Now I was not raised a Christian. I've never been to a Church before and I suppose that is the case for the overwhelming majority of Muslims who have been born and raised in a Muslim family. The atheists pick on the theists the easy way: you're a Hindu because you were raised a Hindu; you're a Muslim coz you're raised a Muslim. That is NOT the reality for many of us. Some of us are Hindus not just because we were raised as Hindus - it's because we have realised worshipping statues and animals and trees and accepting dowries is the truth! Likewise, many of us are Muslims because we have realised statues made of mud and clay, living beings that one can kill in a moment, is anything but God! Ah isn't that so utterly obvious?! Our Lord be Praised!
As for me, then I have embarked on a spiritual journey for a long long time. I have questioned myself over and over again, and continue to do so, in order to reach the truth, may God guide me. I ask God to guide me to the Straight Path frequently, so it's not just an expression, it's a fact. I've had "intellectual" discussions with knowledgeable Christians back in the days and I hope to touch on some of what I have experienced. But it's important to know what one is talking about; it's easy saying I'm right and you're wrong when you're too afraid to take even a step beyond your bubble.
So I am going to share my experience of Church and what it endorses, and this is my first week of going to a Church and experience things first-hand. Now I'm not encouraging any Muslim to do what I am doing, but personally speaking, I am who I am because I have asked my Lord over and over again to Guide me, and had Hinduism been the religion that I felt to be true, I would have renounced my faith for the truth. I don't consider my upbringing and the comfortable bubble that I lived in when I question my soul. My Lord be Praised. When I mentioned that I'm going to Church today to a Muslim, I was jokingly asked, Have I left Islam? I smiled to myself. Leave Islam for what? Give me something better and I will show you why it's actually worse.
For any Christian, I just ask you for one thing. Go to a Mosque. See Islam as a whole and what is the fundamental message that it stands for. Here is Ahmad, going to the Church and not just talking based on what I have been fed by others. I have sacrificed my gym session this morning for the Church and that is a big thing in my life currently! So please take that extra step and go to a Mosque nearby on a Friday. Choose different Mosques if you want. I'd try going different Churches every other week. Fair deal?
Arrite so which Church?
St John's Catholic Church
My first week- I've chosen it to be a Catholic Church. Reasons include:
- The Church was built in the 19th century and from an architectural point of view, it's one of the things England is known for. I can't say I'm not tempted to see what it's like inside and out.
- I chose this particular Church because it so happened that the Church is just opposite to my friend's place and a 2-minutes walk from the Mosque. It's only natural that I went there - it's like putting on an underwear before you put on a trouser!
- I chose a Catholic Church not for any particular reason. I wanted to start with an Anglican Church but I guess it doesn't matter much. I'd probably go to an Anglican Church in near future so we're on the same page. If you're a Christian and you want me to go to a particular type of Church, feel free to comment and I'll see if we have that kind of Church in my area. I live in a city full of Churches and pubs so finding your particular denomination won't be hard I suppose.
- The Church runs two local schools and is the Catholic authority in my city. It's obviously not just any Church - it's the happening Church!
Which day?
I chose today, Sunday 16th May 2010. Why? Isn't that obvious? Coz it's a SUNDAY. It's the day when many non-practising Christians go as well, thereby being known as Sunday Church goers. In Islam, there is Friday Mosque goers, but let's not go into that now as I myself hardly go to a Mosque except on Fridays! The fact that my city has just one Mosque and tens of Churches doesn't help.
So if I go again, it'd be again on Sundays. The reason is obvious. You have communal worship on Sundays in a Church and that is the best day to see as much as one can see about the Church and the Christians. I say again, I have sacrificed my morning gym session because of this, and that tells you the effort I am putting into this! Damn I probably gained a kilo because of this.
From the outside
It's quite catchy from the outside to be honest. I guess it's one of the things that tourists come and see in this city. Let me put some pics. I've never uploaded pics in blogs before although it's very common to put loads of random pics in personal blogs. So I guess this is the start of uploading pics. Note that the pictures are not to show my skills or lack-of in photography, nor to show how bad or good my camera was. They are the least one should worry about. The pics are to show what it was and what it stands for, to all those who do not know.
Now what does the inside look like? Here's being honest - my only experience of Churches is from the TV shows and movies that showed Churches and does it look the same in reality? Precisely! It's just like what you see in movies.
From the inside
Here's when it gets really confusing. I've been to a Hindu temple before - the big Balaji temple in Birmingham, England. If I didn't know enough, I'd have said this is a Polytheistic Temple. You don't believe me? Go to the Hindu temple and see it for yourself. How much a Hindu Temple and a Catholic Church have in common. Seriously.
