take it a step farther and mention that I won't even talk to Muslims (the exception being unless I have to - at work or something)

 

[Kulindahr]

Same here, I have absolutely zero interest in going in such a place...
I'll also take it a step farther and mention that I won't even talk to Muslims (the exception being unless I have to - at work or something)

Okay, that's rather bigoted and immature.

Personally, I've never been near a mosque that would let in a non-believer. My view would be that if they checked out as standing against the nonsense the sword-waving type in the Middle East, I'd be willing to visit -- if not, no.

 

[72-Jay]

Same here, I have absolutely zero interest in going in such a place...
I'll also take it a step farther and mention that I won't even talk to Muslims (the exception being unless I have to - at work or something)

Okay, that's rather bigoted and immature.

Personally, I've never been near a mosque that would let in a non-believer. My view would be that if they checked out as standing against the nonsense the sword-waving type in the Middle East, I'd be willing to visit -- if not, no.

Call it bigoted if you wish. i'm fine with that.
But fact is I don't like Muslims

 

[Alnitak]

How many simultaneous football games do you think you could play on the roof?

Anyway, see all that dirt behind it? Yeah, it's about to get even bigger.

 

[bankside]

http://www.theguardian.com/artandde...-the-destruction-of-meccas-heritage-continues

I had no idea they were expanding. Still if the officials of Islam are to target priceless irreplaceable heritage, I would rather it happen in Mecca than Bamiyan.

 

[72-Jay]

Our world, our country, your state, is too divided. Your proximity to Focus on the Family is a great example. Christian media, Fox News, and others, thrive on the polarization of the public.

I consider 'Focus On The Family' a hate group
Whenever I'm down that way and see the sign for that place (which thankfully is not very often) there is one word that comes to mind 'nuke'

Whether the Muslim religion is abhorrent to you or not, their community represents a window to another world. We have the opportunity to reach through that, to interact with those who are otherwise reduced to caricatures.

Not the religion itself...its the people. I consider them terrorists, and would never trust one.
(I know..might sound a bit bigoted/raciest but thats how I feel. I have consider myself raciest or anything though because I have nothing against Blacks/Hispanics/etc)

At 52, I've seen many old people who grew more isolated and less engaging as they aged. In the ends, they were left with vestigial remnants of lives that appeared to be ingrown and encysted. Whether I die tomorrow or in 40 years, I want my last days to be reaching out to learn more, to share more, and to make an impact where I live.

How do you want to affect your world, Jay?

I don't want to have any impact or affect.
In all honesty I'll probably end up being one of those people who basically disappears into their hole
kinda like the people you mentioned

 

[Alnitak]

http://www.theguardian.com/artandde...-the-destruction-of-meccas-heritage-continues

I had no idea they were expanding. Still if the officials of Islam are to target priceless irreplaceable heritage, I would rather it happen in Mecca than Bamiyan.

You would think they care but Saudi Wahhabists do not value holy or historical "sites" as it were. They consider it idolatry. So, there goes the bulldozer.

Here's a really old picture of the place.

 

[Kulindahr]

Our world, our country, your state, is too divided. Your proximity to Focus on the Family is a great example. Christian media, Fox News, and others, thrive on the polarization of the public.

But, the potential to move the world in the other direction is ever increasing. We have direct access via social media, and other forms of direct exposure to different cultures.

Whether the Muslim religion is abhorrent to you or not, their community represents a window to another world. We have the opportunity to reach through that, to interact with those who are otherwise reduced to caricatures.

At 52, I've seen many old people who grew more isolated and less engaging as they aged. In the ends, they were left with vestigial remnants of lives that appeared to be ingrown and encysted. Whether I die tomorrow or in 40 years, I want my last days to be reaching out to learn more, to share more, and to make an impact where I live.

How do you want to affect your world, Jay?

Well said!

 

[bankside]

You would think they care but Saudi Wahhabists do not value holy or historical "sites" as it were. They consider it idolatry. So, there goes the bulldozer.

