UAE Clerics' Fatwa Forbids Muslims From Traveling To Mars

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UAE Clerics' Fatwa Forbids Muslims From Traveling To Mars

Posted by timothy on Friday February 21, 2014 @07:37PM from the limited-jurisdiction dept.

PolygamousRanchKid writes "The Khaleej Times of Dubai reports that a fatwa committee has forbidden Muslims from taking a one-way trip to the Red Planet. At the moment, there is no technology available that would allow for a return trip from Mars, so it is truly a one-way ticket for the colonists, who may also become reality TV stars in the process. The committee of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment in the United Arab Emirates that issued the fatwa against such a journey doesn't have anything against space exploration, Elon Musk's Mars visions, or anything like that. Rather, the religious leaders argue that making the trip would be tantamount to committing suicide, which all religions tend to frown upon."

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Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · 2014-02-21 19:42 · Score: 5, Insightful

You don't want to go to Mars? Please by all means, keep your bullshit on Earth and let us evolved human beings make a fresh new life on a fresh new planet without you!

--
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
1. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 19:58 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Shut it, Mars. We know what you did to Spirit.
  Now you're gonna pay.
2. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 20:16 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  Well, they do have a point. Anyone going to Mars on current technology would be committing suicide. No, you won't survive on Mars. No, it won't be the fun adventure that you thought it would be.
  
  If we had the ability to safely travel to and from Mars, just as you can travel to another country and back, they wouldn't be forbidding the journey.
3. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 20:17 · Score: 0
  
  Good thing is that once life there IS viable, you'll be long dead and will be no risk to anyone else's sanity.
4. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 20:36 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  If you move to another country and never return, did you kill yourself? Why can't we live on Mars?
5. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by AuMatar · 2014-02-21 20:38 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Lack of food, oxygen, and liquid water. Maybe it will be possible someday, but not now. This fatwa was discussing doing it now, possibly as part of the one way mission to mars that was discussed, which was a complete suicide mission.
  
  --
  I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
6. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by rusty0101 · 2014-02-21 21:43 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Again, how is this really different from any other colonization project? Look at the history of colonization in the Americas, and you'll see that many died out entirely as a result of being unprepared for the environment that they encountered. I suspect that you'll see similar results in the history of colonization into Australia, and if records existed, for pretty much any migration into areas where humans had not been before.
  The general idea would be to find a way to draw the O2 out of the rust initially, and supplant that and the nitrogen we need from supplies sent from earth. Not cheap by any means, but then the colony would be working to grow plants to recover the O2 from CO2. Some water would be brought from Earth, but some would be recovered from ice on the planet. And food would be one of the other reasons to grow plants.
  I'm not saying that the colony would survive. I wouldn't plan on giving even 10:1 against, but presumably we would learn things that could be applied to help the next colonization attempt. But then I'm not expecting the described mission to happen either. If it does, great. If it doesn't, hopefully another will before too much longer.
  
  --
  You never know...
7. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by JustOK · 2014-02-21 21:45 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Life is a suicide mission
  
  --
  rewriting history since 2109
8. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Gaygirlie · 2014-02-21 22:01 · Score: 2
  
  Well, they do have a point. Anyone going to Mars on current technology would be committing suicide.
  With that logic you're committing a suicide no matter what you do. You *will* die whether you stay on Earth or move somewhere else, there is currently no way of avoiding that. Also, since almost anything that you do in life is harmful to you you are actively committing a suicide, albeit a slow one.
9. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:21 · Score: 0
  
  The thing is that no matter where you live you will die. Eventually. Choosing to live your life on Mars will mean a fairly low life expectancy, but so does living in UAE. Are we all "committing suicide" because we haven't moved to the country with the best life expectancy? That would be Monaco, BTW. Or Japan, if we ignore city-states.
10. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by CastrTroy · 2014-02-21 22:24 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  I think the current plans for sending people to mars have no such plans though. They want to send people with no plans of sending any supplies and no plans of sending the necessary life support systems in the first place. Sending a resupply mission would be a major project, and lead times of 6 months to 2 years depending on orbits can make things difficult. With colonization they may had a high chance of death, but they were travelling places with plenty of fresh air, water, and food. Most of the deaths were due to either disease or disagreements with the locals. Many died of malnutrition. But they still had the intentions of living, those who are planning the current Mars trip have no such intentions.
  
  --
  
  Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
11. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Immerman · 2014-02-21 22:37 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Actually, why bother with the rust at all? You've got all the 98% pure CO2 you could want in the atmosphere, just pressurize it and get some plants breathing it and you're good to go on oxygen. And assuming you can find a source of hydrogen you'll have all the water you need without too much trouble. Perhaps they could somehow capture the methane plumes we've detected and burn them in the same greenhouse? If you're producing enough oxygen, turning some of it into more CO2 and water would seem to be a good trade, especially if you have a use for the extra energy produced.
  
  --
  --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
12. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Immerman · 2014-02-21 22:40 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Come now, don't be such a pessimist, over half the humans who ever lived haven't died*, you gotta like those odds.
  *depending on you definition of human. If you include homo erectus the ratio is no doubt somewhat smaller..
  
  --
  --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
13. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:41 · Score: 0
  
  I didn't sign up for this, sir!
14. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 23:12 · Score: 0
  
  In all honesty however, for Mars One, it probably won't be a successful mission. Not because the flight isn't possible, but, If you check the list of who is managing that mission, very few are scientists. It seems to be more a team run by marketing outfits, and only 1 or 2 people actually had any experience with Space (only 1 of which was an actual rocket scientist).
15. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by JustOK · 2014-02-21 23:16 · Score: 1
  
  Never tell me the odds.
  
  --
  rewriting history since 2109
16. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 23:22 · Score: 1
  
  Ok, then by that logic, what is the point in staying alive? You should just shoot yourself and be done with it.
17. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 23:45 · Score: 0
  
  Because colonisation on Earth didn't require being in a place with high radiation, very low temperatures, no oxygen, no water and no food. It is also massively more difficult to put something into space, let alone send it to Mars, than to travel via methods such as boats or caravans. Colonisation on Earth wasn't a guaranteed death sentence for everybody but colonisation of Mars with current technology is.
18. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Cryacin · 2014-02-22 00:01 · Score: 2
  
  Dear Houston,
  
  Need bread and milk.
  eom
  
  --
  Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
19. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Khalid · 2014-02-22 00:15 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Please stop this fatwa unsanity !
  The muslim word is full of stupid jerks who use religion and the beliefs of other people to serve their own agenda, while pretending speaking in the name of Islam. This is not different from a stupid christian priest who give his opinion about a a society matter, they only represent themeslves.
20. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 00:15 · Score: 0
  
  The Americas have an atmosphere with plenty of oxygen, running water, and edible flora and fauna. If the colony collapses, people can just go native. If there's a loss of atmosphere in a Mars colony that has no return vehicle, everyone dies.
21. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 00:20 · Score: 0
  
  Isn't being born like committing suicide?
22. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 00:31 · Score: 0
  
  Great. So we won't need TSA screening on flights to Mars.
23. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by cold+fjord · 2014-02-22 00:40 · Score: 2
  
  It isn't a suicide mission but rather lifetime testing. Suicide results in premature failure.
  
  --
  much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
24. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by JustOK · 2014-02-22 00:55 · Score: 1
  
  C'mon, ya ape, dya wanna live forever?
  
  --
  rewriting history since 2109
25. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 01:09 · Score: 1
  
  I will miss Slashdot if Beta destroys the comment system as planned, but there won't be any reason to stick around.
  Have you looked at any of the other community sites? One of them shows a lot of promise. They're up to 4 digit UIDs already.
26. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Jamu · 2014-02-22 01:12 · Score: 2
  
  It's more like 1 in 15. At least according to this article.
  
  --
  Who ordered that?
27. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by motorhead · 2014-02-22 01:18 · Score: 0
  
  They're not allowed to come to the 21st century either.
  
  --
  Employee Of the Month - Cyberdyne Systems Corporation - September 1997
28. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Gaygirlie · 2014-02-22 01:55 · Score: 1
  
  Ask them. I'm not the one who's saying that a mission to Mars is suicide.
29. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by arobatino · 2014-02-22 01:56 · Score: 1
  
  Unlike the conditions the early settlers were subjected to, Mars has a much more predictable environment, so the risk of death should be much lower. Unfortunately, with vastly improved communication today, if people on Mars die, we'll all hear about it immediately, so it'll seem worse.
30. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by aliquis · 2014-02-22 01:57 · Score: 2
  
  Not true.
  I don't know what definition those used though. But it was far from 1:1.
31. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 02:00 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Now, this is a hell of a pipe dream: there is no soil on Mars in which you can grow plants. You would have to bring it with you or produce it locally. Neither is easy. Plus, you have to grow enough plants that their O2 output is sufficient to keep the air breatheable. This means you need to plant on a big surface area, which means big greenhouses with a huge surface area through which they will leak heat (its way below 0 degree Celsius on Mars, too cold for most plants). So you need to provide a lot of energy for heating to make this work. If you do this only for the O2 output you're much better off pumping the energy into some chemical conversion process.
  If you can grow enough food using the same plants, it's another matter. However, I am not aware of any successful experiment that was able to keep a closed, small biosphere sustainable for a longer time. This is another damned hard problem.
32. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 02:03 · Score: 0
  
  Nice.
33. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 02:05 · Score: 0
  
  Resupplies for north american settlers were at best several months for each roundtrip (several weeks for europe to north america, plus the time to send a ship from the colonies with the wish list for supplies, plus the time to assemble the supplies). Australia and new zealand took even longer (the clipper route was 3 months for London-South Australia for a fast ship, surely not the ships in 17th century).
34. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by vux984 · 2014-02-22 02:18 · Score: 1
  
  With that logic you're committing a suicide no matter what you do
  Only for definitions of 'suicide' so loose as to be meaningless.
  Since when as ANYBODY has ever invoked 'living ones life taking reasonable steps to preserve and prolong in the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment' as 'committing suicide' it until you die.
  Suicide is a deliberate and reckless endangerment of ones own life with life. And we're not talking "I like skydiving" or "learning to fly a fighter jet", no, the current state of the 'mars mission' is more on par with Russian roulette except all the chambers are loaded and your 'plan' is that when you pull the trigger maybe it'll jam.
35. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by vux984 · 2014-02-22 02:20 · Score: 1
  
  "Since when as ANYBODY has ever invoked 'living ones life taking reasonable steps to preserve and prolong in the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment' as 'committing suicide' it until you die."
  Should be:
  ""Since when has ANYBODY ever invoked 'living ones life, taking reasonable steps to preserve and prolong it, while in the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment, until you die' as 'committing suicide'?"
36. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Opportunist · 2014-02-22 02:28 · Score: 2
  
  Well, I guess the main difference between colonizing the Americas (or any place on this planet for that matter) and the Mars would probably be that the settlers back then could reasonably expect that they would have air to breathe and a more or less agreeable climate that lets them survive. And they could reasonably expect to find edible plants and maybe animals to hunt, too. And as it turned out, they even found other human beings that were friendly enough to help them survive.
  And STILL a good deal of them died. Of starvation, of accidents, hard conditions and various other tidbits. Ok, medicine wasn't as far as it is today, but then again, how far ahead are we today really? Still no cure for the common cold (and yes, you can die from that).
  Now, back then nobody gave a shit when 20% of your population dies per year. That was pretty normal. To be blunt, someone dying from an accident is one person less to die of starvation the next Winter.
  Now try that today. Imagine we send 20 people there (already FAR more than we could possibly sensibly send out, but let's assume that) and only ONE of them dies. The whole mission would be a complete disaster and whoever is responsible would have to give a huge press conference and resign immediately afterwards.
  The reason that settling the "new world" worked out for Europe was simply that it didn't matter how many people died. Try that today, just try!
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
37. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Opportunist · 2014-02-22 02:29 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Predictable environment conditions, yes. Unfortunately, they're predicted to be "fucking crappy".
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
38. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 02:59 · Score: 0
  
  Life is a suicide mission
  Yes, in a narrow view an individual life is that. A bit wider perspective species life it's also a vehicle spreading information encoded with nucleic acids around from some location to another and trying to keep it from being destroyed.
39. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by mrclevesque · 2014-02-22 03:07 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  "Mars has a much more predictable environment, so the risk of death should be much lower."
  A vat of boiling oil has is also a more predictable environment.
40. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Megane · 2014-02-22 03:51 · Score: 1
  
  Dear Reality Show Idiots,
  That's not our mission. You should've waited for SLS to be finished before going. Maybe Elon Musk can send you a brand new Tesla in a Falcon Heavy if you ask real nice.
  Sincerely, Houston.
  
  --
  #naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
41. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 03:52 · Score: 0
  
  I hate to break the bad news to this religous "leader", but life on earth has proofen to be hazardous in the long-run for any of its inhabitants, including Muslims. Get this: Life on earth leads to death with a 100% probability. True story. So applying this fatawa's logic here, on earth, really means all Muslims .... go figure.
42. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by hey! · 2014-02-22 03:53 · Score: 1
  
  You don't want to go to Mars? Please by all means, keep your bullshit on Earth and let us evolved human beings make a fresh new life on a fresh new planet without you!
  Says the person who believes in eugenics...
  [That was a joke, by the way.]
  
  --
  Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
43. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 03:56 · Score: 1
  
  Meanwhile, resupplies from the natives, decimated as they were by diseases from the Europeans, were pretty quick.
44. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by DexterIsADog · 2014-02-22 04:00 · Score: 1
  
  You don't want to go to Mars? Please by all means, keep your bullshit on Earth and let us evolved human beings make a fresh new life on a fresh new planet without you!
  While I look forward to seeing humans colonize Mars, I don't think you can fairly characterize it as a "fresh new planet".
  
  Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids, in fact it's cold as Hell, and there's no one there to raise them if you didn't.
45. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by rubycodez · 2014-02-22 04:02 · Score: 1
  
  you believe many things that are bullshit yourself, like all humans
46. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by rubycodez · 2014-02-22 04:04 · Score: 1
  
  resupply ships
47. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by DexterIsADog · 2014-02-22 04:04 · Score: 1
  
  Again, how is this really different from any other colonization project?...I'm not saying that the colony would survive. I wouldn't plan on giving even 10:1 against...
  Well, there you go, you answered your own question. Even you described it as suicide, i.e., the expectation that the participants would not survive. That's why the fatwa against it. If you buy into the crazy premise of the three Abrahamic religions which includes Islam, then there is a religious reason to forbid people from this mission. As it's currently planned.
48. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by rubycodez · 2014-02-22 04:06 · Score: 1
  
  soil is easy to make and the bulk of its "ingredients" are already on Mars. Just need organic matter to add, and I submit to your consideration that Mars colonists will produce plenty of that out of their arse holes.
49. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by DexterIsADog · 2014-02-22 04:09 · Score: 1
  
  Please stop this fatwa unsanity !
  The muslim word is full of stupid jerks who use religion and the beliefs of other people to serve their own agenda, while pretending speaking in the name of Islam. This is not different from a stupid christian priest who give his opinion about a a society matter, they only represent themeslves.
  You seem to be saying stop Christian insanity as well. If you throw in the Jewish nutjobs as well, I think you've got something there.
  
  Then we can tackle Scientology.
50. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by TubeSteak · 2014-02-22 04:18 · Score: 2
  
  This is not different from a stupid christian priest who give his opinion about a a society matter, they only represent themeslves.
  Some countries have state religions. The UAE is one of those countries.
  AFAIK, all the countries with state religions have a leading religious authority that issues opinions and interpretations on religious matters.
  Hence the "Fatwa committee under the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment"
  It's no different than opinions issued under the auspices of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel or the Archbishop of Canterbury (head of the Church of England, under the Monarch).
  This should make for some light reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_religion#Current_state_religions
  
  --
  [Fuck Beta]
  o0t!
51. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 04:18 · Score: 0
  
  Actually, why bother with the rust at all? You've got all the 98% pure CO2 you could want in the atmosphere, just pressurize it and get some plants breathing it and you're good to go on oxygen.
  Or, you know, you could be failing spectacularly at high school level biology right there... http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/bot00/bot00561.htm....
52. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 04:27 · Score: 0
  
  A vat of boiling oil has is also a more predictable environment.
  Good idea - send the moon cultists there.
53. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by MisterSquid · 2014-02-22 04:31 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Again, how is this really different from any other colonization project? Look at the history of colonization in the Americas, and you'll see that many died out entirely as a result of being unprepared for the environment that they encountered. I suspect that you'll see similar results in the history of colonization into Australia, and if records existed, for pretty much any migration into areas where humans had not been before.
  Can anyone in 2014, with a straight face, write that the Americas and Australia were places where "humans had not been before"?
  Such statements don't withstand the scrutiny of someone with even gradeschool historical knowledge, yet here we are having to chew on a +4 comment that forgot humans were in these places well before Europeans got it into their minds to begin displacing indigenous peoples.
  Imagine a colonization trip to Mars that discovered humans who had been living on Mars since before recorded history. These indigenous "Martian" humans then sheltered and fed those of us who traveled from Earth, receiving as thanks a colonist-driven campaign to kill them and appropriate their resources AND THEN two to three hundred years later the colonizers "recalled" how exceptionally difficult it was to colonize Mars, a place where no humans had been before.
  While the likelihood of finding indigenous humans on other planets is unlikely, one day our descendants may encounter extraterrestrial indigenous life forms and, with thinking like the kind exhibited in your post, would destroy those life forms, appropriate the liberated resources, and write a history that enshrined themselves as resourceful adventurers struggling to survive in a harsh "unlivable" environment.
  
  --
  blog
54. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by thaylin · 2014-02-22 05:07 · Score: 1
  
  Because colonizing the Americans still had a way to get back, you could always pop back on a ship and maybe make it back.
  
  --
  When you cant win, ad hominem.
55. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Stan92057 · 2014-02-22 05:13 · Score: 0
  
  if we can land rovers we shouldn't have a problem landing supplies for the colonist to live off of.
  
  --
  Jack of all trades,master of none
56. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by jafac · 2014-02-22 05:42 · Score: 1
  
  so, basically, we're going to litter mars with piles of dead bodies of suicidal people. Typical humanity.
  
  --
  
  These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
57. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 05:43 · Score: 0
  
  "cheap" in this context should be undefined. Only the best, most viable technology should be part of this mission, leave free market dogma out of this. In the real world, the technology to do this exists, period.
58. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 05:46 · Score: 0
  
  to: missionsupport@nasa.gov
  cc: musky_one@tesla.com
  Dear Huston,
  Considering all his shit works, on schedule, and within budget.. while you guys quit the current over-budget behind-schedule program, and start a new pork-laden designed-by-congressional-committe program every time we change president... we'll take your advice and run with it.
59. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 06:12 · Score: 0
  
  You have your space religion, they have theirs. So what? No one's going to "evolve" a fresh new life on a dead radioactive rock you mook.
60. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 06:33 · Score: 0
  
  The colonization of NA and Australia were not included in "areas where humans had not been before." That clearly refers to places like Greenland or other hells. If you insist on throwing a fit over slights against the natives, at least make sure you read the part your angry about twice.
61. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 06:34 · Score: 0
  
  It's a start, but sunlight is 25% as strong as on earth, which is like growing things in Scotland compared to the tropics and you'd need glass that allows in as much light as possible and blocks UV-C, which is deadly. You'd also have to deal with the occassional months-long sandstorms that will block out the light. Probably there are some good mountains to get above the dust, but the warmest regions on the planet are much more hospitable and much closer to the equator.
62. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 06:42 · Score: 0
  
  You're comparing another country on Earth, to another PLANET with NOTHING on it? Sometimes I wonder about you geeks, you're really not very smart at all.
63. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2014-02-22 07:57 · Score: 1
  
  Anyone going to Mars on current technology would be committing suicide.
  And that's why Europe, and not the Middle East, had Magellan.
  
  --
  Ezekiel 23:20
64. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2014-02-22 08:10 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  The muslim word is full of stupid jerks who use religion and the beliefs of other people to serve their own agenda
  All theist communities are like that. Actually, that's what theism is about in the first place! The sooner we get rid of this crap, the better for everyone.
  
  --
  Ezekiel 23:20
65. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by thej1nx · 2014-02-22 08:45 · Score: 1
  
  By that logic there should also be a fatwa against Islamic nations keeping an army, or any Muslims joining the same? After all, there is a very high probability that you might die in a war, so it is tantamount to suicide. Speaking of which, where is the fatwa against suicide-bombing and ramming planes into buildings? I hear doing that stuff too leaves you more or less dead?
66. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by M1FCJ · 2014-02-22 08:51 · Score: 1
  
  Bollocks. People die in Antarctica regularly with no one even thinking about it longer than the usual 24h news cycle. Citation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...
  If the expectations are carefully managed, even such an endevour can deal with many deaths. The problem with the NASA is the zero-death cult. Instead if they accept these as fact, learn from mistakes and get on with the work like most of them would actually like to, things could have moved significantly faster. It's not a safe business and I expect to have the death rates significantly higher than dying sitting on the breakfast table reading a newspap^H^H^H^H^H^H^Htablet.
67. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by M1FCJ · 2014-02-22 08:55 · Score: 1
  
  Have you ever attempted to calculate the tonnage of water, food & air you go through in a single year? Even at starving-Ethiophian-levels of energy & food usage?
68. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by LifesABeach · 2014-02-22 08:58 · Score: 1
  
  Does it make sense to only send enough supplies to feed people that are going to mars, only to have them fend for themselves once they get there? Wouldn't a prototype base be easier to create on the moon? Then send a group to mars?
69. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by M1FCJ · 2014-02-22 09:02 · Score: 1
  
  Au contrarie, the reason Magellan and even Columbus had existed was because the Mediterranean had become a lake controlled by the Ottomans and their vassal Barbary pirates due to their usage of military science and technology better than the rest of the European powers. As a result all of North Africa and significant chunks of the Middle east and Caucuses were controlled by the same lot. That caused problems with trade and alternative routes to India and China had to be found.
  First was going around Africa. Then Columbus decided that it would be quicker with the help of the trade winds to cross the Atlantic and end up in India but alas, his luck ran out, eventually he ran aground on a brand new-to-Europeans continent on his way.
  Meanwhile Barbary pirates kept plundering all the way to Wales for many many decades.
70. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Immerman · 2014-02-22 09:17 · Score: 1
  
  Actually it's 44%, not 25%. Anything that can thrive on the forest floor should get plenty of light, except for the sandstorms. Of course that assumes you're relying on sunlight for power, a small nuclear-sub scale reactor would provide plenty of power for a decent-sized outpost, and if you intend to eventually make round trips possible you're going to want that kind of power source for refining fuel anyway. It's not like mass is a *huge* issue - IIRC it takes less energy to get something to Mars than it does to get it into orbit, provided you don't mind multi-year shipping times and can use the interplanetary transport network. It's only humans with their fragile radiation-sensitive bodies that need to travel quickly, everything else can be waiting for them on Mars when they arrive.
  As for mountains, an interesting idea, there's always Olympus Mons. It's only a few degrees from the equator and extends almost completely out of the atmosphere. Of course as you leave the atmosphere you also lose the valuable flow of readily accessible CO2, so there are compromises to be made. On the plus side it's so large that the slopes are practically level - standing at the base the peak is hidden beyond the horizon, so there's lots of potential outpost sites at any elevation you like.
  
  --
  --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
71. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 09:52 · Score: 0
  
  No, actually landing a rover the size of a golf cart is very difficult. Slowing down and landing a much larger and heavier supply vehicle packed with supplies will be extremely difficult. Doing so with an even larger, heavier vehicle big enough to transport people needing supplies along with a habitat durable enough to keep them alive will be even harder. Even if that were all possible, building and fueling a vehicle capable of escaping the Martian gravity well and back to orbit for an eventual return to earth is unlikely to be seen by anyone alive today. We don't even have achievable plans for a robot return mission to collect a few kilos of soil.
72. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2014-02-22 10:26 · Score: 1
  
  I was being partly facetious in my comment. Well, partly. Magellan's voyage was a statistical suicide of sorts, in retrospect: you had a disproportionally large chance of never returning home alive back then.
  
  --
  Ezekiel 23:20
73. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by westlake · 2014-02-22 10:41 · Score: 1
  
  With colonization they may had a high chance of death, but they were travelling places with plenty of fresh air, water, and food. Most of the deaths were due to either disease or disagreements with the locals. Many died of malnutrition.
  Social isolation and physical confinement played a part as well.
  I don't believe any successful European settlement of North America began with a base as small as twenty. I expect alcohol would become a problem. I expect suicide would become a problem.
74. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Your.Master · 2014-02-22 10:43 · Score: 2
  
  The probability of dying after going to mars is more like the probability of dying after shooting yourself in the forehead with a shotgun than it is like the probability of joining the army.
  The difference is transparently obvious.
  And here's an extremely-lengthy example of a fatwa against suicide bombing and ramming planes into buildings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F...
  Strangely, people who call themselves Islamic are not actually a hive-mind! Some are rank jack-ass suicide bombers. Others think that's completely against their religion. Unprecedented, right?
75. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 10:53 · Score: 0
  
  You don't want to go to Mars? Please by all means, keep your bullshit on Earth and let us evolved human beings make a fresh new life on a fresh new planet without you!
  Let's encourage your suggestion further. On the ark that leaves first we'll put the most fervent anti-theists, those who spend great periods of their time telling everyone at great length how much they dislike religion "magical thinking", etc. That way you can get a fantastic head start setting up your utopia where you all agree with each other and daily express your gladness that you're not like those other people you dislike. And we'll sincerely suggest that maybe we'll send workers and smart people on the arks that will leave later ...
76. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by jklovanc · 2014-02-22 11:05 · Score: 1
  
  The difference is that if a "collonist" stayed on earth they could live for anothe 50-60 years. If they go to Mars they life expectancy is probably around 10-20 years. Deliberately shortening one's life that much is suicide. Yes we do things like smoke and drink but some people live long lives who still do that. Going to Mars is a pretty definite short term death sentence.
77. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 11:11 · Score: 0
  
  Can anyone in 2014, with a straight face, write that the Americas and Australia were places where "humans had not been before"?
  Well, unless you are proposing that humanity spontaneously appeared in all parts of the world that they currently inhabit, saying that there are places where "humans had not been before" is strictly accurate. Contemporary theories (both scientific and creationist) suggest that this applies to both the Americas and Australia.
78. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 12:44 · Score: 0
  
  A Mars mission with current technology is suicide. They wouldn't last a year, if they even made the trip successfully. Since you claim that everything, merely breathing, is suicide. I say with that attitude, why not just off yourself then?
79. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 12:53 · Score: 0
  
  Magellan's voyage was like crossing the street on a tricycle compared the difficulty of getting people to Mars and keeping them alive. If his voyage was a dangerous one, then a Mars mission is certain death.
  :Let me know when we have a space elevator and a space ship capable of hauling habitats and at least five years worth of supplies for the crew.
80. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by VTBlue · 2014-02-22 13:02 · Score: 1
  
  It's because comments like this that I keep coming back to Slashdot.
81. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 13:33 · Score: 0
  
  Yes. Except Magellan could be reasonably certain his ship could slow down enough for him and his crew to get off when he reached his destination. Current technology won't allow us to do that. We just don't have the engines.
82. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 16:15 · Score: 0
  
  And here's an extremely-lengthy example of a fatwa against suicide bombing and ramming planes into buildings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F...
  Strangely, people who call themselves Islamic are not actually a hive-mind! Some are rank jack-ass suicide bombers. Others think that's completely against their religion. Unprecedented, right?
  While I agree with what you say here, I do think thej1nx has a point that too many in the Islamic world have not yet gotten the memo about suicide being forbidden by Islam. While many in the Islamic world won't find the UAE cleric's fatwa at all controversial regarding a "suicide mission" to Mars, I am fairly confident that some of these same people would cry foul if you were to gently point out to them the deeper implications regarding suicide bombers detonating themselves to take out as many "infidels" as they possibly can. Strange, no?
83. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by NFN_NLN · 2014-02-22 17:16 · Score: 1
  
  They want to send people with no plans of sending any supplies and no plans of sending the necessary life support systems in the first place.
  Yeah, I'm seeing major activity from my bullshit meter right now. It's way off the charts.
84. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 17:57 · Score: 0
  
  Warmer than Canada!
85. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 18:03 · Score: 0
  
  Soil temperature on Mars has been measured at 81F during peak summer.
86. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Opportunist · 2014-02-22 20:30 · Score: 1
  
  And cleaner than New Orleans. It still doesn't make it a place you want to be in.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
87. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Immerman · 2014-02-23 03:37 · Score: 1
  
  Well, obviously we weren't really *human* until we developed the pin-stripe suit. The actual ratio is probably closer to 4 in 5.
  
