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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 04/28/2006 : 02:52:51
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When you're in orbit, which way is Mecca? quote:
Apr 26, 4:38 AM ET
BANGI, Malaysia (Reuters) - As Malaysia prepares to pick its first astronaut, the country's space agency is hunting for solutions to the problems it expects devout Muslims to face while in orbit, such as in which direction to pray.
One of the five pillars of Islam requires the faithful to pray five times a day, and to face Mecca, the birthplace of Islam, while doing so. Astronauts aboard spaceships could have difficulty meeting these requirements.
"Among the astronaut's needs, if he is a Muslim, are guidelines on performing prayers in space, and other aspects of life according to Islamic principles," Malaysian government official Mohd Ruddin Abdul Ghani told a two-day meeting of scientists and religious experts to thrash out solutions.
Kind'a shows how much fundamentalist Christians and their Muslim counterparts have in common, does it not it? Give either a situation not covered by dogma nor involves suppressing or (preferably?) killing someone and they're at a loss as to how to cope with it.
Good for a laugh, now and again. 
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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sts60
Skeptic Friend
141 Posts |
 Posted - 04/28/2006 : 07:11:39 [Permalink]
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Been there, done that:
Payload specialist Sultan Salman Abdelazize Al-Saud, aboard Discovery during STS-51G in 1985. IIRC, he was covered under some kind of dispensation for travelers wherein they are not held to the 5-a-day regimen. He wouldn't have gotten much work done in low Earth orbit otherwise (90 minute days/5 would have had him praying every 18 minutes!) |
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Randy
SFN Regular
USA
1990 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2006 : 14:27:17 [Permalink]
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| This reminds me of a old National Lampoon magazine four page cartoon called "Amish In Space". They'd float around in rocking chairs in their space craft quoting bible passages, seemingly oblivious to their space enviroment. |
"We are all connected; to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, to the rest of the universe atomically."
"So you're made of detritus [from exploded stars]. Get over it. Or better yet, celebrate it. After all, what nobler thought can one cherish than that the universe lives within us all?"
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson |
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Maverick
Skeptic Friend
Sweden
385 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2006 : 23:32:06 [Permalink]
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| I find it bizarre that as we're in the process of becoming a spacefaring species, we still need to hold on to religions. Science is what makes space travel possible, what good ever comes from religion? Have these people ever considered trying not to report back to their imaginary friend all the time? |
"Life is but a momentary glimpse of the wonder of this astonishing universe, and it is sad to see so many dreaming it away on spiritual fantasy." -- Carl Sagan |
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woolytoad
Skeptic Friend
313 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2006 : 05:00:50 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Maverick
I find it bizarre that as we're in the process of becoming a spacefaring species, we still need to hold on to religions. Science is what makes space travel possible, what good ever comes from religion? Have these people ever considered trying not to report back to their imaginary friend all the time?
Mother Theresa.
I think we need to be careful with this. We should not oppose certain religious views because they are religious, we should oppose them because they are blatantly wrong or dangerous.
Non religious thinking has come up with some equally ridiculous things. |
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2006 : 05:44:57 [Permalink]
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Mother Teresa can only avoid being called a fraud because she never lied about ripping people off. She told everyone that suffering is good, so she took lots of money for nothing, and watched people suffer in her "hospitals." http://www.lipmagazine.org/articles/featpostel_56.htm
There are other religious people who have done some good. However, the prisons are full of people who check the God side of the ledger. I'm even told that criminals like George Bush are religious. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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| Edited by - Gorgo on 04/29/2006 05:48:06 |
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Maverick
Skeptic Friend
Sweden
385 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2006 : 08:13:24 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by woolytoad
quote:
Originally posted by Maverick
I find it bizarre that as we're in the process of becoming a spacefaring species, we still need to hold on to religions. Science is what makes space travel possible, what good ever comes from religion? Have these people ever considered trying not to report back to their imaginary friend all the time?
Mother Theresa.
I think we need to be careful with this. We should not oppose certain religious views because they are religious, we should oppose them because they are blatantly wrong or dangerous.
Non religious thinking has come up with some equally ridiculous things.
Obviously, ridiculous ideas and baseless faith doesn't need to be religious - but they often are. And, I wonder what religions have ever proven to be useful? |
"Life is but a momentary glimpse of the wonder of this astonishing universe, and it is sad to see so many dreaming it away on spiritual fantasy." -- Carl Sagan |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2006 : 09:13:20 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Maverick
quote:
Originally posted by woolytoad
quote:
Originally posted by Maverick
I find it bizarre that as we're in the process of becoming a spacefaring species, we still need to hold on to religions. Science is what makes space travel possible, what good ever comes from religion? Have these people ever considered trying not to report back to their imaginary friend all the time?
Mother Theresa.
I think we need to be careful with this. We should not oppose certain religious views because they are religious, we should oppose them because they are blatantly wrong or dangerous.
Non religious thinking has come up with some equally ridiculous things.
Obviously, ridiculous ideas and baseless faith doesn't need to be religious - but they often are. And, I wonder what religions have ever proven to be useful?
The Theory of Evolution....
And the Church of Reality. 
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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| Edited by - filthy on 04/29/2006 09:25:39 |
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JohnOAS
SFN Regular
Australia
800 Posts |
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2006 : 18:12:13 [Permalink]
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I think the NTCOF considers itself legally a church.
http://www.churchoffreethought.org/ |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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Maverick
Skeptic Friend
Sweden
385 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2006 : 11:39:02 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by filthy
The Theory of Evolution....
And the Church of Reality.
Hah, the theory of evolution indeed. One of the few naturalistic religions, but still not without fascinating stories, such as the frog that gave birth to a prince...
Church of reality looks like something I should look up more closely sometime. |
"Life is but a momentary glimpse of the wonder of this astonishing universe, and it is sad to see so many dreaming it away on spiritual fantasy." -- Carl Sagan |
| Edited by - Maverick on 04/30/2006 11:39:35 |
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