3/11    Can a Christian enter a mosque or a temple?  Is it a breach of his/her
        faith?
        \_ No!  Christians are only allowed to use colorsafe bleach on
           their faith!
           \_ Oops.  "breach".
        \-Uh no. In the case of Hindu temples, the depends on local rules.
          Some say "hindus only", some just want to you remove shoes/leather
          items before coming in. In some cases you cant bring in bags and
          cameras and such, but that is for security reasons [like at the
          important Kashi Viswanath Mandir], not relig. In a few very orthodox
          places in south india, men must wear a dhuti [and possibly tied in
          the south india as opposed to bengali fashion]. In the case of some
              \_ In Kerla, at least one temple is duthi only (no shirt).
                 \- i assume you can wear a shawl or "namaboli" type thing.
                    the rule is probably not "no shirt" but "nothing stitched"
                    [hence pant -> dhuti] and sari is ok. --psb
          "hindu only" temples, i suspect that it is not a strictly relig
          thing ... they just dont want clueless white people taking pictures
          and disrupting things and taking wearing shoes in the wrong places
          and all that. at a place like pashipatinath in kathmandu, i dont
          and all that. at a place like pashupatinath in kathmandu, i dont
          know what they will do if a white person says he is a hindu. you can
          probably BS or pay your way in. A non-muslim cant just hang along
          on the hajj ... but that is "their rule", not the Church's rule.
                    \_ When I was there we were not allowed to wear a
                       shawl, &c (different story for women). It was
                       pretty lame b/c this was for general attendence
                       not for a special enterance such as for Sri
                       Vaishnava's at Thirupathi.
                       \- did you pay $1million to go into the Thirupathi
                          temple? at the kolkata kalighat kali mandir, it is
                          more or less anything goes. in puri/bhubaneswar,
                          it was no leather/hindus only i think. --psb
          The main masjid in Kolkata allows non-hindu one day a year, but
          i dont know if you can make a special arrangement. As with churches
          where you are supposed to dip or fingers and cross yourself or
          whatever, some of these places have "rules" about what you are
          supposed to do when you come in ... you will probably screw that
          up and be obvious.
          \_ I think he's asking about whether or not it would compromise his
             own faith.  Most major religions will let you "visit", although
             I believe the Kabaa is off-limits to heathen.  -John
             \- although occasionally infiltrated, e.g. famously by
                richard burton who dressed up as an afgan to get in.
                [richard burton, the victorian, not the actor] --psb
          \_ What's the Hindu perspective on American Hari[sp?] Krishnas?
             \_ There is no such thing as a non-hindu. But those
                people are freaks.
                \- i think the view is something like the ramkrishna mission
                   is more respectable than ISKCON. --psb
        \_ I think the op was asking if it was a breach of the Christian
           faith to enter a place of worship of another religion, not
           if the place of worship would allow the Christian to enter. -!op
           \- yes i understand that. and i did address that. i thought the
              rest may be of interest to people with more "catholic"
              interests than you.
        \_ You immediately catch fire and die.