  --
  --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
88. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 05:32 · Score: 0
  
  Just rename Mars to "Gitmo". Several problems solved. Just ignore the "fat water".
89. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by doccus · 2014-02-23 06:10 · Score: 1
  
  You don't want to go to Mars? Please by all means, keep your bullshit on Earth and let us evolved human beings make a fresh new life on a fresh new planet without you!
  That was my first reaction too ;-)
90. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by doccus · 2014-02-23 06:12 · Score: 1
  
  Well, they do have a point. Anyone going to Mars on current technology would be committing suicide. No, you won't survive on Mars. No, it won't be the fun adventure that you thought it would be. If we had the ability to safely travel to and from Mars, just as you can travel to another country and back, they wouldn't be forbidding the journey.
  Oh, are you seriously saying they're being forbidden the trip because suicide is against their beliefs? LOL
91. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by RockDoctor · 2014-02-23 06:13 · Score: 1
  
  so, basically, we're going to litter mars with piles of dead bodies of suicidal people.
  Where you see dead bodies, I see fertilizer and soil in the making. But it would be hugely easier to start on building a closed ecology in space, without that pesky gravity well to fall into and then have to decelerate after falling in.
  
  Typical humanity.
  That'd be spending a billennium or several tailoring the environment to suit organisms like ourselves, and THEN shitting it up.
  
  --
  Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
92. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by doccus · 2014-02-23 06:14 · Score: 1
  
  If you move to another country and never return, did you kill yourself? Why can't we live on Mars?
  Because everybody that goes there will eventually die.
93. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by doccus · 2014-02-23 06:17 · Score: 1
  
  If you move to another country and never return, did you kill yourself? Why can't we live on Mars?
  Because everybody that goes there will eventually die.
  OK.. given, if they find there, what Ponce de Leon was reputedly searching for, they may NOT die ;-)
94. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Stan92057 · 2014-02-23 06:29 · Score: 0
  
  Who said it would be easy? Im just saying it CAN be done. Are you familiar with freeze dries foods?, waters already there 2 polar caps. Its easy to say, ba its too hard. Ya quit already.
  
  --
  Jack of all trades,master of none
95. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 06:44 · Score: 0
  
  but if your message of helping the poor can be used to make the government taking your stuff and controlling your life sound ok you can get a cover on time magazine
96. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by astar · 2014-02-23 06:58 · Score: 1
  
  Curious. Military types get suicide missions. In the day there was always a plan to get home, even though it was folorn. Some one always really serious tried to show up at the pickup point for the extraction. Can you say: I hate human space flight? I am a shill? I will say anything to get my agenda? You agenda may be the best thing since sliced bread but I think I need to invent a difference news site that 86s you just for irritating me.
97. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Existential+Wombat · 2014-02-23 07:56 · Score: 1
  
  Social isolation and physical confinement played a part as well.
  I don't believe any successful European settlement of North America began with a base as small as twenty. I expect alcohol would become a problem. I expect suicide would become a problem.
  Alcohol won’t be a problem. Someone will open a Mars bar.
98. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 08:53 · Score: 0
  
  Suddenly life on Mars has become more pleasant for human beings
99. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 10:10 · Score: 0
  
  Mankind has all its eggs in one basket. If an asteroid collision or an immense lava flow terminated life on Earth we would join the dinosaur. It is a matter of when, not if, BTW.
100. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 10:16 · Score: 0
  
  the effort could be spent hollowing Eros which is much closer. Mars cannot be terraformed. Inadequate gravity to hold an atmosphere. It also lacks a magnetosphere without which the solar wind would snatch all the atmosphere anyway. No advantage, really.
101. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 11:32 · Score: 0
  
  "This fatwa was discussing doing it now, possibly as part of the one way mission to mars that was discussed, which was a complete suicide mission."
  & blowing yourself up with a car bomb or suicide vest isn't a complete suicide mission?
  maybe that's where the 72 virgins are hiding.
102. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 11:49 · Score: 0
  
  Could just send up a bunch of politicians. They're a great source of hot air.
103. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Meski · 2014-02-23 12:22 · Score: 1
  
  You Americans, you want to fry everything! :)
104. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Copid · 2014-02-23 12:36 · Score: 1
  
  I'm all for it. The more religious leaders push their luck and do stuff like this the sooner people who were listening to them will start to realize that it's all the same everywhere. The only difference is the degree of craziness and whose interests it's serving. When somebody comes down with a fatwa banning soccer or samosas, all I can think is, Good. Stop being coy about it and remind everybody who's paying attention what this shit is really all about.
  
  --
  An interesting anagram of "BANACH TARSKI" is "BANACH TARSKI BANACH TARSKI"
105. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by konoame · 2014-02-23 13:15 · Score: 1
  
  Actually this fatwa is completely reasonable, unlike other bullcrap like one that forbids women from driving or Catholic Church's opposition against birth control. Suicide is prohibited in Islam and this fatwa is based on that law. Mainstream Muslim clerics also forbid suicide bombing on the same grounds.
106. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by jbee02 · 2014-02-23 18:21 · Score: 1
  
  If i decide to make a one way trip to europe and never return thats not suicide thats retirement, granted a trip mars might not have shorter lifespan due to a lack of fully staffed and equipped medical facility. But packing enough food for a life time is feasible. There no reason you cant live a long life mars
107. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by jbee02 · 2014-02-23 18:29 · Score: 1
  
  Bring all the food you need is easily possible, Bring plant life thats highly efficient at converting CO2 to Oxygen is possible. Using solar energy should be relatively easy since mars has very thin atmosphere.
108. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by nhat11 · 2014-02-24 02:16 · Score: 1
  
  Well considering that the history of colonization in the Americas have breathable air and plant life, it's a bit different than going to Mars.
109. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-24 02:56 · Score: 0
  
  ...provided you don't mind multi-year shipping times and can use the interplanetary transport network
  Sounds like a perfect application for Amazon anticipatory shipping! Come on, Amazon, get in the game! It's a gold mine!
110. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-24 05:42 · Score: 0
  
  But why? We can't milk them of their money that way.
111. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by DutchUncle · 2014-02-24 06:32 · Score: 1
  
  Unless it's *exactly* a one in a million chance.
112. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by DEN_GUY · 2014-02-24 07:11 · Score: 1
  
  I would have been sligtly offended by this, but then I saw this:
  https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=WpgLU42LDYbyyAG0_4D4CA&url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/08/15/dining/at-the-iowa-state-fair-deep-fried-butter-on-a-stick.html&cd=7&ved=0CD0QFjAG&usg=AFQjCNHiEAbuPCrSntTcvPjXLVNrdmXuCg&sig2=QHQsGaCFV99aS5rHTyJPSg
113. Re:Well for once I agree with religious crazies by painandgreed · 2014-02-24 07:30 · Score: 1
  
  All theist communities are like that. Actually, that's what theism is about in the first place! The sooner we get rid of this crap, the better for everyone.
  But it gives plus one happiness and two gold and culture for every religious building.
114. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-24 07:41 · Score: 0
  
  Such statements don't withstand the scrutiny of someone with even gradeschool historical knowledge
  Tell you what - come back when you have a gradeschool level of reading comprehension.
115. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-24 08:41 · Score: 0
  
  All of life is a suicide mission. In the immortal (paraphrased) words of the Onion, "Death Toll Still at 100% - Government Refusing to Take Action"
116. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Stuarticus · 2014-02-25 00:42 · Score: 1
  
  You forgot to add that they would then celebrate the Godly gift of the land of plenty every year.
  
  --
  If you think someone isn't free to have a different definition of "freedom" you may be a tyrant.
117. Re: Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-01 08:07 · Score: 0
  
  While the likelihood of finding indigenous humans on other planets is unlikely, one day our descendants may encounter extraterrestrial indigenous life forms and, with thinking like the kind exhibited in your post, would destroy those life forms, appropriate the liberated resources, and write a history that enshrined themselves as resourceful adventurers struggling to survive in a harsh "unlivable" environment.
  Vae victis.
Let it begin! by MPAB · 2014-02-21 19:44 · Score: 5, Insightful

Cue witty jokes about blowing oneself up not counting as suicide.
But they should also forbid being born, as everyone that does will die eventually.
1. Re:Let it begin! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 19:49 · Score: 0
  
  Then I heard Nixon speak. Hearing Nixon speak sounded more like a breath of fresh air.
2. Re:Let it begin! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 20:46 · Score: 0
  
  It does if it's infidels.
3. Re:Let it begin! by mwvdlee · 2014-02-21 21:58 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F...
  As you might have guessed, Fatwa's aren't really laws as much as they are rules that may or may not be followed depending on whether an individual Muslim wants to.
  
  --
  Slashdot social media options: AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber and Mobile Text. Why no MySpace?
4. Re:Let it begin! by N1AK · 2014-02-21 23:10 · Score: 1
  
  Modding this a troll seems a little harsh. It's not unusual for religions to include different groups with vastly different interpretations of what a good follower should or shouldn't do. Personally I find it equally amusing that they have the time to worry about this and that they've taken such a backwards view. What level of risk is ok before it is effectively the same as suicide? Does the benefit to others mitigate that in some way?
5. Re:Let it begin! by Mashiki · 2014-02-22 08:07 · Score: 1
  
  Unless you live in a place where fatwas are used as the basis of law like in many muslim countries. Of course it gets more fun and interesting from there on out, as many of the governments in those countries then put it into practice. Stoning for adulty, or executing apostates.
  
  --
  Om, nomnomnom...
6. Re:Let it begin! by Copid · 2014-02-23 12:38 · Score: 1
  
  Or if you live in a place where laws matter less than which religious leader has the most well armed followers.
  
  --
  An interesting anagram of "BANACH TARSKI" is "BANACH TARSKI BANACH TARSKI"
7. Re:Let it begin! by DutchUncle · 2014-02-24 06:33 · Score: 1
  
  ... Fatwa's aren't really laws as much as they are rules that may or may not be followed depending on whether an individual Muslim wants to.
  The same way as an individual Catholic can decide whether or not to go along with a papal excommunication?
planet of the apes by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 19:48 · Score: 0

that would be mad funny if in the planet of the apes he came down and saw a bunch of Muslims with camels and he pounded his fists on the ground yelling NOOOOO when he saw the statue of liberty
Well, they could by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 19:50 · Score: 0, Troll

declare a jihad against those little disbelievers up there, and then send some suicide martyrs to fight them, no ?
1. Re:Well, they could by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 20:33 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  from the religion that brought you Istishhad suicide bombers, "you can't go to mars and advance science exploration and the boundaries of human knowledge that would be suicide(without a exploding vest in a crowd of innocent civilians)"
2. Re:Well, they could by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:26 · Score: 0, Insightful
  
  Suicide bombing is not approved by mainstream Islam. Just like mainstream Christianity doesn't approve of anti-abortion terrorism.
3. Re:Well, they could by jmac_the_man · 2014-02-22 01:12 · Score: 1
  
  Posting to remove bad mod
4. Re:Well, they could by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 02:53 · Score: 0
  
  Posting to remove bad mod
  Because clicking the one you want is sooo hard.
5. Re:Well, they could by rubycodez · 2014-02-22 04:10 · Score: 2
  
  wrong, mainstream ones contribute to "charities" which are terrorist sponsoring organizations. they think they are helping the "truly faithful" while getting to live a more mundane and less riskful lives themselves.
6. Re:Well, they could by Hognoxious · 2014-02-22 04:33 · Score: 1
  
  And putting sugar on your porridge isn't approved by mainstream Scotsmanism.
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
7. Re:Well, they could by Your.Master · 2014-02-22 11:01 · Score: 1
  
  You seem to confused about how "No True Scotsman" works. "No True Scotsman" is about the in-group (A) declaring that people in the controversial group (C) are not part of A, because their ideals don't match their own. Instead they say they are in the out-group (O). In reality, the group C is within A.
  This case is the reverse of that. Where people in group O start treating everybody in A as if they were all in C, which is *also* not the case, and it's the exact fallacy that leads to defensive "No True Scotsman" posturing.
  This sentence right here is what did it:
  
  "you can't go to mars and advance science exploration and the boundaries of human knowledge that would be suicide(without a exploding vest in a crowd of innocent civilians)"
  The people saying you can't go to Mars are (kind of obviously) not the people who are advocating exploding vests. Both groups are Muslim, but they are nevertheless disjoint.
  Christians who devote their lives to various good works and Christians who bomb abortion clinics are a disjoint set (the latter may believe they are the former, but they are not). Even though both groups are Christian.
  Atheists who devote their lives to charity and are uncomfortable with even the idea of murder and atheists who are Stalin are a disjoint set. Even though both groups are atheist.
  Agnostics who live their lives for the benefit of all and agnostics who start a fake self-contradictory religion in order to extract money from the masses while secure in the knowledge that there's no good reason to think that, even if there is a god, that god isn't actually pleased by the deception rather than displeased -- these are a disjoint set. Even though both groups are agnostics.
  Men who shave their head because they are balding and think it looks better shaved right off, but are generally good people; and men who shave their head because they want to show support for neo-nazism -- these are again a disjoint set. Even though both groups have shaved heads.
  See where I'm going with this?
8. Re:Well, they could by Hognoxious · 2014-02-23 01:02 · Score: 1
  
  See where I'm going with this?
  
