I live in Long Beach CA and I've been doing some thinking about my city. In its incredible diversity, there seems to be lacking a universal place of worship where all would be welcome. Are there any thoughts to ways of achieving this goal, or issues to consider?
Well....depending on what it being worhsipped, it may be hard for everyone to worship in one place. I don't think Christians would be jumping up and down that their Buddhist neighbor is worshipping next to them or any other religion. Unless you are speaking in regard to the same faith, then maybe it could be acheieved but I doubt it. I question the effectivness of a place of worhsip with too many people.
I'm with aaronUF. Worship is the relationship between you, the worshipor, and the icon, the worshiped. Wherever you choose to stand, sit, kneel, mecha etc... the Intent is more important than context.
universal is only achieved through watering down each to get a common ground. it is pure theory to bring all religions together...stop trying to live in a homogeneous society and embrace the heterogeneity!! now that would be a beautiful project...heterogeneous space for worship, meditation, prayer...etc.
a universal place of worship is just a bad idea. what about those who don't worship, they would automatically be excluded and then the goal of univrsal would be lost.
but if you want a place where everyone can come together, all you need is a functioning city, i.e., a place where everyone can see everyone else doing whatever it is that they do.
but then there are those who don't think of the city as a place of coming together so much as a den of iniquity. (especially, apparently, in the red states.) are there any places that are universally recognized as good?
i still like macpherson's bbq. if you're vegetarian, i bet you could still get a mean slaw...and, rebekah, it is/was right there in long beach!
some religions exclude each other. there's just no way around this, and therefore no way 'universal' worship in the sense you're talking about can exist.
its something I do question being from a Roman Catholic upbringing but being surrounded by other religions, particularly Rastafarians where the "place" of worhship is low down on their list of priorities.
I worry that making it universal, it just becomes a "space" - nothing special.
Catholic and most christian churches are made special by the specific artefacts.
Others its about the positioning of the structure...how do you do it without conflict <- that's the tough one right there.
maybe the word "universal" is the wrong idea. Maybe it should be more about a place that everyone in the community feels welcome, and yet it is a space that inspires you to reflect and praise your higher power. It is hard, as many "religions" which teach love and acceptance have followers that seem to do the opposite.
Is it possible to have a place that is at one with its environment, and generates reflection and praise, without catering to one faith?
Would people of different faiths worship near their neighbor who is praising a different being?
Plus, I believe there is a higher truth to our idea of religion. Would it be possible to invoke a sense of spirituality and acknowledgement of the higher power other than just the traditional icons and symbols?
if you take worship in the broadest sense, what about places like the Disney Concert Hall where we worship the gods who are our great composers. Music as a universal language that more can agree on than on religion (which is a waste of time). also sports: a temple like Fenway Park where people worship baseball and their favourite players. Or the movie theatre where we worship Brad Pitt et al. worship happens not just on sunday in churches, or on Saturday in the synagogue, or on Friday in mosques.
The fundamental problem with a universal place of worship is the underlying premise that God is man's creation. Although that is not so obvious, but if reasoned through, that is the inevitable conclusion.
So in the end those multi-faith places are just places where a man worships himself.
In christianity, the worship is in spirit and in truth.
And there is one truth, there is one way, and there is one life.
Its not arrogance, its the truth.
Truth by definition is exclusive.
2+2=4 not 3.9999999 or 4.111111
Universal worship? Can it be done?
I live in Long Beach CA and I've been doing some thinking about my city. In its incredible diversity, there seems to be lacking a universal place of worship where all would be welcome. Are there any thoughts to ways of achieving this goal, or issues to consider?
the body is a temple
the feet are planted to the ground
as such, the whole earth is a place of worship
-KS, paraphrased
have you heard of auroville in india?
www.auroville.com
www.auroville.org
www.auroville.info
worship what?
Send me your contributions, & I'll build it for you in <name your town>.
