Churches in Saudi Arabia?

[keithnurse]

Awhile back Pope Benedict visited Saudi Arabia. I heard that one topic was he was negotiating with the king about him allowing christian churches to operate openly in Saudi Arabia. I think every religion should be completely free to seek converts an operate churches or temples or mosques in every nation on earth including KSA. One objection Muslims usually raise is: what about Vatican City? noncatholics can't open churches in Vatican City, it's the same with KSA, the home base of Islam. I thnk the analogy migh work better by comparing Vatican City with the city of Mecca. If we are going use that analogy, remember, there are Mosques less than a mile from Vatican City in the city of Rome, so, therefore there should be allowed nonMuslim houses of worship outside the city limits of Mecca. I think the people of KSA deserve the complete freedom to choose for themselves which religion they practice and they should be completely free to openly practice any religion they want in Saudi Arabia. That is simply a basic human right.

 

[Valjean]

Saudi Arabia is a theocracy. It's whole national identity is predicated on this.
I don't expect churches any time soon.

 

[keithnurse]

I don't expect churches to open there anytime soon either. The point is any religion should be free to openly operate there and in every other nation on earth.

 

[YmirGF]

I don't expect churches to open there anytime soon either. The point is any religion should be free to openly operate there and in every other nation on earth.

Curiosly, one can almost hear the howls of protests if so-called "western" countries began to refuse the building or repair of mosques.

 

[Breathe]

Curiosly, one can almost hear the howls of protests if so-called "western" countries began to refuse the building or repair of mosques.

*wince* Ouch. Definitely true.

Churches should be allowed in Saudi Arabia, but to appease the Wahhabi Muslims there; they should be 1 or 2km or so away from both Mecca and Medina, or even just in Christian worker's neighbourhoods.

Unfortunately, I don't see churches any time soon.

 

[gnostic]

Vatican City is a very tiny city...and as country, its one of the tiniest in the world.

In essence, Vatican is a separate country to Italy, and though it is found inside of Rome, it is also separate from Rome. There are mosques in Italy, and in Rome.

Saudi Arabia is a country, that's at the very least, twice (if not 3 times) as large as Italy.

The Saudis (and Muslims) argument about the Vatican is rather weak, because you can't compare Arabia with the tiny Vatican.

In any case, the Vatican and Italy don't ban and arrest people for carrying the Qur'an in public, but the Saudi authorities do with those who carry the bible. I just think that the Saudi-Muslims are insecure in their faith, which is why they need such law as this.

 

[Sahar]

Churches should be allowed in Saudi Arabia

Churches should not be allowed in Saudi Arabia.

It's amazing how the same man who insulted Islam before, come and negotiate on building churches in Saudi Arabia!!

 

[YmirGF]

Churches should not be allowed in Saudi Arabia.

Why shouldn't there be churches in Saudi Arabia though, not4me? Should Canadians begin to refuse building permits and repair permits to Muslims who wish to build/repair mosques in Canada? I'm thinking that what is good for the goose is good for the gander, if you catch my drift.

 

[Azakel]

Why shouldn't there be churches in Saudi Arabia though, not4me? Should Canadians begin to refuse building permits and repair permits to Muslims who wish to build/repair mosques in Canada? I'm thinking that what is good for the goose is good for the gander, if you catch my drift.

I was thinking somewhat of the same thing.

 

[gnostic]

It's amazing how the same man who insulted Islam before, come and negotiate on building churches in Saudi Arabia!!

Well, I certainly don't like pope benny.

 

[zenzero]

Friends,
As usual the mind play never stops and so does Satan and his work.
!. why does one go to a place of worship [church/ mosque/temple]?
Ans: To Pray!

comment: if one wants to pray the whole universe is available. One can do so [pray] anywhere and anytime.

Argument: If some countries do not allow freedom of religious practice, should such countries be restricted from practicing their own religion of the other country?

Logically, it should be reciprocal. Personally nothing against any one or any group but when a nation does not see that all pray to the same entity which has different labels like god / allah / bhagwan etc then such govt. should not morally built their places of worship in other countries.

Love & rgds

 

[Tobi]

Churches should not be allowed in Saudi Arabia.

It's amazing how the same man who insulted Islam before, come and negotiate on building churches in Saudi Arabia!!

What YmirGF and Azakel said.
Ignoring the pope... is there any reason why it is more wrong to build a church in Saudi Arabia than it is to build a mosque in, say, England?