Here's a really old picture of the place.

They should support moving the Dome of the Rock east a kilometre or two then.

 

[Kulindahr]

Not the religion itself...its the people. I consider them terrorists, and would never trust one.

Even though the great majority of Muslims around the world detest terrorism?

 

[Alnitak]

They should support moving the Dome of the Rock east a kilometre or two then.

There is no reason to rebuild the Beit Hamikdash.

It has no place in Rabbinic Judaism.

 

[bankside]

There is no reason to rebuild the Beit Hamikdash.

It has no place in Rabbinic Judaism.

I don't disagree. I just think it is interesting to observe that apparently in Mecca, heritage is disposable and reconfigurable, but elsewhere it is used to justify armed struggle because of its "inviolability."

 

[Kulindahr]

There is no reason to rebuild the Beit Hamikdash.

It has no place in Rabbinic Judaism.

For sure. What I don't get is all the 'evangelical' Christians who practically drool over the thought of an altar running with blood. How does THAT have any place in anything remotely Christian?

 

[Kulindahr]

I don't disagree. I just think it is interesting to observe that apparently in Mecca, heritage is disposable and reconfigurable, but elsewhere it is used to justify armed struggle because of its "inviolability."

Kinda like the difference between the "image-smashers" of the Reformation who wanted to break and burn anything remotely "Catholic", and Luther, who just wanted to continue the ancient church and keep everything good and/or useful -- they claim to serve the same end, but it sure doesn't look like it.

 

[Alnitak]

For sure. What I don't get is all the 'evangelical' Christians who practically drool over the thought of an altar running with blood. How does THAT have any place in anything remotely Christian?

The problem with a temple is the transfer of power from rabbis and preachers to the temple-centered culture and elite Kohanim whom are still identified today. Today's religious leaders will never relinquish that power, and that is the true reason why it has never been rebuilt.

 

[Adrusek81]

Even though the great majority of Muslims around the world detest terrorism?

Oh, please! Have you actually engaged any Muslims? They love to live in a bubble of self-inflicted victimism and use their "otherness" as a means to justify the most outrageous of ideas, attitudes and behaviours. Yes, there are discrimination and racism against Muslims. Often, they are MORE than justified. The levels of hypocrisy, dishonesty, greed and prejudice within those communities are beyond anything anyone can imagine, and the worst of it all is that they believe that they have a right to act execrably towards anyone who doesn't share their reductive and primitive views of the world - unless you happen to be a man, of course, in which case they will cowardly attack you when you turn your back.

It's telling that not a single "moderate" Muslim group has ever stood up to the most radical factions within their community, and all are quick to say "yes, but you discriminate us!" whenever they are engaged in a debate about religious fundamentalism and attempted cultural imposition in the Western countries where they have migrated. Yes, this is a very complex problem that goes beyond the simplistic "us against them" approach that many politicians have adopted, but it is undeniable that we, as citizens of fairer and freer societies, have been much more tolerant and compassionate with these communities than they would have been with us had we migrated to their countries of origin. And yet, the payment we have received for giving people and opportunity to escape depauperation are violence, fundamentalism and permanent emotional blackmail over a perceived "mistreatment" of Muslims since the Crusades.

 

[LilBit]

Okay, that's rather bigoted and immature.

Personally, I've never been near a mosque that would let in a non-believer. My view would be that if they checked out as standing against the nonsense the sword-waving type in the Middle East, I'd be willing to visit -- if not, no.

I've visited plenty of mosques that were happy to let non-Muslims come in and learn about their faith. And all of these mosques have been very vocal in speaking out against extremism.

I took some students to the Islamic Center in Dearborn, MI, and their interfaith director (or something like that) said very explicitly that he would never wish for the entire world to be Muslim because we can learn so much from people of other faiths. American Muslims are not at all like the extremists that we see in other parts of the world.