"In its incredible diversity, there seems to be lacking a universal place of worship where all would be welcome."
here's two:
Well....depending on what it being worhsipped, it may be hard for everyone to worship in one place. I don't think Christians would be jumping up and down that their Buddhist neighbor is worshipping next to them or any other religion. Unless you are speaking in regard to the same faith, then maybe it could be acheieved but I doubt it. I question the effectivness of a place of worhsip with too many people.
I'm with aaronUF. Worship is the relationship between you, the worshipor, and the icon, the worshiped. Wherever you choose to stand, sit, kneel, mecha etc... the Intent is more important than context.
universal is only achieved through watering down each to get a common ground. it is pure theory to bring all religions together...stop trying to live in a homogeneous society and embrace the heterogeneity!! now that would be a beautiful project...heterogeneous space for worship, meditation, prayer...etc.
that all said...probably one of the best examples of a true universal space is
http://www.rothkochapel.org/
a universal place of worship is just a bad idea. what about those who don't worship, they would automatically be excluded and then the goal of univrsal would be lost.
but if you want a place where everyone can come together, all you need is a functioning city, i.e., a place where everyone can see everyone else doing whatever it is that they do.
but then there are those who don't think of the city as a place of coming together so much as a den of iniquity. (especially, apparently, in the red states.) are there any places that are universally recognized as good?
i still like macpherson's bbq. if you're vegetarian, i bet you could still get a mean slaw...and, rebekah, it is/was right there in long beach!
Macpherson's bbq is the best-looking duck I've seen in a loooong time.
Universal worship happens at the mall.
how about the ATM, i pray everytime i go to one
LOL jpalmer
some religions exclude each other. there's just no way around this, and therefore no way 'universal' worship in the sense you're talking about can exist.
all you end up with is a feelgood space.
i think i like feelgood space.
although in MY feelgood space the ATM would have unlimited money available and i woulnd't have to remember a PIN number.
if people chose to come and worship, it would work. Should they all know what each other is doing?
its something I do question being from a Roman Catholic upbringing but being surrounded by other religions, particularly Rastafarians where the "place" of worhship is low down on their list of priorities.
I worry that making it universal, it just becomes a "space" - nothing special.
Catholic and most christian churches are made special by the specific artefacts.
Others its about the positioning of the structure...how do you do it without conflict <- that's the tough one right there.
maybe the word "universal" is the wrong idea. Maybe it should be more about a place that everyone in the community feels welcome, and yet it is a space that inspires you to reflect and praise your higher power. It is hard, as many "religions" which teach love and acceptance have followers that seem to do the opposite.
Is it possible to have a place that is at one with its environment, and generates reflection and praise, without catering to one faith?
Would people of different faiths worship near their neighbor who is praising a different being?
This is about to generate into a "is there a god?" discussion, isn't it?
Plus, I believe there is a higher truth to our idea of religion. Would it be possible to invoke a sense of spirituality and acknowledgement of the higher power other than just the traditional icons and symbols?
TBN is just a short drive away!
if you take worship in the broadest sense, what about places like the Disney Concert Hall where we worship the gods who are our great composers. Music as a universal language that more can agree on than on religion (which is a waste of time). also sports: a temple like Fenway Park where people worship baseball and their favourite players. Or the movie theatre where we worship Brad Pitt et al. worship happens not just on sunday in churches, or on Saturday in the synagogue, or on Friday in mosques.
the Olympics = Universal Religion?
the body = a temple? (as aaronUF said above)
Mark Spitz = a god?
The fundamental problem with a universal place of worship is the underlying premise that God is man's creation. Although that is not so obvious, but if reasoned through, that is the inevitable conclusion.
So in the end those multi-faith places are just places where a man worships himself.
In christianity, the worship is in spirit and in truth.
And there is one truth, there is one way, and there is one life.
Its not arrogance, its the truth.
Truth by definition is exclusive.
2+2=4 not 3.9999999 or 4.111111
So...a place to worship Truth (however you define it)?
How about a place to worship math?
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.