Buddhist prayer wheel to top new WTC?

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | 01.10.04 | WorldNetDaily.com

[Beck_isright]

An engineer working on plans for the 1,776-foot-high replacement for the World Trade Center in New York wants the wind turbines at the top to serve as Buddhist prayer wheels, "cycling through mantras of peace."

Guy Battle, who's overseeing the wind farm for the planned Freedom Tower, calls it a spiritual gesture to replace the same airy reaches filled with death on Sept. 11, 2001, reports the Village Voice.

The paper explained Tibetan Buddhists write the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" many times over on thin papers and enclose them within cylinders called mani, which are also inscribed with the mantra.

"These spin on an axle, continuously repeating the prayer," writes the Village Voice's Erik Baard. "The words aren't directly translatable, but they invoke blessings from Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion."

Battle's proposal has not been ruled on yet by Architect David M. Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, master planner Daniel Libeskind and developer Larry Silverstein, the paper said.

The turbines are expected to provide a fifth of the building's needed electricity.

"They are simple generators, but they can be somehow linked with the memorial," Battle said. "People could even put prayers on the propellers."

Baard writes: "A reflection of mourning, forgiveness, and hope open to all faiths and ethical traditions would give real meaning to the skyscraper's somewhat stilted name. Imagine if, from miles away in any direction, you could look to that skyscraper and know that within its ethereal, translucent summit was a testament to our better selves, our shared prayers."

The Village Voice writer continues: "That is the architecture of who we are as a people. And coincidentally, the northwesterly winds turning those prayer wheels would follow the same glinting line of the Hudson River that the planes of 9-11 used as a flight path to murder. It's the kind of gentle defiance that would drive al-Qaida mad."

[Cultural Jihad]

"For I was a stranger and you welcomed me." (Matthew 25:35)

[mvpel]

"It's the kind of gentle defiance that would drive al-Qaida mad."

I prefer the violent kind of defiance that drives al-Qaida to surrender.

[WackyKat]

We need someone who is much more powerful than Allah!

SpongeBob Squarepants?

[F16Fighter]

"It's [paganism] been around a lot longer than Christianity."

But how do you justify paganism should be honored and revered AT ALL on a high-profile memorial in a country founded and established largely by Judeo-Christians?

[cyborg]

heh... paint red lines on them and hypnotize them

[Petronski]

Well, I try.

Previous post was intended as a friendly joke. I hope it was understood that way.

[WackyKat]

Then there is the fact that no Bible believing Christian who understands his faith would ever walk in that building nor knowingly support any business housed therein. Why, you ask?

Because they don't really understand the message of Christ and instead use the Bible to reinforce their ignorance and bigotry?

[F16Fighter]

"I like the idea of prayer wheels. I like buddhist chant (and not because I think Richard Gere is cute)."

Admit it -- you'd like to see a naked Richard Gere do his impression of a gerbil in a giant prayer wheel ;-)

[Timesink]

Oh yeah, lets put a demon magnet right on top of the tallest building in New York.

Don't call that monstrosity a "building". The first 70 stories will be a building, but everything above that will just be a pretty decoration. And 70 stories is a sign of surrender in Lower Manhattan.

[cyborg]

LOL.. oh dear he will never live down that rumor

[mercy]

I don't hate Buddhists. I just hate their demon spawned pollytheistic garbage religion.

No singing lessons for you.

[F16Fighter]

The words "gerbil" and "Richard Gere" will forever be part of the same sentence for SOME reason...

Now, to my knowledge there is no videotape, but there's never (thankfully) been any videotape of Rock Hudson either...

[reed_inthe_wind]

Good people of New York; Fight this religious symbol because it doesn't represent your response to the malicious attack on your city. How can you say never again if you agree with this worldview? See for yourself the buddist view of total surrender and decide for yourself if it represents who you are:

Mo Tzu's Doctrines:

The Condemnation of War,

Now does it mean that to annex a state and destroy an army, injure and oppress the people, and throw the heritages of sages into confusion will benefit heaven? But to recruit the people of heaven to attack the cities of heaven is to murder the people of heaven, smash alters, demolish shrines, and kill sacrificial animals. In this way, on the higher level no benefit can be attained. Does it mean to benefit spiritual beings? But people of heaven are murdered and spiritual beings are denied their patron sacrifices. The spirits of past rulers are neglected. The multitude are injured and oppressed and the people are scattered. Thus on the middle level no benefit no spiritual beings can be attained. Does it mean to benefit the people? The benefit to the people from killing the people of heaven is slight indeed! And calculate its cost! This is the root of destruction of life. It exhausts the people to an immeasurable degree. Thus on a lower level no benefit to the people can be attained.

[WackyKat]

But how do you justify paganism should be honored and revered AT ALL on a high-profile memorial in a country founded and established largely by Judeo-Christians?

Firstly, this is not the memorial, these are power generating wind turbines.

The memorial is supposed to be a ground level.

Secondly, the Constitution was written by the Founding Fathers to establish a secular nation, not a theocratic one.

Thirdly,if you want to have Nativity scenes and Ten Commandments monuments on public property, this is what you get- the door is open to religious expression on public property, even religions you don't like

[DakotaGator]

An engineer working on plans for the 1,776-foot-high replacement for the World Trade Center in New York wants the wind turbines at the top to serve as Buddhist prayer wheels, "cycling through mantras of peace."

Unbelievable! Our country is attacked and the WTC is destroyed precisely because we are a Christian nation. And this PC nitwit wants prayer wheels?!

I have another idea. Let's top the new building with an Aztec alter. Guy Battle can have the honor of being the first to have his living heart ripped out in order to placate a different set of gods. {/mega-sarcasm}

The wind turbines are a good idea. Considering turning them into prayer-wheels requires a reality check.

[WackyKat]

I don't hate Buddhists. I just hate their demon spawned pollytheistic garbage religion.

Hate, anger and ignorance. Bad combination

Six months in a Zen monastery for you!

[TheAngryClam]

What's a Judeo-Christian? A Jew for Jesus?

The whole Judeo-Christian term attempts to assimilate two religions that, while sharing an origin, differ greatly in their notions of morality, duty, faith, and many other aspects.

And name a Jewish founding father for me. I can only think of three- Haym Salomon, Isaac Franks, and Francis Salvador, and all three are rather peripheral (in order, a source of funding, an aide-de-camp to General Washington, and a KIA). Not exactly instrumental (although as I noted, present) to the U.S.

Then again, Christianity isn't either, but you'll never accept the truth of that.

[hasegawasama]

A demon magnet? You're too much.

[hasegawasama]

As a Buddhist, I wouldn't support this unless all religions were represented.

[Outraged]

Ahhhh, the Tower of Babel.