Would you ever attend a service in a different sect or religion?

If you are catholic - would you go to a protestant church just to see what it was about and vice versa?

Would you ever set foot in a synagogue or a Buddhist ceremony or even a Muslim mosque if it were allowed?

I am just curious as to what people would do

 

Yes of course. .........

 

hey! Wait for the poll!

 

I don't have any problem with attending Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Unitarian, Mormons, Jewish, and Lutheran church services. I've attended those services, for some I've been many times. I wouldn't mind attending a New Age type service or get togethor (or whatever they call them), or Buddhist, Hindu, or most other religions. Even if I don't believe the religion, its interesting and leads to some very interesting discussions.

Islam is the one exception. I'll never go to a muslim service or meeting, and years ago I severed ties to the few muslim friends I had. I've seen the absolute brutality and depravity of islam and will never tolerate it again.

 

You have never been inside a mosque?

 

Oh sure, I find it is fun to experience it.

Reminds me of when I took a college body back home to a wedding. I was raised catholic and all I new for a long time. My friend was raised with no religion just the spiritual type. When we got out of mass he was like "what the hell just happened, you people are crazy". Made me reflect a lot on the catholic service and how normal it is to me.

 

Never. I used to have a good friend and co-worker who was muslim. We talked all the time about Christianity and islam, exchanged articles and religous writings. He thought I was going to hell because I was a Christian, I thought he was going to hell because he was a muslim, but we got along very well each trying to convince and convert the other. That was before Iraq and Afghanistan. Now I think he was just a Westernized muslim and didn't really understand what islam is all about. Thats the problem with Westerners, they see the face of islam shown to the West, not the face of islam shown to its own followers in islamic countries. People in the US hear "islam is a religion of peace" and they think of their neighbor who is muslim or the clean cut well spoken nice persuasive guy on tv, and they believe it. Send them overseas and let them see the real islam.

 

I put down "Christian Churches" but I'm thinking in regards to worshiping. Funerals, weddings and that type of thing---wouldn't bother me to visit a Mosque, Temple etc.

 

How about a Buddhist temple?

 

And yet you are colouring so many on the actions of so few. Sad to lose a good friend

 

As long as I'm not worshiping anything in the Buddhist temple---I'm ok with it.

I would not go with someone to a Buddhist temple, Mosque or Synagoge to worship. But would visit for events.

 

While raised Presbyterean I have gone to various services- Episcopalian, Southern Baptist, Catholic and Greek Orthodox. I haven't been to a Synagogue or Mosque but would do so if I was invited- why not?

 

If you see behind the curtain, it doesn't matter how many you see just what you've seen.

 

After 9/11 America went to war with Afghanistan and Iraq - the problems that caused continue and the hatred on both sides has not abated

After the Bali Bombings Australia worked with the Indonesians, caught the bombers and then went a built a hospital - the effects of that action have built relations between our countries

Which was the better way?

 

I'm not talking about how they treat US soldiers, I'm talking about how they treat each other. Life was no picnic in Iraq or Afg before 9/11.

Before 9/11, the Taliban treated people like animals, Iraq was run by a despot whos cohorts butchered people for fun, women were and are treated like property in Saudi Arabia. Even after we invaded Iraq, the majority of fighting and deaths were Iraqi vs Iraqi in tribal/religious battles.

We build schools in Iraq and Afghanistan, then we have to guard them because as soon as we leave, the AQ or Taliban or some of the "rightous" muslims will come in and tear it down and kill the teacher, and if it has girls in the class they get punished.

As to Bali, I think you refer to the 2002 bombing. So AUS built a hospital, it didn't stop or even dampen the violence in Indonesia - muslims kill muslims, muslims kill Europeans, muslims kill women who dont know their place, it doesnt matter. There was even another Bali bombing in 2005 (20 dead, 129 injured, most Indonesian and muslim). Women seem to be a favourite target of muslim men, although they don't do stonings in Indonesia - yet. I'm sure once they find out how exciting it is, it will catch on.

Thats the thing with islam - muslims like to kill. Look all over the world at islamic countries and you find hatred and murder.

See the poster below, thats the difference between us and them.

