The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob ...

I realize that most people here do not consider themselves to be people of faith, but I cannot let go of something I heard this morning. So, please bear with me or, if you prefer, just skip this one...

Those of us who do follow the Abrahamic traditions share much. We share a faith in the one true God, the Creator of all that is seen and unseen. We believe He has revealed His will to us through the Prophets. We have much in common. More, I believe, than our differences.

The leader of my Church, Pope Leo, recently visited the Blue Mosque (the Sultan Ahmed Mosque) in Istanbul. I have also been there. It is beautiful. It is spiritual. It is transcendent. And, while there, I prayed. Pope Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis, also prayed when visiting the Blue Mosque. Pope Leo chose not to pray while there or with the Iman's at all. As a Roman Catholic, I am disappointed.

With all that is happening in the world today, he chose to focus in that moment on differences rather than similarities.

I don't want to be too critical of Pope Leo. He is new and I don't really know much about him. But in this act, to pray or not to pray in a "different" house of God, I think we can see and draw lesson. For me, I will always choose to strive for unity and understanding, not divisiveness.

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Stephie · 22-25, F

While I am a person of faith, I do not go to church because I do believe that a church is not needed to speak to God.

I have not followed that event in Istanbul but my opinion is that if the leader of a church does not want to pray simply because the leader of another faith is present, then how is humanity expected to settle its differences when it comes to religion.

Pope Leo did a huge disfavor to all those that believe that we can live in peace. There was a lack of goodwill if not something deeper. I am not here to judge the one or other confession or religion. Let's not forget that a great number of wars are primarily wars of religion.

I was in the very same mosque in late 2015, just weeks before the bombing of January 2016.

sarabee1995 · 31-35, F

@Stephie You've been there too? Very cool. I wonder if our footsteps overlapped. 👣👣👣

I do believe that a church is not needed to speak to God.

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if the leader of a church does not want to pray simply because the leader of another faith is present, then how is humanity expected to settle its differences

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I think we are very much in line here. 🫂

samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

@Stephie the blue mosque 2023