NPR reports on how Saudi Arabia is modernizing the Hajj

http://www.npr.org/2010/11/16/131350606/saudi-arabia-modernizes-mecca-for-muslim-pilgrims

This link is all about how incredibly profitable the Hajj is for Saudi Arabia. It makes a good point, that the industry of religious tourism is recession-proof, just in the sense that all Muslims wishing to complete the Hajj must move through this one particular area. Building hotels and businesses in Mecca is, in that sense, a no-brainer.

Was Satan and Angel or a Djinn?

http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/iblis.html

An interesting breakdown of several analyses of the text of the Quran, attempting to determine the proper origin of Satan based on the Quran. It seems pretty inconclusive, and it appears as though the text contradicts itself, but on the other hand, no text so large is going to be completely ironclad.

Update on the Tennessee Mosque

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/tn_mosque_lawsuit_funding.php

If anybody remembers, right around the time of that ridiculous 'Ground Zero Mosque' controversy, there was another group of bigots decrying the building of an Islamic Cultural Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It turns out that once the opponents of the Mosque realized that they could not oppose it based on religious grounds, since America has freedom of religion, they decided to discredit Islam as a religion altogether. I think that anyone looking at this lawsuit from the outside can tell how absurd the viewpoint of this fundamentalist "Christian" group is, and how poorly they represent any other Christians. It's a shame that they can't simply adhere to their own gospel and turn the other cheek, and allow the local Muslim community to exist without persecution.

Exorcisms in the Alps

A small article with a good sound-bite about how the French speakers in Switzerland, who are predominantly catholic, are requesting exorcisms from their clergy at unprecedented rates.


http://worldradio.ch/wrs/news/switzerland/more-exorcisms-wanted-in-french-speaking-switzerla.shtml?21660=

Religion in China

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/magazine/07religion-t.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Interesting article about religion developing in China. As the article states, "reformers and revolutionaries saw it as a hindrance holding the country back and a key reason for China’s 'century of humiliation.'", but now, as the country is experiencing economic prosperity, many of its citizens are coming to terms with religious beliefs. It will be interesting to see how a society of billions of people turning to religion affects other religions on the world scale over the next few years, from rising evangelism, to religious conflicts, internecine and international.

Catholic Bishop complaining about secularism

http://www.goddiscussion.com/34063/catholic-bishop-complains-about-secularism-and-not-enough-religion-in-the-public-square/

This Bishop says, "As I understand it, the doctrine was meant to protect the church from the state and not the other way around"


Well, Bishop, you don't understand it. As Thomas Jefferson explained, in a letter to a Baptist Church, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State." As you can see, the establishment clause makes it so that Congress cannot legislate ANY establishment of religion. The Establishment clause does not just stop the state from interfering in religious affairs, it also stops religions from interfering in state matters. Which, when you think about it, is the same exact thing. If Religion A gets the state to pass laws favoring religion A, Religion B, which thinks that Religion A is completely wrong, has been disenfranchised by the state. You cannot legislate for one religion without simultaneously repressing another. This Bishop would do well to take an American Civics course before he takes the pulpit again.


EDIT: I've just now thought...at what point does a Church lose its tax exempt status? As I understand it, Churches don't pay taxes, and in return they are expected to stay out of political affairs. Tax-exempt churches are NOT allowed to endorse specific candidates, nor are they allowed to tell their parishioners how to vote on any particular ballot initiatives or propositions. This Bishop is certainly not over the line in his comments, deluded though they may be, but does he realize that if he gets his way, his organization would almost certainly have to lose its tax exempt status? Just an interesting side thought.

Catholic Demonology

http://religiousdemonology.com/index.htm

I stumbled on this site whilst wandering through the corridors of the internet. It always fascinates me when people portray their religion as something perfectly true and eternal while cherrypicking from myths that were created over a thousand years after said religion's inception. Demonology is a Medieval construct. The site is quite interesting, regardless of what kind of nonsense it's composed of, and at the very least comprises a nice story.