 

And I am not talking about soldiers either I am talking about how the nation perceives us. Indonesia even offered US money to help us in our recent floods - that is a mark of mutual respect

The Taliban were thugs that walked into a power vacuum left by the soviets - before the Soviets though Afghanistan was a progressive society which had actually closed down the mosques and advocated for women's rights

Because you are NOT helping but in their eyes forcing a different way of life upon them - there is a fine line here. The best that can be said for American efforts in that direction is that you have been incredibly ham handed

And Non-muslims kill non-muslims so????

No it has not stopped the violence but, and think about this, maybe it did prevent it from being worse

 

Yes, we were just showing them a different way of life in which women are treated as actual human beings. I know its a fine line between humanity and cattle, its so fine that they can't see it.

How many islamic countries would you live in? And how many would you never in a million years live in?

It doesn't matter whether the US invaded or not, the US has nothing to do with most islamic countries and they are still the armpit of civilization. For all the good work you say has been devoted to Indonesia by AUS, the best you can say now is that "it could have been worse"?

 

Absolutely Bowerbird,

I am a theist and I have been in several Buddhist temples over in Japan trying to understand why the Japanese worship him. I found the culture interesting but I wasn't converted.

I married a Mormon and attended many services. I found them to be helpers to others, very kind and faithful to their religion. Although I did not get married in the temple and did not convert, I tried not to voice my opinions on our differnces of opinion of their prophet, Joseph Smith. He may well have been but I couldn't go along with not drinking coffee!

 

I have no "sect" so it's a moot point.

 

Caffeine is chemically in the same family of stimulant drugs as cocaine, so is nicotine - the only difference is two are legal, the other isn't.

 

Glad to see the outcome thusfar of the poll. Growing up I attended just about every denomination. I would encourage all to do so. You will be suprised how similiar they are. And, it provides you understanding of other religions. Most Christian religons differ by "ceremony" not substance.

 

I really couldn't vote because there is no option for me.

I'm not religious but I enjoy attending Buddhist celebrations and festivals here in Laos. Not only at temples but in homes and even in the streets. I find Buddhist celebrations very colourful, vibrant and a heap of fun,, and importantly, one way to immerse oneself into the culture. I go to most of the "public" celebrations and festivals, and also the "private" ones like weddings, funerals and celebrations of births. Infact, when our daughter was here one year with our grandson, who was six months at the time, we had a had a Buddhist celebration to celebrate his birth which took the form of a "baci" which has roots in animist cultures. Most of our Buddhist friends attended. The nice thing about bacis for births, is that everyone who attends is in someway responsible for the child's welfare. Heaps of new aunts and uncles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baci

I love Buddhist weddings, it's only a pity my Lao and Pali (I don't know any Pali) isn't up to scratch. Weddings are performed by a shaman (who was a monk at one time) or sometimes a monk or monks, at the home of the bride. By the laughing going on during the ceremony, one can only guess the shaman or monk is saying some funny things. I asked a Buddhist friend (female) why the women whoop during the ceremony. Apparently the shaman or monk is actually challenging the groom's sexual prowess. All good fun.

We have friends arriving for a visit early next month. We have already started organising a baci at our home when they arrive. It's an all day affair with eating, drinking and dancing later.



I will attend weddings, funerals and christenings when back home, but not as a sign of worship but to pay respect to the participants.

 

does this include funeral services?

 

You don't have to go to a Buddhist temple to just worship. You can go there just to check it out.

I go to Theravada Buddhist temples here in Vientiane quite a bit. It has nothing to do with worship, Buddhist temples are a nice place just to chill out.

I find the monks, especially the young novices very friendly and incredibly laidback. Never once have I been preached at, it's not in their culture. But many monks enjoy talking with foreigners just to hone their English skills.

I remember once in Luang Prabang in the north of Laos, a young novice say to me "falang dung ngai" - "big nose foreigner" but not in a nasty way.

 

You'd have no problems here even as a foreigner attending any Buddhist celebrations that are public. No permission is needed. Infact, the Lao love seeing foreigners at their Buddhist celebrations. Thai, Cambodians and Burmese feel the same.