Freedom of Religion ... unless that is; you are a Muslim.

[denuseri]

I think they should re-build the Towers there and make the bottom two floors a memorial center in each building and surround them with temples of all faiths; even the faiths of science and the faith of having no faith should be involved.

[Thorne]

I think they should re-build the Towers there and make the bottom two floors a memorial center in each building and surround them with temples of all faiths; even the faiths of science and the faith of having no faith should be involved.

Okay, I can go along with rebuilding the towers, though I don't know why you would want to, except just for spite. I can even go along with the memorial center, surrounded by temples of all faiths. (That would be a LOT of temples, though.) But no way can you equate science with faith. Science is a study of reality. No faith involved. There's a certain amount of trust, perhaps. I trust that those scientists who have passed muster with other scientists, and whose research has been validated by still other scientists, are probably right as far as we can know at the time. But there's no faith at all.

And what is "the faith of having no faith" supposed to mean? It's a contradiction. IF you are referring to atheism, or even agnosticism, then I have to point out that there's no faith involved there, either. It's a LACK of faith! A LACK of belief. I do NOT have a belief that there are no gods. I just do not have any belief in gods. A subtle but meaningful difference.

As for your temples, therefore, we don't need one for "the faith of having no faith", since there are no atheist temples. No one would come to them anyway. There are more productive ways to make use of a Sunday. And if you have to associate a temple with science, make it a museum, one devoted to the lunacy and irrationality of belief in superstitions. And the even greater lunacies, and irrationalities, of killing and dying for those superstitions.

[denuseri]

Okay, I can go along with rebuilding the towers, though I don't know why you would want to, except just for spite.

Lets call it having faith that no one will kncok them down again perhaps...setting the example that despite the violence of others that somewhere somehow people can rebuild.

I can even go along with the memorial center, surrounded by temples of all faiths. (That would be a LOT of temples, though.)

They could be shrines as opposed to full fledge temples.

But no way can you equate science with faith.

Um sorry to burst your bubble sunshine but I just did..and do...all the time in fact. If it walks like a duck, and quacks like one...well then...to me its a duck just like all the others.

Science is a study of reality.

Wow, it just so happens that religion involves a lot of that too.

No faith involved. There's a certain amount of trust, (faith by any other word) perhaps. I trust that those scientists who have passed muster with other scientists, and whose research has been validated by still other scientists, are probably right as far as we can know at the time. But there's no faith at all.

Sounds just like how the congregation of any paticular faith "trusts" in the tennents of it's way and the word of those who went before them.

And what is "the faith of having no faith" supposed to mean? It's a contradiction. IF you are referring to atheism, or even agnosticism, then I have to point out that there's no faith involved there, either. It's a LACK of faith! A LACK of belief. I do NOT have a belief that there are no gods. I just do not have any belief in gods. A subtle but meaningful difference.

Oh yes,,, back to the ducks I see...faith in a lack of somthing is faith all the same.

As for your temples, therefore, we don't need one for "the faith of having no faith", since there are no atheist temples. No one would come to them anyway. There are more productive ways to make use of a Sunday. And if you have to associate a temple with science, make it a museum, one devoted to the lunacy and irrationality of belief in superstitions. And the even greater lunacies, and irrationalities, of killing and dying for those superstitions.

The memorial will be devoted to peace (not to vehment anti-religos slogans that are by their very nature bellicose and unproductive to the institution of said peace), as will all of the temples of all of the faiths...to show that despite what one's beliefs are, (even if its to believe in not believeing or to only believe in what one thinks science can prove or not etc) that one should not resort to violence or extremism.

[Thorne]

Lets call it having faith that no one will kncok them down again perhaps...setting the example that despite the violence of others that somewhere somehow people can rebuild.

I will grant the belief that people can rebuild. As for having faith that no one will knock them down again, sorry, I won't go that far. There's always at least one nut out there who will take it as his personal mission to screw things up.

They could be shrines as opposed to full fledge temples.

Still, a lot of shrines, if you intend to represent every faith.

But no way can you equate science with faith.

Um sorry to burst your bubble sunshine but I just did..and do...all the time in fact. If it walks like a duck, and quacks like one...well then...to me its a duck just like all the others.

Then perhaps you can explain to me how science walks and sounds like religion.

Science is a study of reality.

Wow, it just so happens that religion involves a lot of that too.

Not even close! Religion is a study in wishful thinking, at best.

Sounds just like how the congregation of any paticular faith "trusts" in the tennents of it's way and the word of those who went before them.

The difference is that the scientists have evidence and experimental validation, verified by other scientists, and usually predictions based upon their evidence and experiments. All reproducible by others, if they are willing to take the time to study and learn. Religion has no evidence, no verification, no reproducibility. It's speculation and snake oil, in roughly equal measures.

Oh yes,,, back to the ducks I see...faith in a lack of somthing is faith all the same.

Sorry, I have to disagree. A faith in the lack of something (which is NOT atheism) is not equivalent to a lack of faith in something (which IS atheism). As an atheist I don't say, "I believe there are no gods." Rather I say, "There is no evidence for gods, therefore belief in gods is not justified." Show me valid, reproducible, reasonably incontrovertible evidence for gods and I will change my position.

The memorial will be devoted to peace (not to vehment anti-religos slogans that are by their very nature bellicose and unproductive to the institution of said peace), as will all of the temples of all of the faiths...to show that despite what one's beliefs are, (even if its to believe in not believeing or to only believe in what one thinks science can prove or not etc) that one should not resort to violence or extremism.

A noble cause, to be sure. And if it ever came to be I would be very surprised if some fundamentalist, of any stripe, didn't try to destroy it within a year. Just for spite.

[TantricSoul]

I think they should re-build the Towers there and make the bottom two floors a memorial center in each building and surround them with temples of all faiths...

I was thinking in a very similar pattern regarding some sort of "all faiths center" or venue on that site that would serve as a memorial in the spirit of promoting understanding, tolerance and harmony. Perhaps a cultural museum, or something similar, for those that would rather understand through logical, and analytical thought processes?

Thanks denu for your comment!

[DuncanONeil]

I was thinking in a very similar pattern regarding some sort of "all faiths center" or venue on that site that would serve as a memorial in the spirit of promoting understanding, tolerance and harmony. Perhaps a cultural museum, or something similar, for those that would rather understand through logical, and analytical thought processes?

Thanks denu for your comment!

There are problems with this approach as well. Some faiths actually require land in its natural state as part of their facilities.