Mecca vs. Vatican vs. Israel?

Question

Islam REQUIRES that anyone who CAN afford it MUST come to the tourist trap known as Mecca. In my last question, certain people got a little snitty and couldn't handle the question, so they resorted to the DISTRACTION technique. Children often use that technique to avoid responsibility by drawing attention away from the subject at hand.

There's a big difference between voluntary tourism and forced tourism. Let there be no compulsion in tourism (lol)

Does the Vatican REQUIRE people to make a pilgrimage? Does Israel REQUIRE people to make a pilgrimage?

Answer 1

you call the holy land Makkah a "tourist trap"!!!!! what do you call Las Vegas?!!

Answer 2

Jenny,

All religions have Pilgrim, not only Islams and Christians and Jews, but even Hindus and Buddhists, each to their own "Holly Destination".

A correction, Islam's pilgrim is NOT only to Mecca, it is Mecca and Jerusalem... they stopped doing the later since the relations with Israel are not good.
Christians on the other hand, their pilgrim is not to Vatican as you seem to think, though many Christians would die to meet the Pope, yet the real pilgrim destination for a devoted Christian will be Jerusalem as well.
Jews around the world are not forced to go to pilgrim trip, yet they are invited strongly to MOVE to the promise land Israel where their pilgrim destination is Jerusalem as well.
Pilgrim is not tourism, it is a spiritual journey, it exists in all beliefs as a way to connect believers with their faith, I can assure you that 100% of the people who go on a pilgrim trip do it because they Want to NOT because they Have to..
I feel sorry for you as you don't seem to have any sort of faith... maybe you should try having some knowledge instead at least.

Answer 3

When Islam started the farthest Muslim place was Medina about 200 miles from Mecca and I think even it is hard fro women and children but generally was OK because the distance was not that far. But when Islam reached all over , then Haj became pain and danger many people died at the trips in the desert and usually families of people going to Haj do not expect them to return from trips which taken weeks and may be months in hot desert and cold climates . May be authority reconsider Haj and do not make it obligatory.

Answer 4

Baha'is are obligated to make a 9-day pilgrimage to Haifa and Akka at least once in their lifetime, if they can, at all, make it.

They are not obligated by the State of Israel; but by their Faith.

It has nothing to do with tourism. They tour only Baha'i Holy Places while they are there. This is all about learning, first hand, about their Faith, and worshipping at the Baha'i Holy Places. If they wish to visit Israel as a tourist, they must come at another time, and may only visit the Baha'i Holy Places for three days during that visit, if they get permission ahead of time. I think this is right.

Answer 5

Judaism has no "required" pilgrimage. in fact the idea is absurd.

but, most jews would love to do so, and there are several groups and organizations to help teenagers, or college age people get to visit Israel even if they can't afford it on their own, or at reduced cost.

edit: oh yeah, that too, if you want to go there to stay and all, I've heard of long term arrangements where you won't have to pay a thing, and they will deal with everything.

Answer 6

The Vatican does not require Catholics to visit Rome and Judaism does not require it either. Judaism used to require a visit to Jerusalem for a yearly sacrifice for the family sins. This has not occurred since about 77 AD after the Romans destroyed Solomon's temple.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Jenny, one thing your silly little mind doesn't understand is that in Islam, pilgrimage is one of the 5 pillars of the faith.

Saudi Arabia does not issue "tourist" visas. Does not exist, and certainly not for Mecca. Saudi Arabia is very rich and spends millions and millions of dollars more than what it gets from pilgrims to maintain the holy sites 24 hrs/day, 365 days/year. They have built a fantastic system of tunnels that go through solid, igneous rock mountains around Mecca. A marvel of engineering that you don't hear about in the West.

Going on a pilgrimage is no easy task and is definitely not R&R...

No such thing for the Vatican or Israel. Too bad they don't have such a thing. It's a fantastic experience, if only you knew...

Answer 9

Who gives a rats, there all a sham. brainwashing the weak and forcing them to follow an invisable entity that could not possible co' exist within proper boundries of reality.
If you realy need to believe in something take a look around you, look at the sky, the seas the trees at least within Paganism reality is on your doorstep.
But hey if there was no religeon what would people have to fight about and all the wars would stop.
So to sum up just listen to rock music and smile. this realy anoys stiffs.

Answer 10

You think that Jews met in Israel by accident? LOL.

Whose invention it is? I wonder that some people who present themselves as fighters for democracy, freedom of beliefs and expression want dictate others how these should practice their own religions.
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Origin of the word Pilgrim: [Middle English, from Old French peligrin, from Late Latin pelegrīnus, alteration of Latin peregrīnus, foreigner.

pilgrim, one who travels to a shrine or other sacred place out of religious motives. Pilgrimages are a feature of many religions and cultures. Examples in ancient Greece were the pilgrimages to Eleusis and Delphi. Pilgrimages are well established in India (e.g., to Varanasi, or Benares, on the sacred Ganges River), in China (e.g., to Mt. Tai), and in Japan (e.g., to Uji-yamada and Taisha). The Temple at Jerusalem was the center of an annual pilgrimage of Jews at Passover. Every Muslim tries to make the pilgrimage to Mecca once in his life; this is the pilgrimage (Hajj) par excellence and has had a remarkable effect in unifying Islam. A favorite Shiite shrine is Karbala. The Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Places of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth, already well established, received great impetus in the 4th cent. from the supposed finding of the True Cross by St. Helena. The Crusades were launched to protect this pilgrimage. In Western Europe the principal shrine is Rome, sacred to St. Peter and St. Paul and the martyrs. Since 1300 the popes have set aside holy years (see jubilee) for special pilgrimages to Rome. Another historic shrine is Santiago de Compostela, NW Spain; one explanation of the origin of the Chanson de Roland connects it with songs sung to entertain the Compostela pilgrims. The chief shrine of medieval England was the tomb of St. Thomas à Becket at Canterbury—its pilgrimage was immortalized by Geoffrey Chaucer. Other English pilgrimages were to Walsingham and Glastonbury. Badges to show what pilgrimages one had made were a feature of medieval dress. Thus, a palm badge symbolized the visit to the Holy Land, and its wearer was called a palmer. Modern Roman Catholic centers of pilgrimage include Rome, the Holy Land, Loreto, Compostela, Montserrat (Spain), Fátima, Lourdes, Ste Anne d'Auray (see Auray), Einsiedeln, Częstochowa, Sainte Anne de Beaupré (Quebec), and Guadalupe Hidalgo (Mexico).

Effects on trade
Pilgrims contributed an important element to long-distance trade before the modern era, and brought prosperity to successful pilgrimage sites, an economic phenomenon unequalled until the tourist trade of the 20th century. Encouraging pilgrims was a motivation for assembling (and sometimes fabricating) relics and for writing hagiographies of local saints, filled with inspiring accounts of miracle cures. Lourdes and other modern pilgrimage sites keep this spirit alive.
http://www.answers.com/topic/pilgrim

Answer 11

The visit to Mecca is that to see the home of the three goddesses in the black stone.