Places of Worship

[Madhuri]

I wonder if we need more religious places to worship. In India we have a lot of places to worship and yet I find some communities spending crores and crores of Rupees to build huge structures. There is one such temple in Delhi (Akshardham), this is very huge and has a very beautiful architecture, but when I visited it I did not get the feeling that surrounds religious places. What I could see was only the money that was spent on it, and to make it as modern as possible (with threater and such equipments), although I have nothing against these settings, what I am trying to say is, the feeling did not come. It is built in some acres of land and before building it, it also displaced a lot of people living on that piece of land. This set me to thinking, that the followers who donated the money (mostly Non-Resident-Indians and others living here), could they not have used it for better purpose or perhaps used it to improve the condition of the people living there (it was a slum area)

Sometimes I feel that building such structures has much more beyond providing people a place to worship. I think it also signifies power and to make people aware that we have arrived. Like in olden days (down south especially) Raja or Kings will build mammoth structures (these are still places of reverence), and the bigger the temple is the more powerful the king will be. Similarly, when the North and then South was invaded by Mughals and other dynasties, these kings built Mosques and spread Islam.

It seems all these places of worship have this inherent primary character of power followed by worship (and not vice-versa).

What do you think -- Do we still need more places like these??

[Whifflingpin]

"What do you think -- Do we still need more places like these??"

I think that there is a lot of truth in what you have said, although those rulers would probably have argued (and maybe believed) that they were giving back to God a proportion of what He had given to them, so, the more wealth and power they had received, the greater their offering would have to be.

Whether we need to build such structures, in the present moment, is something that I seriously doubt.

Providing better housing for the poor, or establishing hospitals or schools in God's name, would be better than establishing elaberate places for his worship.

He, after all, has aleady created the great Temple of the world, and made each of us a temple, so caring for His temples would be giving Him greater honour than making new ones.

.

[Pendragon]

The place of worship be it ever so humble does not matter. The true place of worship is in the heart. If one goes to the finest temple money can build, but does not worship in one's heart, what profit is there? I see churches grow larger and more elaborate, seating thousands and oh, so pretty, but have they ever thought that when you worship, it is not about you, but about your God? If your God goes unrecognized because you want the spotlight upon yourself, on what you have done, what you have accomplished--do you really worship in your heart?

[muhsin]

When I came back, I'll have my thought over this very meaningful issue. I'm now in a hurry. Hold on...

[Turk]

They weren't Mughals (Mongols). They are Turkish. Shah Babur's himself is a poet and he wrote one of the most important books of Cagatay accent of Turkish, Baburname. And yes, if people wants to go to temples for worship, and if there not enough temples, we still need temples.

[miss tenderness]

What do you think -- Do we still need more places like these??
yes,we need more and more, why?

okay, if you look at masjids(mosques) in the islamic socities or in other places they live in, they are not only places to pray and worship,their role go beyond that. They are places where a Muslim get a daily full education, practical education>>>a Muslim should pray in there five times daily,thus, masjids in neighborhoods create communities where people come to know eachother,if someone does not attend one time of salat(prayer)this small community miss him/ask about him/help if he is in need...so Masjids in Islam have huge role, people get to know eacother through it. Also in Masjids ,there always extra courses given,whether religious or any other field. Masjids are educational institutions in the Islamic socities,they are not merely a place to worship.A Muslim has to keep certain manner in masjids, guess this applies to many diferent religious places .So ,a person or a child starts to learn how to be nice with people. We rely on our masjids for many things. a masjid is just something which is so vital in Islam, hence, you must've noticed that when a group of Muslims gather anywhere,first thing to think about is to build a masjid, because it's the only place that that will absoloutlybe gather them together,to fulfill their obligaions and to come to know eachother even more.
Muslims love masjids,it's really different when you are there,you always feel like if you are open to all kind of people of different races,colors. Maybe you can look at the Holy masjid in Makkah and see the huge diversity ,still,they are like one person,no one can be given especial place because of his social rank or such,once you get there,take the last plce the row stopped in,do not bother your brothers or sisters by anyway,it's a place where you have to be just a Muslim regardless to ur rank or education or whatever. People are equal. there is great spirituality in masjids,places to motivate people to be good,act good,be humble,help others,give the rights to people. So ,Masjids shoud increase. However, Muslims,due to their love for these masjids and their respect for the role they do in their socities,started to give a great deal to the shape of buildings,arcitcture(sp). especially in the old times, so they produced very beautiful buildings for masjids.However, basically Masjids should be kept simple but people can't help but exceed .
I love the Islamic arcitucture,very creative, Taj Mahal is one example,built by Shah Jahan>>>it is the most worldy known building that represents the Islamic civilization that prevailed in India, also Spain has great deal of thses beautiful buildings which Spain depend on now for its tourism. These buildings keep amazes me.


If these places are going to produce better souls and better people,then yes,they should increase. If they do not have real active roles ,then,No need for them.


good topic,Maddie.

[Madhuri]

Whiff, Pen -- I can see your point.

And I wonder what do these people think before building such structures??

Miss T -- If the idea behind more places of worship is what you have mentioned, I think it is still valid. What I was trying to emphasise is that, if such structures are built they should also propogate the feeling that surrounds a Temple/Church/Masjid, they should not appear empty sites, that do not bring about the feeling of peace and calm.

I think I really liked it when you said -- "If they do not have real active roles ,then,No need for them."

I agree, whats the need if they do not serve the purpose.

[Lote-Tree]

What do you think -- Do we still need more places like these??

No. They could use that money to build orphanages instead.

Why they build such edificies?

To say my God is better than your God. My God is more gandeur than your God etc.

Those of kinds of places - robs the spirituality from the human heart and soul.

[Nossa]

I don't believe that the problem lies in the builiding, but rather in the people. We need to have a better sense of religion, we need to get that feeling back, it's not lost cuz the buildings aren't built right, or cuz they got old or whatever reasons, that feeling comes from one's heart, and the way I see it, manye people lost this feeling long time ago, they've put religion on the shelf, if I may say it like that.
And no, building worshipping places, whatever the religion is, doesn't convey the meaning of that my God is bertter than yous, cuz simply there's only one God whom everyone in any religion believes in. And even if this is not true, worshipping places are built to make whoever goes into them, feel the glory of religion and God, and therefore it should be suitable and even different, the mosque should be different from the church, simply cuz they both belong to different religions.

[Virgil]

While i understand what Whiff and Pen and others too are saying, but I'm in agreement with Miss T and others who think that it is worth to have a beautiful and impressive religious building. First it is a communal place and a community ought to show its committment to it. Second, it is a work of art, and an architectural statement. In my neighborhood, churches are the most beautiful structures around. In contrast to the square boxes that we live in, a church structure stands out from the common. It is a work of art both on the inside and out. Money spent on religious buildings is well spent.

I know there are more impresive churches in Europe, but here's St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. Compare its structure with the buildings around.

[Lote-Tree]

And no, building worshipping places, whatever the religion is, doesn't convey the meaning of that my God is bertter than yous, cuz simply there's only one God whom everyone in any religion believes in

What does it convey then?

[Virgil]

What does it convey then?

It conveys a community's (or simply a human) endeavor to honor it's religion and culture by creating a beautiful space.

[Lote-Tree]

It conveys a community's (or simply a human) endeavor to honor it's religion and culture by creating a beautiful space.

And building an orphanages does not do that?

If not why not?

[Virgil]

And building an orphanages does not do that?

If not why not?

You seem to think it's either or. I don't know about where you live, but we do have both.

[Lote-Tree]

You seem to think it's either or. I don't know about where you live, but we do have both.

So the other is comparable to orphanages?