  To Wrongville via the long route.
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
9. Re:Well, they could by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 16:24 · Score: 0
  
  pity large parts of the middle-east don't have more mainstream muslims then
Buddhism by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 19:56 · Score: 5, Interesting

"the trip would be tantamount to committing suicide, which all religions tend to frown upon."
Hey get your Judeocentric religious world views out of here! Buddhism goes so far as to feature a story of the Buddha himself committing suicide just to feed some hungry tiger cubs.
Which is insane like all religions, but I reserve the right for their insanity to be characterized accurately!
1. Re:Buddhism by Zontar+The+Mindless · 2014-02-21 20:45 · Score: 1
  
  Buddhism goes so far as to feature a story of the Buddha himself committing suicide just to feed some hungry tiger cubs.
  [citation needed]
  No, seriously. I'm a Buddhist and I've never heard of such a story. Linky, please.
  
  --
  Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
2. Re:Buddhism by Stormwatch · 2014-02-21 20:55 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I assume he's thinking of this tale.
  
  --
  Circumcision is child abuse.
3. Re:Buddhism by Zontar+The+Mindless · 2014-02-22 00:45 · Score: 2
  
  Well, *the Buddha* did not commit suicide in that story or in any others of which I'm aware. The name Mahasattva means "great goodness" or "purity", BTW.
  
  --
  Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
4. Re:Buddhism by eht · 2014-02-22 00:48 · Score: 1
  
  I know you did not write that story but it was quite stupid, they had horses, which they could have killed and given the horse meat to the tiger, it was a valueless "sacrifice."
5. Re:Buddhism by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 01:17 · Score: 0
  
  The religious myth didn't make any sense? Who'd a thunk it.
6. Re:Buddhism by sunderland56 · 2014-02-22 01:39 · Score: 1
  
  it was a valueless "sacrifice."
  It was of great value to the horse.
7. Re:Buddhism by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 01:44 · Score: 1
  
  A metaphor breaks down when you scrutinize it too closely? Who'd a thunk it.
8. Re:Buddhism by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 02:56 · Score: 0
  
  It was of great value to the horse.
  Only until they ran out of Buddhists.
9. Re:Buddhism by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 03:54 · Score: 0
  
  Though think to do if you died from old age previously in another story.
10. Re:Buddhism by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 05:25 · Score: 0
  
  Interestingly, the circumstances of the Buddha's death could be considered a suicide, nevermind the fact that he was 80 years old at the time. A blacksmith intended to serve a mushroom dish (sukara-maddava) to the Buddha and his monks, but the mushroom dish was spoiled or poisonous. The Buddha requested that he himself be served the main course, and that his monks be served everything else. When he was finished, he asked that the leftover mushrooms be buried in a pit, as nobody on earth besides a Buddha should eat it.
  http://dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=Diet_of_Buddha
  http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.1-6.vaji.html#chap5
  This together with more modern events like the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc suggests that suicide is really not frowned upon in Buddhism the same way it is in Western culture.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thich_Quang_Duc
  If you accept the teaching of dependent origination, then an unenlightened person who commits suicide is just going to be reborn in accordance with their frame of mind at the time of death - to a fate identical or worse than the life they are abandoning.
11. Re:Buddhism by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 05:41 · Score: 0
  
  whoops, linked wrong chapter in accesstoinsight link. for those interested, look for the heading "Last Meal".
12. Re: Buddhism by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 09:28 · Score: 0
  
  A bodhisattva is not a or the Buddha. Know your facts before you spout them off.
13. Re:Buddhism by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 12:46 · Score: 0
  
  Giving the horse would have been harming another. Sacrificing himself he showed his compassion for the tiger is larger than his attachment to his comfortable life. Point of the story is that one's compassion to others should be greater than clinging to ones luxurious life. He had two brothers to keep the bloodline going, after all.
14. Re:Buddhism by martin-boundary · 2014-02-22 18:09 · Score: 1
  
  You're being stupid by displaying your ignorance. You assume, entirely baselessly, that a human being is worth more than a horse. This is true in today's western, industrial society but has not been so historically.
  In pre-industrial societies horses are important, and have more value than an average human being. A horse can carry warriors, and pull heavy equipment, which is more than a single human labourer can do. Moreover, horses are usually owned by important people, and in hierarchical societies the possessions of one's betters often have more value than oneself.
  You don't even have to go to exotic historical examples, in the Wild West one hundred years ago, a horse thief would be hanged. That shows clearly that a horse had at least the value of a human being in America.
  To take a modern analogy: there is a threat. You have an infantryman and an F22. Would you let the infantryman sacrifice himself to save the group, or should the F22 be destroyed instead?
15. Re:Buddhism by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 06:39 · Score: 0
  
  Buddhism goes so far as to feature a story of the Buddha himself committing suicide just to feed some hungry tiger cubs.
  [citation needed]
  No, seriously. I'm a Buddhist and I've never heard of such a story. Linky, please.
  it is well know from the Jakarta tales but the quote is out of context and it wasn't Shakyamuni (aka Siddharta Guatama) and was from many lifetimes before; they are collection of stories to illustrate moral points and out of context like that shows the ignorance of the poster more than anything. They are not my subject since I prefer the tradition and works of Buddhist logicians in particular abhidharmas/phenomenology but even i know of the Jakarta tales.
16. Re:Buddhism by K10W · 2014-02-23 06:46 · Score: 1
  
  I know you did not write that story but it was quite stupid, they had horses, which they could have killed and given the horse meat to the tiger, it was a valueless "sacrifice."
  the story was to illustrate a point which you've clearly missed and taken something akin to parable told for an illustrative purpose literall and missed a whole chunk including it was a former life and he was believed to be able to control what new existence/ next birth he took and there was a lot more too it.
  
  Disliking Buddhism and knowing it ain't your thing is great but knowing snippets of something and acting like you're well versed when you show nothing but ignorance of the topic is something I tire of quickly both in science and theology
Using their own logic... by Taelron · 2014-02-21 19:57 · Score: 2, Insightful

then staying on Earth, living out your life and dying is also tantamount to suicide too. So you are damned if you do and damned if you dont...
1. Re:Using their own logic... by Zontar+The+Mindless · 2014-02-21 20:46 · Score: 2
  
  Like the man said, "Nobody gets out of here alive."
  
  --
  Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
2. Re:Using their own logic... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:55 · Score: 0
  
  It's a good thing if religious nuts won't follow us on a new planet.
  If only they had done the same thing with the US.
3. Re:Using their own logic... by nurb432 · 2014-02-22 04:01 · Score: 1
  
  Like in most typical religions, you are just damned..
  
  --
  ---- Booth was a patriot ----
4. Re:Using their own logic... by rubycodez · 2014-02-22 04:11 · Score: 1
  
  Colonists on a rocket to Mars get out of Earth alive.
5. Re:Using their own logic... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 06:06 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, but do you still get the virgins????
6. Re:Using their own logic... by westlake · 2014-02-22 14:45 · Score: 1
  
  then staying on Earth, living out your life and dying is also tantamount to suicide too.
  Dying at age 90 with perhaps three generations of friends and family around to mourn your passing is not the same as choking to death at age 20 for the amusement of the voyeurs watching your reality TV show on Bravo.
7. Re:Using their own logic... by Scarletdown · 2014-02-22 22:27 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, but do you still get the virgins????
  Yes, you do. However, they are not the virgins you would be expecting, that is unless you were expecting 300 pound Cheeto-fingered neckbeards.
  
  --
  This space unintentionally left blank.
@Al Kai Da - RTFF - Read the fucking .. by burni2 · 2014-02-21 20:01 · Score: 5, Insightful

.. Fatwa
Stop blasting yourself into pieces, it's forbidden,
and no your chance to survive is below the mars mission.
1. Re:@Al Kai Da - RTFF - Read the fucking .. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:23 · Score: 1
  
  Stop blasting yourself into pieces, it's forbidden, and no your chance to survive is below the mars mission.
  Unless, of course, the plan is to blow yourself up... on Mars!. Had to throw in a plot twist there.
2. Re:@Al Kai Da - RTFF - Read the fucking .. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:25 · Score: 0
  
  On second thought, that's more of a plot device than a plot twist. Which makes sense, since it involves devices detonating.
3. Re:@Al Kai Da - RTFF - Read the fucking .. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-24 05:45 · Score: 0
  
  No, the real reason they forbid it is to prevent them from hijacking the shuttle and flying it into Earth, blowing it up.
How is this a suicide? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 20:03 · Score: 2, Interesting

Choosing to live the rest of your life in a distant location is not a suicide in any way. If they choose to see this as suicide, then why do they allow youngsters to enroll in their armies? That looks a heck of a lot closer to suicide.
1. Re:How is this a suicide? by khallow · 2014-02-21 20:19 · Score: 2
  
  Choosing to live the rest of your life in a distant location is not a suicide in any way.
  
  From the article:
  
  âoeSuch a one-way journey poses a real risk to life, and that can never be justified in Islam,â the committee said. âoeThere is a possibility that an individual who travels to planet Mars may not be able to remain alive there, and is more vulnerable to death.â
  It does sound pretty flimsy as an argument. But keep in mind that current one-way plans to go to Mars really haven't even gotten to the Power Point stage yet. They don't really have a lot of incentive to burn brain power on this. I suspect this is a nice way to say, "please don't fall for these scams".
2. Re:How is this a suicide? by Firethorn · 2014-02-21 21:17 · Score: 3
  
  It does sound pretty flimsy as an argument. But keep in mind that current one-way plans to go to Mars really haven't even gotten to the Power Point stage yet. They don't really have a lot of incentive to burn brain power on this. I suspect this is a nice way to say, "please don't fall for these scams".
  I think there's translation issues, but what it amounts to is that the proposed mars journey is not only effectively one way, they're also not hauling enough supplies for you to live the rest of your life.
  So rather than living to ~70 or so minimum, assuming no accident takes you out earlier, you're going on a trip with no real scientific value other than studying how you end up croaking, where your life on mars maxes out at around 3-5 years* from lift-off. You're not fighting a war, you're not dying to save others, etc...
  Would the Fatwa have been issued if the proposal was 'The plan is to visit mars and come back, but we figure the odds are 50-50 that something will happen that we can't make it back, but in return we'll collect all this information that may help explorers in the future'? Maybe, maybe not. There's plenty of hazardous expeditions that Muslims have gone on without having a Fatwa issued against it - scaling Mount Everest, visiting the South/North pole, etc...
  *From what I've seen of the proposal.
  
  --
  I don't read AC A human right
3. Re:How is this a suicide? by erikkemperman · 2014-02-21 22:20 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  There's plenty of hazardous expeditions that Muslims have gone on without having a Fatwa issued against it - scaling Mount Everest, visiting the South/North pole, etc.
  And the ISS, if I remember correctly. There were some issues in determining the direction in which to pray, but those were resolved. Wonder how that would work for Martian Muslims, though.
  
  --
  Gosh, thanks. That must be why the other ships call me Meatfucker -- GCU Grey Area (Eccentric)
4. Re:How is this a suicide? by Firethorn · 2014-02-22 00:23 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I think that the idea is that while visiting the ISS is 'hazardous', there's a lot of hazardous things out there, the religion doesn't forbid hazardous. What it forbids is outright suicide. Join an expedition to reach the top of Everest without a plan to return? That's suicide. Riding a russian rocket up to the ISS? Let's call it a 1% chance of death. Dangerous, but not suicide. For that matter, sacrificing yourself for others (war, evacuation and such) isn't considered suicide either, even if death is certain.
  As for the Martian Muslims, it depends on which sect they belong to - the simplistic method is simply to pray facing the Earth, but there's something forbidding praying towards the sun(so when Mars and the Earth are on opposite sides...). Then there's the fact that they don't actually use a straight line calculation, they use the shortest route, which means using a circle route on earth... Alaskan Muslims pray pretty much straight north because of that. Also means that you have an actual direction rather than 'into the ground' while on the opposite side of the planet. But when on mars it'd likely be the retrograde orbit to reach Earth.
  Assuming significant colonization of mars by practicing Muslims, I wouldn't be surprised if some leader there just declares a 'Spiritual Martian Mecca' on Mars for them to face when praying.
  Oh, and there's the clarification that if you're spending more worry about which direction to pray in than the prayer itself, you're doing it wrong and that there's an 'any' option in that case. Oh, and you shouldn't change facing during the prayer, even if Mecca is going to pull a 180(start facing towards, end facing away) during that time. Figure out the direction in an expedient fashion(computers are allowed) and pray.
  
  --
  I don't read AC A human right
5. Re:How is this a suicide? by Jawnn · 2014-02-22 01:11 · Score: 1
  
  By that logic, any act that has a reasonable expectation of shortening one's life is "suicide". True, most of us, including the Imam, I suspect, would disagree. Tough titty. That is the argument he made, while disregarding the tremendous opportunity presented by the mission. Such nonsense is what comes from so-called religious leaders trying to wedge their dogma into real-world problems.
6. Re:How is this a suicide? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 01:40 · Score: 0
  
  Why do they have to pray facing Mecca when they believe Allah is omnipresent?
7. Re:How is this a suicide? by polymath69 · 2014-02-22 02:42 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  It is flimsy as an argument, especially as there's a better argument to be made.
  Suppose the colonization succeeds, but only supplies can be sent, with no return trips? Due to lack of refueling capabilities on Mars this is a reasonable assumption for the next many years. Now imagine "many" is large enough that children may be born, live, and die on Mars before return trips become possible.
  Now how is such a child, able-bodied, supposed to complete the pillar of Islam that is the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca? Since this would be impossible the Mars-born would be spiritually incomplete or something. Since this scenario can be reasonably presupposed, a fatwa which reasoned along these lines might be ... less silly.
  
  --
  
  --
  I don't want to rule the world... I just want to be in charge of mayonnaise.
8. Re:How is this a suicide? by Firethorn · 2014-02-22 03:26 · Score: 1
  
  By that logic, any act that has a reasonable expectation of shortening one's life is "suicide".
  I think you misunderstood what I said - I said 'Translation issues' for a reason, it's not just word translation, there are cultural terms in there to be aware of. The proposed trip to Mars was a one way trip with insufficient supplies. As in, everybody would die unless some agency managed to get additional supplies and equipment to them within a relatively tight period of time(for interplanetary travel). You have a better chance of winning the lottery than surviving that.
  Climbing Mt Everest and going to the ISS are both hazardous, but you do have a reasonable expectation that you'll come back alive. It makes a critical, critical difference.
  