Here is the classic idolatry shown opposite. Don't try telling me the background history for this pic. I tell you what it is as it looks like: it is showing two white statues - one a woman and one an almost naked man about to pass away. Probably you'd say it's Jesus and his mother. Shame on you. This is the big statue in your Catholic Church.
Statues such as the one on the right are ALL over the Church, next to the large windows. Catholics, you REALLY need to go to a Hindu temple and question yourself. I am not sure if you follow Hinduism or a monotheistic religion?
The one on the left is the symbolic statue in any Catholic Church. Or maybe any Christian Church (I will check other non-catholic churches later). The crucifying Jesus statue central to the Church in front of the masses, showing what Christianity is about. It's not about Abraham and his fighting against polytheists and idolatry, it's not about Noah and his fighting against his idol worshipping people, it's not about Moses and his fight (read 'Jihaad') against the idol-worshippers (read 'Mushriks'). Christianity is about the god being tortured and dying on a cross!
The one on right is the front section of the Church, where you have the Bishop and other Church authoritative figures doing what they do. I swear by my Lord, I felt like I was in a Hindu temple. It's almost identical to the Balaji temple in Birmingham. Don't take my word for it if you don't want to, O intelligent Christians, visit a large Hindu temple yourself!
And big human statues continue all around. The one on the left is just next to the central section of the Church. I never thought about it before, like why don't Christians make a fuss over statues and idols like Muslims do? Now after today I think about it and it comes like completed legos: it's because statues and idols are central to their faith, to their place of worship. Is this what Abraham preached? Which of you people voted 'Yes' in the poll on my blog?
Ignore the cute kid in the pic. I suck at guessing the gender of babies and kids so I don't want to embarrass myself, but I'm pretty sure the kid's a 'he'. The Catholic Church has this cute area called "St Benedict Pray for Us" and kids and people come in and probably ask "St Benedict" to pray for them. I thought it's the living Pope Benedict they are referring to, but no. it's the dead St Benedict of Nursia.
Here's an important thing to learn for Muslims. Which Muslims do you find praying to the dead hoping the dead pray for them? Yes, you know who. I think they borrowed it from this Catholic tradition. How pitiful of such Muslims to ask the dead to pray for the living, when it is the dead that needs the prayer of the living! Do you not have sense that a dead's a dead?! Why on earth do some of you Muslims ask the dead? Ask your LORD or is your Lord not enough to answer your prayer? It is these Catholics that introduced asking to the dead! Ask the pious amongst the living one to pray for you. Ask your parents, for the sake of your Lord!!! And please pray for the dead; not ask the dead to pray for you!
Okay this is the last pic for this part. It's another section next to the central section. You have many such enclosed sections with idols in a Hindu temple, so I can only guess, it's there for the same reasons. Saw two women lighting a candle and stuff in front of the gate, don't know what that means. Don't really care much. I have had enough.The reality
So there you go. Idols after idols, statues after statues. St. this and that, lord this and that. Frustrating really to see such things from those who claim to adhere to a monotheistic religion that had Abraham and Moses as the Prophets. I haven't even started talking about what I experienced in the communal service! God willing, I'd do it in a separate post.
Now there are mosques with decorative insides and from an architectural point of view, they are quite fascinating to see. Mosques in South Asia built by the Moghul empire, mosques in Egypt and Syria and other than that have lavish decorations inside. There is no religious justification for such things whatsoever, all I can say is they look nice just a glittering neon light looks nice. But if you study what original Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad looked like, you'd know what constitutes as the Muslim place of worship. Muslims go to Mosques to worship their Lord. Period. Nothing more, nothing less.
Let me end this post with some good old Verses from Old Testament. Think for a moment what was what the Lord commanded to Moses in Bible, and what is it that you Christians do, in the name of following an Abrahamic religion, in the name of being against paganism and idolatry. Such a shame. If what is inside the Catholic Church is not directly idolatry and paganism that violates one of the Ten Commandments, I don't know what does. I don't see any difference between the Balaji Temple and the Catholic Church. Nothing substantial anyway.
Idolatry Forbidden
15 You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, 16 so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, 17 or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, 18 or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. 19 And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. 20 But as for you, the LORD took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.
21 The LORD was angry with me because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance. 22 I will die in this land; I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land. 23 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
25 After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God and provoking him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. 27 The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you. 28 There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. 29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.(Deutoronomy, the fifth book of Hebrew Bible, Chapter 4)
The Ten Commandments
6 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
7 "You shall have no other gods before [a] me.
8 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below."(Deutoronomy, Chapter 5)
What can I say? There are so many Verses that speak against this abhorrent practice of idolatry, that I truly believe anybody getting rid of preconceived dogma should be able to see and appreciate how despicable Catholic places of worship, its rituals and what it stands for have turned into. Sorry, I couldn't put it any milder. I am not Moses or Jesus, but I can bet that they would have left you and your despicable practices like they left the despicable practices during their times.
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