Ivy League Muslim Prayer Service "Filled With Homophobia"

I don't see anything wrong with that.

"Not all homosexuals are pedophiles, but all pedophiles are homosexuals,"

Proven partially true by Catholic priests.

I thought it had some sort of a ban on organized religious activity.

Islam is not an "organized religion" as it doesn't have a Pope or Vatican or even priests.

How much money do Muslims have to contribute to this religion to make sure it stays "non-organized?

I have never had to contribute a single Rupee.

If Islam's not an organized religion no one told the mosque I've been to.

Having a mosque doesn't make it "organized".

1. Anyone can act as "prayer leader" since you don't belong to a professional priesthood with a hierarchy.

2. Islam can do just as well without a mosque.... and often has.

I have never had to contribute a single Rupee.

Oh and that leads to a very important point.

In a religion that doesn't need your money, the Saudis spend millions (perhaps billions) on the spread of THEIR Wahabi version.

90% of what is spent on Islam in USA comes from Saudi funding. (Yep)

Gawd have mercy on you. No wonder you got that homophobic prayer service speech.

And second point.... Shia-Islam (like in Iran) IS an "organized religion". They have a priesthood class with a hierarchy and a "pope".

And yes, they DO require money out of believers.

Shia/Iranian Islam is "closed source"... like IPhone.

My version is "open source"... like Linux.

Thank Gawd for Open Source.

Open-source software always spreads faster than proprietary or closed source.

That is why:

1. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world.

2. There are only 10% Shia-Muslims compared to the rest of us.

So, do you denounce this?

Of course not.

But see, there are 2... and ONLY 2... "holy places" in Islam.

Mecca and Medina.

Compare that to the thousands of "holy places" they have in Iran or Iraq or in Christianity, etc.

What happens in Mecca does not effect your life because talking politics is forbidden during the pilgrimage".

Mecca also has no power... zero.... to enforce official doctrine or even to discuss it.

1. Because there is no official doctrine.

2. There is no priesthood class with a headquarters (like the Vatican) to discuss that doctrine.

3. The pilgrimage is "open source". That is why all 80-90 versions of Islam (including Shia Muslims) can worship without worrying about proper doctrine and method.

Doesn't Mecca have the power to exclude non-muslims?

No.

How is that enforced?

Saudi Govt in Riyadh has the power and they enforce it.

I wish I can

If you got a penny for each of your wishes, you would be a millionaire.

And then you can pay RCADE's server bills for him.

That is about the figure I keep hearing.

That also explains one reason I am against Americans converting to Islam (as I have said so many times before).

Because of the Saudi influence, an American Muslims convert has a greater chance of becoming a mini-Osama than someone I would convert.

My guy (or gal) would just be a mild anti-gay bigot who won't drink or smoke or use credit cards or wear "bling" (in case it's a man). My guy won't ever turn into Osama.

Against all odds, there IS a totally American version Islam. It's not from that fraud "nation of Islam"... it's something totally new and totally supportive of the US Govt and Democracy and free speech AND feminism, in general (they even have women prayer leaders).

Unfortunately, it tends to get drowned out by all that Saudi funding, but they can't get rid of it either.

or just the Mosque of the Prophet?

Just the mosque and the Prophet's burial place. The rest of it is an ordinary city.

Same with Mecca. People live and conduct business there normally too.

Have you ever wanted to visit there?

Never thought much about it. But I'll have to sometime to pay my respects.

What puts me off is the snooty Saudi attitude towards foreigners and all the red tape involved.

Is there another holy place in Pakistan where you can pay your respects?

There are plenty of "holy places" in Pakistan but they are for Indian Sikhs. LOL

They come to Pak for their pilgrimage each year.

I am not a Sikh and I don't wear a turbin.

As for paying respects, I can do that by saying a few words right now.

Do you believe that the Tomb of the Prophet in Medina actually contains the remains of Mohammed?

Yes.

In fact, during the Crusades, Christian spies nearly dug a tunnel do his grave so that they could take his remains hostage and end the war. Stupid idea but that is what they tried before getting caught.

Now why all the questions?

Why are YOU interested?

Medina also reserves an empty grave plot for Jesus.

When he comes back and rules over the world, as Muslims believe, he will have a full life and be buried in Medina when he passes away.

I don't care either way. But knowing you, you must have some unhealthy motive behind it.

So I was just wondering. Sorry if I am wrong.

I was wondering if anybody (like a Department of Antiquities, for example) has ever tried to verify that the original contents of the tomb is still intact.

Most of the work on Medina has been done by the Ottoman Empire (Turks), I think. And the Ottoman Empire (considered the world's first modern super-power and was around for 500 years) kept excellent records (as did the first Arab Empire before them). In fact, the most historically valuable objects from Islamic history (including perhaps the earliest Koran) are in Topkapi Museum in Turkey.

I am sure the Saudi Govt also has excellent proofs and records, even though they are cultural midgets.

The Prophet's grave site also had walls of molten metal poured around it to a great depth.

This was done after the Christian Crusaders were caught trying to steal his remains.

I've never really understood this great division between the Muslim faiths.

The main diff is between Shia and Sunni.

One has to include Islam into politics and the other ... from the very start... was against it.

The Saudi Wahabis, being technically Sunni, are an anomaly because they shouldn't have "religious police" at all. But they do.

Monarchy can be weird.

That's why I was asking about money as it relates to your faith.

Like I said before, I have never had to pay anything to anyone.

We do have to pay a 2.5% "poor tax" to people who are in need but that does not go to any bloody mulla or mosque. It goes direct to some poor guy of my choosing.

The Govt does try and take it out of my bank account but I put a stop to that (as has everyone else) by submitting an affidavit saying "My version of Islam (deliberately unspecified) does not allow Govt intervention to make me pay the poor tax, thank you". That holds under the Constitution.

As for Shia Muslims, they HAVE TO pay this money to the Ayatollah, WHO then decides who the needy person is.

That gives Shia Ayatollahs a lot of power. They basically run the Iranian Govt, don't they?

You're welcome. I guess.

I'm glad I live in 21st century America.

So am I.

Stay there.

I feel as though I am communicating to someone in another century.

You should.

I am from your future.

Whatever should I do?

You should first check how many wives he already has.

Some say it was Osama's oldest wive who gave up his location because she couldn't stand the other wives.

According to the interviews we did, she certainly seemed spiteful enough.

Riiight, we are going to move back to the 15th Century here in America.

You will not move backwards.

You will turn around 180 degrees and then move forward.

Our last stoning was a very long time ago, yours....more like yesterday.

If have never been stoned. I don't even know where to buy weed from.

TheDomeOfTheRock

It's "holy" of sorts for historical reasons. It has no religious relevance in the sense that Muslims are under no obligation to ever go pray there.

Doesn't mean we'll give it up to your Israeli pals though.

Once something has been ours, it will remain ours forever.

Don't they already have it though?

I am talking of the al-Aqsa Mosque. Sorry if I confused it with some DomeRock thingy.

I understand that Israelis have tried to blow it up and set fire to it before.