  --
  I don't read AC A human right
9. Re:How is this a suicide? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 03:47 · Score: 0
  
  >I think there's translation issues, but what it amounts to is that the proposed mars journey is not only effectively one way, they're also not hauling enough supplies for you to live the rest of your life.
  Last time I checked, earth doesn't hold supplies for anyone of us for the rest of our lifes. But the supplies *grow* as we live, awesome concept really. I guess Mars travellers would just create a greenhouse and grow whatever they need to live happily ever after.
10. Re:How is this a suicide? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 04:14 · Score: 0
  
  Why did you ask this question when you are so obviously ignorant in ALL matters?
11. Re:How is this a suicide? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 05:20 · Score: 0
  
  Prepared for after we nuke Mecca. Then Mecca (it's fallout anyhow) will also be omnipresent.
12. Re:How is this a suicide? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 16:31 · Score: 0
  
  I wouldve thought strapping explosives to you body and detonating them was a much surer way to suicide, wheres the fatwah against that?
13. Re:How is this a suicide? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-01 08:11 · Score: 0
  
  Clearly Islam does not scale beyond the Earth. What a pity.
Ha! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 20:13 · Score: 0

Even the crazies think this is nuts!
Religon by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 20:14 · Score: 0

Yawn, no one cares.
ps: There is no god.
1. Re:Religon by Zontar+The+Mindless · 2014-02-21 20:48 · Score: 2
  
  YOU might not care.
  But the fact that many, many other humans DO care is a factor that you should not dismiss so quickly or lightly, Grasshopper.
  
  --
  Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
mars death by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 20:18 · Score: 0

Something can and will go wrong on the mission that will cause you to die before you die of natural causes.
Nothing to see here, move along by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 20:19 · Score: 0

No committing suicide. I think the other religions have something similar.
Hold the lines by Dorianny · 2014-02-21 20:29 · Score: 4, Funny

I can't see many religious people lining up for an expedition to discover if life evolved on another planet. They still don't believe that it evolved on this one.
1. Re:Hold the lines by sunderland56 · 2014-02-22 01:41 · Score: 1
  
  This. Seriously - how many astronauts have ever been devoutly religious? Doesn't NASA generally hire scientists?
2. Re:Hold the lines by naarok · 2014-02-22 02:49 · Score: 1
  
  Apparently many of the early ones.
  http://www.actsweb.org/article...
3. Re:Hold the lines by causality · 2014-02-22 03:05 · Score: 2
  
  This. Seriously - how many astronauts have ever been devoutly religious? Doesn't NASA generally hire scientists?
  Most scientists believe in a God (look it up). They simply have the maturity of character to separate their private personal beliefs from their work. Not all spiritual people are New Earth creationists who believe dinosaur fossils are the work of Satan, you know.
  
  While they tend not to give a great deal of support to mainstream religion, members of NASA are known to practice various Masonic rituals, even choosing landing sites on the Moon etc. based on numbers important to Freemasonry.
  
  --
  It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
4. Re:Hold the lines by rubycodez · 2014-02-22 04:13 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  you're confused, most Muslims and most Christians have no problem with evolution.
5. Re:Hold the lines by PRMan · 2014-02-22 09:37 · Score: 1
  
  Young earth creationists don't believe that dragon fossils are the work of Satan. Masonic rituals based around pentagrams on the other hand...
  
  --
  Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
6. Re:Hold the lines by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 20:50 · Score: 0
  
  Most scientists believe in a God (look it up).
  This is simply not true. Relevant studies almost always end up with a majority of atheists and/or agnostics when polling scientists. Results of recent surveys vary from 60% (http://www.jstor.org/stable/4488208) to 93% (http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/news/file002.html).
7. Re:Hold the lines by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-26 00:39 · Score: 0
  
  The Official stance of the Catholic Church is that religion and science (faith and reason) are complementary, and there is no actual conflict between the two. The Church is actually quite pro-science ("the faithful have the obligation to listen to that which secular modern science has to offer, just as we ask that knowledge of the faith be taken in consideration as an expert voice in humanity; we ... know the dangers of a religion that severs its links with reason and becomes prey to fundamentalism" - Cardinal Paul Poupard), and agrees with everyone else with half a brain that evolution is a fact of the world, and should be taught in science classes, while Young Earth Creationism and Intelligent Design are not, and have no place in schools ("Intelligent design isn't science even though it pretends to be. If you want to teach it in schools, intelligent design should be taught when religion or cultural history is taught, not science." - Father George Coyne).
  even if the retards sabotaging public schools manage to get evolution removed from the curriculum, it'll still be taught at Catholic schools.
Fine. by SuricouRaven · 2014-02-21 20:38 · Score: 1, Interesting

More space for the rest of us.
1. Re:Fine. by EnsilZah · 2014-02-21 21:35 · Score: 1
  
  Only until the hard part is done, then it's not suicide anymore.
2. Re:Fine. by SuricouRaven · 2014-02-21 22:00 · Score: 1
  
  Someone may one day make a lot of money running ferry ships from outpost settlements to Earth and back so very rich Muslims can visit Mecca. The target market may be very tiny, but their religlin obliges them to go if they can afford it.
3. Re:Fine. by Tanuki64 · 2014-02-21 22:54 · Score: 1
  
  Oopps... nope... Mars mission is nothing for me... No women for the rest of my life.
4. Re:Fine. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 01:09 · Score: 0
  
  Which wouldnt last long, as the Jews would probrably run those shuttles. Making it an iresistable target for suicide bombers.
  Hmm.. go to mekka or blow op some jew shuttle, thats a hard choice for these morons.
5. Re:Fine. by DexterIsADog · 2014-02-22 04:16 · Score: 2
  
  If you're a typical /.er, how is that different from your life until now?
  
  Disclaimer; I am married to a breathtakingly beautiful Indonesian doctor lady who earns so much more than I do.
6. Re:Fine. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 16:34 · Score: 0
  
  No women for the rest of my life.
  You are posting to /. How, exactly, is this any different from the life many of us are already living right now?
Shouldn't he issue a Fatwa against Smoking? by Mr_Wisenheimer · 2014-02-21 20:39 · Score: 5, Interesting

After all, Tobacco leads to the premature death of most people who use it.
I always thought of suicide as the act of killing yourself just for the sake of killing yourself. While one might call something a "suicide mission", that is not the same as suicide, is it? If a soldier stays behind to man a turret in the face of certain death to provide covering fire so his comrades can escape, is he committing suicide?
1. Re:Shouldn't he issue a Fatwa against Smoking? by fullmetal55 · 2014-02-22 02:50 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  actually there already is one
  http://islam.about.com/od/heal...
2. Re:Shouldn't he issue a Fatwa against Smoking? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 04:27 · Score: 0
  
  If a soldier stays behind to man a turret in the face of certain death to provide covering fire so his comrades can escape, is he committing suicide?
  Does this happen often outside of movies and computer games?
3. Re:Shouldn't he issue a Fatwa against Smoking? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 05:53 · Score: 0
  
  of course not, when they get to the guy in the turret that just killed 3 dozen of their buddies they slap him on the ass and let him go
  fucking retard
4. Re:Shouldn't he issue a Fatwa against Smoking? by Mr_Wisenheimer · 2014-02-26 13:13 · Score: 1
  
  If a soldier stays behind to man a turret in the face of certain death to provide covering fire so his comrades can escape, is he committing suicide?
  Does this happen often outside of movies and computer games?
  Just some examples of MoH recipients:
  Luther H. Story Sacrificed his life to save his unit by remaining behind and covering them as they withdrew
  Ralph E. Pomeroy Sacrificed his life manning a heavy machine gun until mortally wounded.
  James I. Poynter sacrificed his life to kill several of the enemy with hand grenades to save a group of fellow Marines.
  George H. Ramer Led his men against a superior enemy force and although wounded refused medical aid, manning his post until the enemy overran his position
glad that was cleared up by singlevalley · 2014-02-21 20:49 · Score: 1

now, onto the less important things...
Don't agree with the reasoning by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 20:55 · Score: 0

I'm not Muslim, but the internal logic of the decision doesn't make sense to me.
Most religions hold suicide distinct from doing a good thing that happens to get one killed--like, say, refusing to recant one's faith under persecution and getting executed for it. If the trip is a really good thing for humanity (the person does useful science or exploration that wouldn't just be done by a rover anyway), and someone's taking the trip for that reason and not specifically to get killed, then looked at that way it's not suicide. If it were tourism that were likely to kill someone that might be different, but it's not.
The summary in the Khaleej Times is: 'Whoever opts for this “hazardous trip”, the committee said, is likely to perish for no “righteous reason”'--I'm saying a one-way trip to Mars for science *is* a righteous reason.
1. Re:Don't agree with the reasoning by omar.sahal · 2014-02-21 21:43 · Score: 1
  
  Actually in the case of someone recanting ones faith in the face of persecution Islam is ok with that, as long as you don't really mean it and your trying to save your life. What many on Slashdot don't know is it's an imperative to preserve life in Islam, we do have Muslims, with a belief backed by enormous amounts of oil money, that would use suicide in military situations though. The death under persecution argument doesn't support your hypothesis. P.S. it is very possible that there's more to it than I know.
2. Re:Don't agree with the reasoning by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:55 · Score: 0
  
  I would say there is a -huge- amount you don't know. Might I suggest at least studying some of their religious texts before you make any claims -whatsoever- about what their beliefs are. There's a reason there are so many suicide bombers. Guess what, it has nothing to do with preservation of life. Well.. at least so long as it's not Muslim life.. and so long as it's the -right- kind of Muslim life... Of course.. people who think that Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are 'Non-violent' and "preach love" are just fooling themselves and may in fact be the most dangerous form of astroturfer I've ever come across. Just turfing it in real life mostly instead of just forums and reviews.
3. Re:Don't agree with the reasoning by Kojiro+Ganryu+Sasaki · 2014-02-22 01:55 · Score: 2
  
  That's because culture shapes interpretations of religious texts. You cannot simply look at a religious text and, using only that, make broad statements about the religion itself.
  The religion filters the text through human interpretations. What you put in is not necessarily what you get out.
  Look at christianity, for example.
4. Re:Don't agree with the reasoning by causality · 2014-02-22 03:13 · Score: 1
  
  That's because culture shapes interpretations of religious texts. You cannot simply look at a religious text and, using only that, make broad statements about the religion itself.
  The religion filters the text through human interpretations. What you put in is not necessarily what you get out.
  Look at christianity, for example.
  It's sort of like the people who read the Constitution and find phrases like "Congress shall make no law" and "shall not be infringed" and manage to find excuses for doing those things anyway.
  
  Jesus Christ preached love, non-judgment, tolerance, benevolence, and non-violence. Yet people who claim to follow him have tortured, murdered, and persecuted others for the flimsiest of reasons. I would posit that the problem is with those people and not with the New Testament, because when I read the Bible I found nothing that could justify anything like the Inquisition. It was simply a bunch of tyrants who discovered that saying "God gave me authority!" was an effective way to control others.
  
  --
  It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
5. Re:Don't agree with the reasoning by DexterIsADog · 2014-02-22 04:18 · Score: 1
  
  Your one example is someone refusing to recant a religious belief and being executed for it. Look up the philosophy - if you are executed, you are not committing the act of suicide.
6. Re:Don't agree with the reasoning by PRMan · 2014-02-22 09:44 · Score: 1
  
  Jesus Christ most assuredly did NOT preach tolerance.
  "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man gets to the father except through me."
  “I have no husband,” she replied.
  Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
  He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
  
  --
  Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
7. Re: Don't agree with the reasoning by omar.sahal · 2014-03-02 07:22 · Score: 1
  
  I agree with your point, culture is allways an important interpretive element, which is actively embraced in traditional Islam.
8. Re: Don't agree with the reasoning by omar.sahal · 2014-03-02 07:46 · Score: 1
  
  I'm actually a Muslim, who has some interest and self and formal study on Islam. Suicide is not part of the tradition of Islam, it has approximately 30 years of history in Islam. This started with Hezbollah conducting a suicide attack during the Lebanon war. Islam is vast, full knowledge I think is beyond me, and most people. This is because the Qur'an, the hadith (sayings and actions of the prophet) are all sources. The hadith alone represent millions of accounts and sayings, which all have to be verified with the number of people retelling the same events, along the the biographies of these witnesses. Plus some parts of the Qur'an abrogate others, each verse can be a sourse of law. This is because the Quran was composed over a twenty year period of the Prophets life, and times change. These are only the sources mind you, there's a bit more than this that goes into what is considered Islam. I suggest that you learn something about Islam.
Murderer by Flozzin · 2014-02-21 20:59 · Score: 1

Bringing a child into this world is murder. You know that new life will die. There is 0 chance that they will live forever. Therefor you create life while knowing it will suffer and die. This is a pretty flimsy case. There are other things that are just as risky. If not more risky.