 

[Sahar]

Why shouldn't there be churches in Saudi Arabia though, not4me? Should Canadians begin to refuse building permits and repair permits to Muslims who wish to build/repair mosques in Canada? I'm thinking that what is good for the goose is good for the gander, if you catch my drift.

But Ymir, you have the entire Muslim land, why Saudi Arabia? Leave Saudi Arabia alone!!
I have no problem at all with building Churches or any place of worship in any Muslim land except in the Arabian Peninsula.
Like I can have a mosque in Canada, the Christian can have his church say in Egypt, Syria, Malaysia...etc.

 

[Storm]

But Ymir, you have the entire Muslim land, why Saudi Arabia? Leave Saudi Arabia alone!!
I have no problem at all with building Churches or any place of worship in any Muslim land except in the Arabian Peninsula.
Like I can have a mosque in Canada, the Christian can have his church say in Egypt, Syria, Malaysia...etc.

You didn't answer why, though. I have to agree it's a double standard.

 

[Sahar]

Why shouldn't there be churches in Saudi Arabia though, not4me? Should Canadians begin to refuse building permits and repair permits to Muslims who wish to build/repair mosques in Canada? I'm thinking that what is good for the goose is good for the gander, if you catch my drift.

Moreover, Ymir the mosques there are for Canadian citizens, it's their country as well. The Saudi Arabia thing is related to the sacredness of the place and what it represents for Muslims. This place should be pure for Islam only as the prophet (pbuh) left it.

 

[Storm]

I guess I don't understand the significance of Saudi Arabia, then. Perhaps you could explain?

Also, didn't Muhammad teach that other religions should be respected and allowed to worship freely?

 

[Andal]

I think the gov. has the right to restrict the building of churches in Mecca however to refuse the right of conversion or to hold pubic worship to non muslims in the rest of the country is a human rights violation. Ya know Varanasi is sacred to me and yet I see a large mosque now standing where there should be and was a massive temple to Sri Vishnu. So why is it ok for Muslims to enter foreign countries and convert their people and expect to be able to build mosques etc but other religions can't do it in KSA. It's a double standard. India is the holiest place in the world for nearly a billion hindus and yet we tolerate Christians and Muslims there so I would expect the same curtesy extended to other religions in KSA.

 

[keithnurse]

That's absolutely right, Krishnakanta, the people of Saudi Arabia should have the right to choose for THEMSELVES which religion they want to practice and to practice that religion openly in KSA. The absolute right of any individual to change from any religion to any other religion for any reason he sees fit is one of the most basic of all human rights. Just as Muslims can build Mosques in Rome right next to the Vatican, and everywhere else in the western world, so all other religions should be able to operate fully and freely in Saudi Arabia. It is simply a matter of fairness. Of course if the Saudis want to restrict churches to outside of certain areas of Mecca and Medina, I think that would be undertandable, but the rest of KSA should be open for the free and open marketplace of religious ideas so the people of KSA can choose for themselves which religion they want to practice.

 

[ayani]

Logically, it should be reciprocal. Personally nothing against any one or any group but when a nation does not see that all pray to the same entity which has different labels like god / allah / bhagwan etc then such govt. should not morally built their places of worship in other countries.

well, the Christian argument would be that one is to love one's enemy (or percieved / self-appointed opponent), and repay evil with good. if Christians were to bar Muslims from building mosques in majority Christian lands, how would they be practicing Matthew 7:12?

another Christian argument is while a Christians can certainly worship the Father or Christ anywhere in the world in the Holy Spirit, that coming together with other believers is also very important for us. our houses of worship are places of praise, prayer, and fellowship. to gather with other believers in and followers of God's Son is deeply meaningful, and while churches can be in basements and houses and many places, it is also good to have a specific building set aside for worship.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

I can think of something more fundamentally wrong and the cause of more problems, than not allowing churches in Saudi Arabia. What about not allowing the people of Saudi Arabia to elect their own government and decide policy matters democratically? Even if they allowed churches in Saudi Arabia it would still be a monarchy. You remember monarchy.....it was that thing we gained independence from in 1776, that thing that is supposed to be the exact opposite of "freedom" and "democracy".

If we care so much about churches in Saudi Arabia what about all the money and military and diplomatic support the U.S. provides to sustain the Saudi royal family and protect them from their own people?