Click here (TheFinancialist) to read about Mecca's recent mega-infrastructure upgrades... Do you think this contributes to the sacred heritage of Islam's holiest site? Or does it undermine it?
Synthesizing the spiritual and the practical is a challenge with many religions. When a religion has a large amount of followers, this challenge is compounded. Having many people in one place poses a challenge logistically: they need to be fed, have a place to stay, a means of transport. However, when infrastructure is built, and money becomes a very strong factor, the spiritual aspect of pilgrimage is affected. It turns something individual (pilgrimage) into nothing more than crowd control and economic profits. The key is always moderation. In this case, I don't think the second-largest building in the world or thousands of shops targeting consumers on pilgrimage is particularly moderate. -Valerie
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Synthesizing the spiritual and the practical is a challenge with many religions. When a religion has a large amount of followers, this challenge is compounded. Having many people in one place poses a challenge logistically: they need to be fed, have a place to stay, a means of transport. However, when infrastructure is built, and money becomes a very strong factor, the spiritual aspect of pilgrimage is affected. It turns something individual (pilgrimage) into nothing more than crowd control and economic profits.
The key is always moderation. In this case, I don't think the second-largest building in the world or thousands of shops targeting consumers on pilgrimage is particularly moderate.
-Valerie
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