--
"Cowardice in a race, as in an individual, is the unpardonable sin." --Teddy Roosevelt
"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by thephydes · 2014-02-21 21:05 · Score: 0, Flamebait

Except if you are blowing yourself up in the name of God.....Fucking hypocrites!
1. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by artor3 · 2014-02-21 21:27 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  You realize Muslim people aren't a hivemind, right? The people blowing themselves up aren't the ones issuing this fatwa. I presume you're an atheist... are you a "fucking hypocrite" for opposing mass murder, given the actions of Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot?
2. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:31 · Score: 0
  
  That is a bad example to prove that he is also an hypocrite. A better argument would be that all humans are hypocrites at one level or another and at some point of life.
3. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:40 · Score: 1
  
  Oh that old story again. So if Stalin had been a vegetarian he would have killed in the name of all vegetarians? If Pol Pot liked classical music he murdered in name of all classical music lovers? Of course not. The fact that they might have been atheists has nothing to do with what they did, they didn't do it "in the name of atheism".
  Also Atheism is not an organized institution like religions are, so there's no one that can speak "for" atheists, that's like someone who would speak "for" people who love sunsets.
  Religions on the other hand *are* and therefore *can* and *do* assert influence. It's not enough for example that individuals are against horrific deeds performed by some few fanatics of their religion, it's their institution that solely by the fact that it represents many many millions that has a moral obligation to speak out and let know they don't condone these kind of acts, and then they need to go out and *teach* that to their constituency.
  If you don't do that... then indeed they are "fucking hypocrites".
4. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:45 · Score: 0
  
  You realize Muslim people aren't a hivemind, right? The people blowing themselves up aren't the ones issuing this fatwa. I presume you're an atheist... are you a "fucking hypocrite" for opposing mass murder, given the actions of Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot?
  The flaw there is assuming atheism is a religion rather than a state of mind.
  There is no church of atheism and no holy text containing commandments; being an atheist is a self-description, a label, and nothing else.
5. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:49 · Score: 0
  
  Islam is nothing like Catholicism or its derivates in that regard. There are many sets of clerics issuing many (often conflicting) fatwas, and part of the tradition of that religion is debating who is interpreting the texts correctly over any given issue.
6. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 23:07 · Score: 0
  
  http://news.yahoo.com/atheist-mega-churches-root-across-us-world-214619648.html
  http://firstchurchofatheism.com/
7. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by gtall · 2014-02-21 23:18 · Score: 2
  
  Bullshit. Point to the Fatwa against Jihad.
8. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by artor3 · 2014-02-21 23:32 · Score: 2
  
  So when these atheist dictators banned religion and went around killing those who practiced it, that was just ONE BIG COINCIDENCE and had nothing to do with their atheism?
  Riiiiight. Just grow up, and realize that religion, atheism, whatever... none of those things kill. Assholes who think their way is the only way... they kill. Assholes with your mindset, only with more power and less morals.
  
  Also Atheism is not an organized institution like religions are, so there's no one that can speak "for" atheists, that's like someone who would speak "for" people who love sunsets.
  You realize Catholicism isn't the only religion, right? Most religions don't have a central authority. Any Islamic scholar can issue a fatwa. But the fact that 99.9% of Muslims oppose terrorism doesn't seem to be swaying the terrorists. Because, again, religions aren't hive minds. Members don't really have much influence over each other, and they have even less influence over people who have already proven themselves willing to kill.
9. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by PolygamousRanchKid+ · 2014-02-21 23:39 · Score: 1
  
  You realize Muslim people aren't a hivemind, right?
  Actually, the problem is that a lot of radical Muslim terrorist haven't realized that they are a hivemind.
  Islamic terrorism is a world problem that can only be solved by Muslims. Those radicals will not listen to anyone else besides their fellow Muslims.
  The USA can send as many armies as it likes to places all over the world . . . but that will not stop those terrorists. India could hatch another Gandhi who could starve himself to death . . . that would not stop Islamic terrorism either. The only folks in the world who can possibly put an end to all this madness are fellow Muslims.
  So maybe it would be a good start if some of these Fatwa folks would start issuing Fatwas against terrorism . . .?
  Unfortunately, it really doesn't seem like mainstream, peaceful, Muslim folks have any interest in taking on the radical Islamic terrorist folks.
  So we're stuck with the status quo. I don't expect to see any changes in this in my lifetime.
  
  --
  Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
10. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by abies · 2014-02-22 00:16 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  But the fact that 99.9% of Muslims oppose terrorism doesn't seem to be swaying the terrorists.
  Quotation needed. I think that you are considerably underestimating amount of 'angry Muslims' in the world.
  If you would say 99.9% of Muslims aren't _actively_ involved in terrorism - sure. But oppose?
  
  Because, again, religions aren't hive minds. Members don't really have much influence over each other, and they have even less influence over people who have already proven themselves willing to kill.
  Now, this is pure BS. Religions are closest thing people have to hive minds (I count cults of dictators, like in NK, as a religion, even if it is not using world 'god'). Religons influence minds of people in extreme ways. Think about Scientists or other strange cults/sects - this is example of religion completely brainwashing the person. Bigger religions are trying to be slightly more subtle, but still, religion is probably best mind manipulation tool ever invented by mankind.
11. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by CrimsonAvenger · 2014-02-22 00:43 · Score: 1
  
  Also Atheism is not an organized institution like religions are, so there's no one that can speak "for" atheists
  Other than the Pope, who can (at least theoretically) speak for all Roman Catholics, I can't think of a single religion that has someone who can (even theoretically) speak for the religion.
  Protestants? Nope, in spite of what your prejudices may tell you, each church is independent, and even the pastor can't speak for his congregation without their permission.
  Orthodox Church? Nope. The Patriarchs aren't responsible to any authority, each of them is the authority in his own area.
  Hinduism? It is to laugh. Even treating Hinduism as a single religion is a bit chuckle-inducing.
  Ditto Buddhism. DItto Shinto. Ditto Animism. Ditto Paganism (neo- or otherwise).
  And especially ditto Islam, where any clergyman can issue a fatwa telling another clergyman he's an idiot, or call for anything at all (including blueberry scones for breakfast). Only actual strength a fatwa has is what any particular Muslim gives it.
  Note that this particular fatwa will be largely ignored outside the occasional look-at-the-funny-Muslims news article in the west, and the congregations of the particular clergymen who issued the fatwa.
  
  --
  
  "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
12. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by nosfucious · 2014-02-22 01:06 · Score: 1
  
  I would argue that religion is just a specialised form of cult.
  Not really that much difference between the crowd at a rally in NK and one outside the Vatican.
  NKs might be there to look good (or avoid disappearing in to a gulag), but how many that turn up to church at 10am on Sunday are also there only because of social pressure (and the fear of an eternity in hell).
  Oblig George Carlin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjVLJKR6g7U
  
  --
  Q:I was listening to a CD in Grip and it sounded horrible! What's up? A:Perhaps you are listening to country music
13. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 01:50 · Score: 0
  
  If you would say 99.9% of Muslims aren't _actively_ involved in terrorism - sure. But oppose?
  To be fair, 99.9% of Christians probably don't oppose. People can believe some strange things, ahem.
14. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by polymath69 · 2014-02-22 02:27 · Score: 1, Informative
  
  Gandhi was Hindu, not Muslim.
  
  --
  
  --
  I don't want to rule the world... I just want to be in charge of mayonnaise.
15. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by Kjella · 2014-02-22 02:35 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  So when these atheist dictators banned religion and went around killing those who practiced it, that was just ONE BIG COINCIDENCE and had nothing to do with their atheism?
  dictator
  1. a person exercising absolute power, especially a ruler who has absolute, unrestricted control in a government without hereditary succession.
  How can you have absolute power when people follow religious leaders, not you? And that claim to answer to a higher authority than you? Dictators suppress and eradicate religion because it's a threat to their power, it's in the nature of a dictator not an atheist. Sharing a religion means you are both working for the same god, you might disagree on the ways and means and goals but you're in it together. Branding it as ateists makes it sounds like we're your equal and opposite, but it's not. If two people go skydiving, they have something in common. If two people don't go skydiving, they still have nothing in common.
  
  But the fact that 99.9% of Muslims oppose terrorism doesn't seem to be swaying the terrorists.
  Are you lying or just ignorant? Here's an example from a huge study showing that just in Bangladesh is 150 million * 90% muslim * 26% = 35.2 million who think suicide bombing of civilians is sometimes/often justified. In Egypt there is another 85 million * 90% muslim * 29% = 22.2 million people and the same in Pakistan with 180 million * 97% muslim * 13% = 22.7 million. Together that's over 80 million people or about 5% of muslims that DO support terrorism. And a majority of the population in Egypt, Jordan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine and Malaysia want to kill you for leaving Islam.
  
  --
  Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
16. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by causality · 2014-02-22 03:23 · Score: 1
  
  You realize Muslim people aren't a hivemind, right? The people blowing themselves up aren't the ones issuing this fatwa. I presume you're an atheist... are you a "fucking hypocrite" for opposing mass murder, given the actions of Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot?
  The flaw there is assuming atheism is a religion rather than a state of mind.
  There is no church of atheism and no holy text containing commandments; being an atheist is a self-description, a label, and nothing else.
  The central tenet of atheism is that "there is no God". The central tenet of religion in general is that "there is a God (or gods)".
  
  Neither can be proven in a hard scientific sense. In that way, the two are on equal footing to me.
  
  Incidentally real skepticism is "I don't know". Skepticism in the form of "I don't know, therefore it cannot exist" is really just a way to avoid justifying one's own beliefs while simultaneously demanding that others justify theirs. Any actual thinking person recognizes this for the cowardice it is. In other fields these are the people who ignore evidence even when it exists and is presented to them, while congratulating themselves for the purity of their scientific skepticism.
  
  Incidentally "skeptic" comes from an ancient Greek word that means "one who provides alternative explanations".
  
  --
  It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
17. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by causality · 2014-02-22 03:33 · Score: 1
  
  The USA can send as many armies as it likes to places all over the world . . . but that will not stop those terrorists.
  No it doesn't stop them. It makes them feel justified and tends to greatly boost their recruitment efforts. There's nothing quite like a foreign army marching on your soil for the flimsiest reasons (WMD anyone?) to piss off the locals. Then we have reason to send our military out there again.
  
  From the point of view of the military-industrial complex, all of this is great for business. I wonder if we sold our old weapons to them in order to arm them first, like we did with Desert Storm and Desert Shield a couple of decades ago.
  
  --
  It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
18. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by causality · 2014-02-22 03:36 · Score: 1
  
  Actually, the problem is that a lot of radical Muslim terrorist haven't realized that they are a hivemind.
  Incidentally, no one with a hive mind is aware that they have one. Every such person believes they are an individual. You can see that right here in the Western world any time a trend suddenly catches on. Trends are almost never useful things that fulfill needs lots of people had. They're overwhelmingly frivolous things that no one needs that suddenly become popular. That's a hive mind too, led by various marketers who never openly identify themselves and their goals.
  
  --
  It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
19. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by AmiMoJo · 2014-02-22 03:58 · Score: 1
  
  But the fact that 99.9% of Muslims oppose terrorism doesn't seem to be swaying the terrorists.
  They don't seem to be opposing it very loudly, considering someone is using their religion and god to commit mass murder. In the UK about 2 million people protested against the invasion of Iraq in their name, so more than 1% of the population. I don't see many Muslims protesting in the streets or making much effort at all to condemn what is happening in the name of their religion.
  The core problem is that the Koran is supposed to be the literal word of God, so when it says "cut off the hands of thieves" or "murder infidels" a Muslim can't really argue with that unless they are willing to argue with Allah. The Bible is open to interpretation and all of it is acknowledged to be written by people who are retelling stories, but the Koran was allegedly word-for-word dictated by the man himself.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
20. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by nurb432 · 2014-02-22 03:59 · Score: 1
  
  No, its only if you blow up infidels in the process. You are expendable, but you have to take some of them with you in order to get a 'pass' on your actions.
  
  --
  ---- Booth was a patriot ----
21. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by HornWumpus · 2014-02-22 05:29 · Score: 1
  
  Not only that. Once he had power, he was no pacifist ether. Particularly with regard to Muslims.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
22. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by myowntrueself · 2014-02-22 05:35 · Score: 1
  
  The problem is the disconnect between muslims.
  In my experience, there are muslims (mostly western born, raised, educated) who believe that "Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance."
  There are also muslims (mostly born, raised, educated in muslim countries) who believe that "Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance."
  One might think "whats the difference?".
  Well, for the 'westernised' muslims, 'peace' and 'tolerance' mean pretty much what any other english speaker would think they mean. For the 'muslim' muslims 'peace' means 'because you are not struggling against the will of God you are at peace' and 'tolerance' means 'tolerate other muslims'.
  Theres a massive schism in Islam, its as if there are two completely different religions which occupy the same 'space' but which are completely opposite in many ways.
  
  --
  In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
23. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 05:53 · Score: 0
  
  You make the classic fallacy of shifting (or nullifying) the burden of proof. It isn't the job of the defendant to prove innocence, it's the job of the prosecutor to prove guilt. They are NOT on equal footing...please link to peer reviewed study on God (tm), or for that matter, any sound evidence period. You conflate atheism with anti-theism, and the inability to provide an explanation grants ZIP to your claim to a god.
24. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by shikhin · 2014-02-22 06:27 · Score: 1
  
  Neither can be proven in a hard scientific sense. In that way, the two are on equal footing to me.
  
  If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense.
  That's Bertrand Russell, in an article titled "Is There a God?"
  
  Skepticism in the form of "I don't know, therefore it cannot exist" is really just a way to avoid justifying one's own beliefs while simultaneously demanding that others justify theirs.
  The idea that God does not exist isn't a belief. It's a lack of belief. Those who do have a belief on the other hand, have the burden of proof, and failure to own up to it gives others the right to ridicule them. :-) Now, if someone asks me if there's a China teapot revolving around the sun, should I say "I don't know" or "It's highly improbable (given that we've analysed the Sun with great detail, and... China teapot's just don't orbit the sun), so much so that we can safely say no"? The burden of proof lies on the claimant, and not the defendant.
  
  --
  http://shikhin.in, "A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?" -Albert Einstein
25. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by artor3 · 2014-02-22 08:38 · Score: 1
  
  How can you have absolute power when people follow religious leaders, not you? And that claim to answer to a higher authority than you? Dictators suppress and eradicate religion because it's a threat to their power, it's in the nature of a dictator not an atheist.
  Bullshit. You have no understanding of history. These atheists targeted religion even when it was no threat to them, because they hated it, just as you hate it.
  For example, how do you explain Plutarco Calles, A DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRESIDENT, who banned even such harmless things as vows of chastity?
  You can't just handwave this shit away. I get that you HATE to think that assholes have done horrible things to further your beliefs. In your mind, your beliefs are perfect, and its only all the other beliefs that cause problems. But history doesn't bear that out, and things will never get better if we don't acknowledge historic fact.
26. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by artor3 · 2014-02-22 08:41 · Score: 1
  
  You honestly believe religious people are hive minds. That billions of people are all just mindless drones, without rich inner lives and thoughts and dreams and ambitions. That Muslims living in NYC can stop terrorism if only they willed it hard enough. Amazing.
  You are so full of hate, nothing I could ever say would get through to you. With a mindset like that, you'd be a jihadi had you not been lucky enough to be born in better circumstances.
27. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by causality · 2014-02-22 09:20 · Score: 1
  
  For something like a criminal trial, a scientific (falsifiable) theory, or a matter of logic, I fully agree with what you said.
  
  For something like whether I love a woman, whether blue is my favorite color, or whether there is a God, one has to recognize that these are not scientific questions. It's ridiculous to pretend that they are. The insistence on pretending this is a scientific matter is a rather selfish motivation: to claim a superior position when the truth is, no one has any indication either way in terms of hard evidence.
  
  It's amazing the lengths people will go to in order to tell someone else they're wrong/stupid/etc. This one is cheap because it requires no work and no effort, just a declaration. It's the low-hanging fruit picked by those too dishonest and insecure to admit that in terms of hard evidence, no one really knows.
  
  If you actually are willing to consider it as a real question, there is one thing you may find fascinating. The Golden Ratio keeps popping up everywhere in nature, even when many other values would work. This is not what one would expect from randomness. It particularly pops up in astronomy. I find that most interesting though I would not call it proof.
  
  As for me, I consider the existence of God to be a personal question. I am not arrogant enough to tell you what you should believe, given that same lack of hard evidence. The question itself is not falsifiable and is therefore outside the domain of scientific inquiry. Someone who doesn't understand that is extremely ignorant of the very science they claim to cherish.
  
  --
  It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
28. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 09:24 · Score: 0
  
  u mad bro?
29. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by abies · 2014-02-22 10:20 · Score: 1
  
  No, I said that religion is closest thing people have to hive minds. And I do not talk about muslims in particular - any strong reglion/cult is like that.
  And no, I would not be a jihadi. I was raised in Catholic country, been indoctrinated from early age and when I was teenager I said 'it is bullshit' and never went back. I could be now picketing under abortion clinics, but I'm not. Because I made a choice. And if you are suggesting that I would not be able to make that concious decision if I would be born into fanatic muslim family... then you would be only proving hivemind theory.
  http://sullydish.files.wordpre...
  People are trampling each other to death each year there. Please tell me it doesn't look like hive to you... Same can be probably said about things like Woodstock even - but religions are a LOT better at this stuff.
30. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by Your.Master · 2014-02-22 11:14 · Score: 1
  
  It may be the closest thing we have -- I'd even agree with that -- however it's not actually close, so that's irrelevant, because you were saying the statement "religions aren't hiveminds" was bullshit, but it's not. Religions are not hive-minds, and they are not even close to hive-minds.
31. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by abies · 2014-02-22 11:37 · Score: 1
  
  Ok, maybe I should separate the quotes better (and bold highlight was from OP, not me). I was calling BS on later part of statement statement
  "Members don't really have much influence over each other, and they have even less influence over people who have already proven themselves willing to kill."
  I think that members (especially 'priests') of religions have HUGE influence on certain groups of followers.
  Seems that artor3 somehow wanted to say that we cannot blame NY muslims for not stopping 9/11, because they could not influence the bombers. But nobody is discussing it - we are talking about terrorist priests who are manipulating gullible teenagers into sacrificing their lives.
  And if we are discussing definitions... Hive mind also means http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C..., which is "Collective conscious or collective conscience is the set of shared beliefs, ideas and moral attitudes which operate as a unifying force within society[...]This has also been termed "hive mind", "group mind", "mass mind", and "social mind"" I understand that OP meant something more ant-like, which obviously cannot be literally true with humans.
32. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by Your.Master · 2014-02-22 11:39 · Score: 1
  
  I'm generally on your side on this one (as an atheist) -- the fallacy of hasty generalization is the evil-twin opposite to the No True Scotsman fallacy and they often appear hand-in-hand. Blaming all Islam for some Islam fuckheads with suicide bombs is as stupid as blaming atheism for Stalin.
  That said, you're guilty of it here and I think your argument is getting off track. Banning vows of chastity aren't part of my beliefs. It is not even slightly related. Therefore, a democratically elected president who banned vows of chastity has done nothing whatsoever to further my beliefs (even if it damages somebody else's beliefs).
  Similarly, I actually think it's fair to point out that atheism isn't the cause of attacking the dictator's opponents, power is the cause -- it's just that it's irrelevant, because here it's not *really* Islam as a whole that's the cause, it's this guy's particular reading of Islam that is the problem, and that reading appears to be a minority reading. And it's not really anything about atheism that caused some dictators to go on pogroms, but it's a threat to power or maybe that guy really did just hate religion as a concept or whatever.
  A lot of slashdotters and people in gneeral commit the fallacy of thinking that everybody in religion X 100% believes the literal meaning of whatever English translation passage they read out-of-context on the Internet, even as they look around in eg. the US and see that most people call themselves Christian and yet blatantly violate explicit instructions in the KJV bible because they are clearly stupid. Like "thou shalt not kill" while holding a flyswatter. Even people who consider themselves 100% literalist go back and say "well, in the original Hebrew, the word was 'murder'; and besides they didn't really consider insects alive anyway" or some similar apologia. And we let them get away with that because even the most 100% literalist KJV-only fundamentalists are *expected* to interpret "thou shalt not kill" with a filter of reasonableness.
  (plus, though I didn't search for long, I didn't find anything on the web about Plutarco Calles banning vows of chastity anyway).
33. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 18:38 · Score: 0
  
  You make the classic fallacy of shifting (or nullifying) the burden of proof. It isn't the job of the defendant to prove innocence, it's the job of the prosecutor to prove guilt. They are NOT on equal footing...please link to peer reviewed study on God (tm), or for that matter, any sound evidence period.
  Just out of curiosity, what would the atheists in the crowd consider to be persuasive evidence of God? Not that I will likely be able to produce such evidence, but the impression I get is that the real (i.e., honest) answer is "nothing". Fair enough, as far as that goes, but this leads me to the suspicion that we will forever be talking past each other. Science is (arguably) predicated on methodological naturalism, which places questions about the supernatural realm outside its purview. Atheists seem to be fond to highlight their claim to a "scientific" worldview. Taken together, the atheist stance seems (to me) to be begging the question, which is a logical fallacy if I'm not mistaken.
34. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 00:19 · Score: 0
  
  Ouch. Serious reading and comprehension fail there.
  Simplified version of the text.
  Not US armies, not Ghandi, only fellow Muslims can stop Islamic Terrorism.
  Implying that US armies are not fellow Muslims nor is Ghandi a fellow Muslim.
  Thus, fail.
35. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by KeensMustard · 2014-02-23 20:23 · Score: 1
  
  Of course, Russell's argument was criticised at the time he made it, and criticised still today - said criticisms being, in part:
  1. An orbiting teapot is not analogous to a diety
  2. Whether Russell likes it or not, the statement there is no orbiting teapot is a statement of belief, since it is made absent evidence. A lack of belief in the teapot can co-exist comfortably with the universally held belief that there is no teapot. This uncomfortable fact is merely disguised by the fact that it is a shared belief - in other words, it's a strawman.
  
  The idea that God does not exist isn't a belief. It's a lack of belief.
  Unless you can provide empirical proof that there is no God, it's a belief. There is nothing magical about it.
36. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by shikhin · 2014-02-25 06:11 · Score: 1
  
  The insistence on pretending this is a scientific matter is a rather selfish motivation: to claim a superior position when the truth is, no one has any indication either way in terms of hard evidence.
  Let me put it this way: I can make infinite creatively worded claims, which can in no manner be disproved by you. Do I say that both our versions of the truth, where yours doesn't include my claims to be true, stand an equal chance, because "no one has any indication either way in terms of hard evidence"?
  To put a realistic example through, I can claim I'm telepathic. I can also claim that I'll certainly not show you my telepathic powers, because it's a fact that you must take on "faith". Since there's no indication in either way in terms of hard evidence, as to whether I'm telepathic or not, do you just be "agnostic" about it? How can you, in said scenario, have hard evidence that I'm not telepathic?
  Or do you just go on to say that whether I'm telepathic or not isn't a scientific query, it's ridiculous to pretend it is, it's not falsifiable, and everyone should have personal believes on me being telepathic?
  
  --
  http://shikhin.in, "A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?" -Albert Einstein
37. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by shikhin · 2014-02-25 06:14 · Score: 1
  
  An orbiting teapot is not analogous to a diety.
  I like to see both as special cases of "ridiculous claims".
  
  Whether Russell likes it or not, the statement there is no orbiting teapot is a statement of belief, since it is made absent evidence. A lack of belief in the teapot can co-exist comfortably with the universally held belief that there is no teapot. This uncomfortable fact is merely disguised by the fact that it is a shared belief - in other words, it's a strawman.
  Since it's almost impossible to have evidence for the non-existence of something which, by definition, doesn't have much "proof" for its existence anyway, do we seriously consider all such claims?
  
  --
  http://shikhin.in, "A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?" -Albert Einstein
38. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by KeensMustard · 2014-02-25 07:53 · Score: 1
  
  An orbiting teapot is not analogous to a diety.
  I like to see both as special cases of "ridiculous claims".
  Well, you are entitled to your beliefs, just be aware that others don't believe the same things you do.
  
  Whether Russell likes it or not, the statement there is no orbiting teapot is a statement of belief, since it is made absent evidence. A lack of belief in the teapot can co-exist comfortably with the universally held belief that there is no teapot. This uncomfortable fact is merely disguised by the fact that it is a shared belief - in other words, it's a strawman.
  Since it's almost impossible to have evidence for the non-existence of something which, by definition, doesn't have much "proof" for its existence anyway, do we seriously consider all such claims?
  I'm not sure that I understand your meaning.
  You would be aware that epistemologically, there are many frameworks that we use to verify the truth of some statement. We trust the things said by others that we trust. If we do not like someone, we distrust what they say, sometimes irrationally. We sometimes verify what is said against a trusted source (e.g. personal observation, a trusted scientist or scientific method). Sometimes we don't.
  Sometimes we recognise we can't - I can't for instance, verify the core sample results which lead to IPCC conclusions about climate sensitivity but I trust the process whereby the results were achieved, and distrust the conclusions made by contrarians because their reasoning is befouled by logical inconsistencies. I haven't made personal, repeatable observations, but does that say that (for me) the IPCC is wrong? That is ridiculous.
  Similarly, the theoretical deity exists, or does not exist irrespective of whether we believe in it or not. Thus - worry less about the rationality of reaching one conclusion (a deity exists) and consider the rationality of reaching another (no deity can exist), using the third conclusion (I don't know) as your guide.
39. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by shikhin · 2014-02-28 04:57 · Score: 1
  
  Similarly, the theoretical deity exists, or does not exist irrespective of whether we believe in it or not. Thus - worry less about the rationality of reaching one conclusion (a deity exists) and consider the rationality of reaching another (no deity can exist), using the third conclusion (I don't know) as your guide.
  I'm not saying "no deity can exist". What I'm saying is that since there's NO proof of one, no "rational framework" that verifies the truth of the existence of any deity, we shouldn't consider their existence in the first place. The question as to how we came into existence does have "deities" as a plausible answer, but if that be the case, I'm more curious as to how the deities came into existence.
  
  --
  http://shikhin.in, "A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?" -Albert Einstein
40. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by KeensMustard · 2014-03-01 22:05 · Score: 1
  
  I'm not saying "no deity can exist". What I'm saying is that since there's NO proof of one, no "rational framework" that verifies the truth of the existence of any deity, we shouldn't consider their existence in the first place.
  But not considering their existence (if that were possible) would leave us in the 'unknown' state, not the 'does not exist' state. And it is not possible to avoid considering the existence of a deity, here we are doing it right now.
  A bantu tribesman, having never seen nor heard of a tv, is merely ignorant of the existence of TVs. This we would classify as a state of ignorance. If the idea of a TV is proposed to him, he may reject such an outlandish notion. He thus enters a second state. He has formed an opinion not on the basis of empirical evidence, but on the basis of his experience and worldview, i.e. he believes that TVs do not exist.
  The first state is equivalent to agnosticism (i.e no knowledge). The second, in which an assertion (x does not exist) is accepted as true without the benefit of empirical evidence, is equivalent to atheism.
41. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by shikhin · 2014-03-03 01:33 · Score: 1
  
  If I make a ridiculous claim right now - let's say, there are fairies underneath your garden, and that they can't be detected via any method known to man - would you be able to provide empirical evidence for the contrary? From your limited experience and worldview, one limited by current times' technology, yes, you would believe (hopefully) that the fairies aren't there, but would you be able to prove so? No.
  I think agnosticism and atheism are bound by a thin line from where you assert that the original assertion is so ridiculous that you don't need to provide empirical evidence to the contrary (in cases like this, you even - as of now - just can't). For me, I draw the line a bit before religion.
  Why is the original assertion (of there being an intelligent designer) ridiculous, in this case? I'd like to first make it clear that I think the entirety of this discussion is about "how did we (Universe) come into existence?" With "intelligent designer" as the answer, you're simply off-loading the question. If any such designer does exist, my view of the Universe would extend to include the intelligent designer, and I'd ask "how did we (Universe & intelligent designer) come into existence?"
  
  --
  http://shikhin.in, "A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?" -Albert Einstein
42. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by causality · 2014-03-03 06:06 · Score: 1
  
  Let me put it this way: I can make infinite creatively worded claims, which can in no manner be disproved by you.
  None of which would be falsifiable (c.f. Karl Poppler) by experiment, and therefore not scientific in nature. Hence the fallacy of demanding proof and referring to scientific methods in the middle of the discussion.
  
  The irritation is that we have a casual conversation. At no point (and the point for this would be the very beginning) is it declared to be a scientific discussion. No one agreed to adhere to rigorous scientific methods. But then you say something that the other party happens not to like, and suddenly an outcry is heard for scientific proof.
  
  Like I said, it's just a way to demand that the other guy substantiate his beliefs while feeling no obligation to return the favor. It's a desire to put the other person at a disadvantage while maintaining one's own air of legitimacy. It's that instant "hah I win, you lose" effortless slam-dunk victory everyone on this site seems so desperate to experience. Personally if I want to outsmart or out-debate someone I like to have worked for it, feel that I have earned it, and most importantly I make my intention known from the start. If I have to use cheap-shot tactics to avoid a level playing field, just to feel like I am right, then my own views must not be very sound.
  
  I have speculated in the past that the constant reoccurrance of this phenomenon is likely because of personal insecurities on the part of many Slashdotters. It matches strongly the need for validation and a sense of superiority that insecure people tend to display.
  
  --
  It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
43. Re:"suicide, which all religions frown upon" by shikhin · 2014-03-05 17:16 · Score: 1
  
  The irritation is that this was never a casual conversation. At some point, this probably was a casual conversation. Until one party stands up and says, "There is a God. He created us. He governs us." At that point, yes, I believe there should be an outcry for scientific proof.
  I don't have any problems with a casual conversation. I would be entirely happy if two skeptical parties argue with each other. Would I be a bit biased against the side claiming there's an intelligent designer? Yes. That, as I detailed in another comment, is because saying there's an intelligent designer simply adds another layer of direction. "How was the Universe created?" "By an intelligent designer." "And how was the intelligent designer created?" "He just was." is no worse/better than "How was the Universe created?" "It just was."
  As for substantiating my beliefs, I maintain my stand. This debate did not start with me. Someone somewhere cooked up the entire idea behind personal God, in some form of a religion, without substantiating their beliefs. I simply ask those who follow that ideology to substantiate theirs, and if they can't, stop believing in it.
  I further plead you to stop with the personal attacks. You group me with some sort of "regular Slashdotter" looking for "effortless slam-dunk victory", although you might have failed to notice that I made my first comment in this thread. I felt like I could contribute to the discussion; if you disagree, stop responding, but don't revert to personal attacks while claiming to be a supporter of a level playing field.
  
  --
  http://shikhin.in, "A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?" -Albert Einstein
Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 21:10 · Score: 0

I'm going to take this just as seriously as the other meaningless jabber from the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment in the United Arab Emirates.
Imaginary controversies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 21:13 · Score: 0

Is the "problem" of the spiritual implications of Muslims on Mars actually of concern to anyone, anywhere, aside from these "clerics?" Is NASA proposing to make a Reality Mission to Mars with a Buddhist, Catholic, Sikh and Muslim on board?
What, pray-tell, do the muftis and imams advise wrt "East" during prayer while in orbit around, say, the Moon? Are these hypothetical Muslims supposed to aim back to Earth?
Eventually we'll end up with female Muslims in space... complete with helmet integrated niqab...?
This has got to be the single most absurd manufactured controversy I've seen yet. Congratulations Islam; you've invented an "issue" out of whole cloth and managed to perturb the global media. Where is Pat Condell when you need him!?
This explains why Republicans... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 21:16 · Score: 0

are always so anti-NASA.
People should be less ignorant by Beryllium+Sphere(tm) · 2014-02-21 21:25 · Score: 1

"All religions"?!
It makes sense to study what drives the inhabitants of this planet, which is often their religion.
Newsworthy? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 21:53 · Score: 0

So what? Is it that hard for people to understand if not respect others religion? This constant provoking of religious believes got to stop, it only leads to unneeded conflict.
1. Re:Newsworthy? by causality · 2014-02-22 03:49 · Score: 2
  
  Why should I respect stupidity and willful ignorance? Because that is what religion is. ALL religion.
  You could do it out of altruism and grace. That is, you could respect freedom so much that you don't need to always approve of what other people do with it.
  
  If you need a self-centered reason, like most people do, there is one: you want them to respect your lack of religion, right? You had the same choice they did, to believe or not to believe. They simply chose differently. The way this works, is that either everyone has the freedom to make that choice, or eventually no one does. Because the moment you find an excuse not to respect another's right to choose, you harm your own freedom. Eventually that list of restrictions will be expanded to include you (sooner rather than later, considering how vastly outnumbered you are). Tyranny has always been done that way, over time by means of incremental expansion.
  
  Honestly you sound like a short-sighted person who hasn't thought this through, probably because thinking it through would interfere with feeling superior to religious people.
  
  --
  It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
That prohibition on suicide has worked wonders by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:44 · Score: 0

I havent heard of any suicide terrorism from the islamic world. yeah i know some muslims might argue that its more like dying in battle as long as its perceived to be in defense of islam, while some may say its certainly suicide and is forbidden. thats the best part about big books of choose your own adventure. you can interpret a set of rules in the quran, the hadith literature, the tafsirs, the torah, the bible, etc in any way you see fit and you cant be wrong. when you are told to mow down people for imaginary rules being broken, or for believing the wrong thing and you say "no, when it says 'kill them' it means something else" you cant be wrong if you can find a nice peachy verse provided you jettison or weasel out of the direct commands. "homosexuality is wrong, it says right here in leviticus! i even believe it so much that i got a tattoo of it" "you know it says in the same book that tattoos are also a crime that you should be killed for, right?" "oh thats just a metaphor or an allegory or some other thing that makes my awesome tattoo great and 2 men kissing totally wrong"
Shouldn't it issue a Fatwa against suicide bombing by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:46 · Score: 0

Shouldn't the Fatwa committee issue a Fatwa against suicide bombing?
It just shows how inconsistent, irrational and selfish these Fatwa committee members are.
I laugh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:53 · Score: 0

I think it's kinda funny that this is coming out of a religious leader in a foreign country's mouth and not Christian-American ones.
Now to be honest. Any and all trips to any heavenly body other than the Moon is suicide. Not because it's currently a one-way trip, but because the actual economics of the trip do not allow for designing a two-way trip. We simply can't send a space ship and land it. Though...
Why not just leave the ship in orbit? Have we not learned anything from games like OUTPOST and Alpha Centauri? Send down pods on carbon fiber ropes instead of landing them in the most one-way means possible. Leave the mothership in orbit.
A return trip would likely require a little more planning. Anyone going to mars would be stuck there for at least an earth year (1 mars orbit is nearly 2 earth orbits) and a bit. Unfortunately any ship we design to go there is unlikely able to produce the needed fuel to come back. According to at least one documentary (with the topic of evacuate earth) , if we had to do it now, we could, but we'd be basically packing up the richest/smartest people and telling everyone else to welcome their fiery god of death or something.
Which comes back to my point about suicides. Would it not be considered suicide to NOT leave earth, even if it means never coming back? Would the religious people never want to go even if it meant the planet would be destroyed anyway? (No not happening, but just on the basis of "we've been lucky so far", we should have humans on more than one planet, even if one of those are less hospitable. We need to advance robotic technology much much farther than it currently is though.
Atheism is not a religion per see by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 22:54 · Score: 1

Atheism is just the disbelief in gods and it means nothing else. Heck even buddhist IIRC are "religious" atheist. So your comaprison with mao lenine or whomever fail on so many points it isn't funny. Furthermore the one you cited did not murder because of atheism, or in the name of atheism , but mostly to grasp at power and eliminate discontent and opposition. There is nothing in atheism which makes one want to murder or justify murder. On the other hand in many religious book , including the bible, murder in the name of gods is actually "fine". So really if you want to justify genocide, simply say that you are following the old testament for example. Plenty of stuff inside to justify genocide.
1. Re:Atheism is not a religion per see by N1AK · 2014-02-21 23:18 · Score: 1
  
  So your comaprison with mao lenine or whomever fail on so many points it isn't funny.
  No, it's completely valid. A muslim who believes in peace and leaving others alone living in Birmingham has nothing more common with a Jihadist Somali suicide bomber than I, an atheist, have with Pol Pot. Being a muslim doesn't entirely define someone, nor does any religion fortunately, and it's no fairer to tar them all with the same brush than it is when extremists do it to 'all westerners' etc.
2. Re:Atheism is not a religion per see by ZarathustraDK · 2014-02-22 00:57 · Score: 2
  
  Why do you treat it as a binary constellation?
  
  Fact of the matter is that when someone blows up civilians in a suicide bombing, then 49 out of 50 times they're muslim. That's a problem.
  Other religions generally do not have a problem assimilating into society and identifying with it. Muslims, OTOH, bunch up in ghettos, prioritize speaking arabic before the national language, keep each other in check with regards to following the Koran (ostrasizing those who stray), and pine for the day when the world is run like a caliphate, just like their holy book tells them. That's a problem.
  Generally, you don't see other religions doing this, and when they do we call them nutballs. That's because other religions generally keep their domain of influence to covering morality and the after-life; whereas islam, on top of this, also claims a compendium of how to run the world, politics, behavior etc. That's a problem, because it clashes with everybody else's idea that they have a right to form their own opinions about life and reality, and it makes it impossible to simply brush off inter-religion differences by going "oh well, we'll see who was right when we die, let's just do our own thing until then.". In their eyes, you're kuffir if you're not a muslim, a second-grade citizen worth less than their "brothers and sisters".
  
  And last but not least, muslims will claim the above is not true. But then again they're explicitly allowed to lie in defense of their religion (taqqiya and kitman). Try and remember that whenever an imam or other islamic scholar tries to dodge questions about sharia. They WILL lie in order to "smooth over" differences, and they'll feel good about it.
  
  --
  If you quote this signature there'll be 72 copies of Windows ME waiting for you in Heaven.
3. Re:Atheism is not a religion per see by causality · 2014-02-22 03:28 · Score: 1
  
  And last but not least, muslims will claim the above is not true. But then again they're explicitly allowed to lie in defense of their religion (taqqiya and kitman). Try and remember that whenever an imam or other islamic scholar tries to dodge questions about sharia. They WILL lie in order to "smooth over" differences, and they'll feel good about it.
  That's because they understand that all warfare is based on deception. No one explained this better than Sun Tzu.
  
  --
  It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
Irony by Dunbal · 2014-02-21 23:29 · Score: 4, Funny

the religious leaders argue that making the trip would be tantamount to committing suicide, which all religions tend to frown upon."
Brought to you by the religion that also endorses suicide bombers, because some suicides are actually ok.

--
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Re:Suicide bad by outsider007 · 2014-02-21 23:38 · Score: 0

...and not a fetus.

--
If you mod me down the terrorists will have won
Re:Well for once I agree... Me, too. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 23:52 · Score: 0

> ...let us evolved human beings make a fresh new life on a fresh new planet without you!
Evolved? You're kidding, right?
Also, this is not gonna be like BB... it will be just like Jackass -- except networks will probably turn off the live feed to avoid the boring "save us, we don't wanna die" routine.
Too bad it will probably mean the death of some kids who didn't thought life could end so easily -- but, then, how many voyages have had no return right here on Earth because of wars?
But... but... by Maritz · 2014-02-21 23:53 · Score: 4, Insightful

What if there's a school on Mars that has a girl in it? It's not going to blow itself up now, is it?!?! More short-sightedness from the 'clerics'.

--
I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
1. Re:But... but... by X10 · 2014-02-22 00:03 · Score: 1
  
  I'm sure Iran's space progam is solely aimed at sending a missile to that school.
  
  --
  no, I don't have a sig
2. Re:But... but... by Maritz · 2014-02-22 00:07 · Score: 1
  
  With a loyal mujaheddin strapped on, I should hope..!
  
  --
  I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
This from a religion by msobkow · 2014-02-22 00:00 · Score: 1, Insightful

This from a religion famous for suicide bombers.
What a shame the radicals and terrorists don't actually READ the Koran.

--
I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
1. Re:This from a religion by AmiMoJo · 2014-02-22 02:41 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  The problem is they did read the Koran. It says non believers should be killed. Quite explicitly. Since it is supposed to be god's literal word many scholars have concluded that jihad is pleasing to him. Therefore death as a result of fighting in his name is fine, to be encouraged even.
  Suicide bombing is more contentious, but only in the senses that some people argue against the legitimacy of the war and some argue that it isn't the best way to fight.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
2. Re:This from a religion by dskoll · 2014-02-22 03:25 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Have you actually READ the Koran? It's basically disgusting hate literature. What do you think inspires the radicals and terrorists?
3. Re:This from a religion by myowntrueself · 2014-02-22 05:36 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  This from a religion famous for suicide bombers.
  What a shame the radicals and terrorists don't actually READ the Koran.
  Well at least there will be one muslim-free planet...
  
  --
  In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
4. Re:This from a religion by msobkow · 2014-02-22 10:12 · Score: 2
  
  Funny.
  The Koran translation I read explicitly ordered the Muslims to get along with the Jews and the Christians and to live in peace amongst them because they all believe in the same God.
  
  --
  I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
5. Re:This from a religion by msobkow · 2014-02-22 10:19 · Score: 1
  
  You've been modded down because you didn't buy into the anti-Muslim tripe that fills Slashdot like a cancer.
  You are also correct about the general intent and content of the Koran, unlike the grandparent post, which is hate filled bullshit.
  
  --
  I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
6. Re:This from a religion by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 12:46 · Score: 0
  
  That must have been South Koran. The People's Democratic Republic of North Koran has stuff like this in it.
7. Re:This from a religion by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 16:40 · Score: 0
  
  Funny.
  The Koran translation I read explicitly ordered the Muslims to get along with the Jews and the Christians and to live in peace amongst them because they all believe in the same God.
  You might want to familiarize yourself with the islamic notion of abrogation in the Quran. Google it yourself, because I'm too lazy to go find a link to cite.
8. Re:This from a religion by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 17:15 · Score: 0
  
  The Koran considers Judaism and Christianity perfectly compatible with Islam (the latter with a few minor dogmatic patches)...
  Errr, those "few minor dogmatic upgrades" are rather central to the Christian Church's teaching over roughly the past two millennia.
  
  ...and doesn't mandate a religious upgrade.
  Only if you don't mind being subjugated and paying the jizya.
  
  The Koran is riddled with Biblical references; you wouldn't be able understand much of it if you didn't know your Bible. Muhammed was especially impressed with Moses in the desert. He could perfectly relate to how frustrated Moses was with his blockheaded supporters. The story is retold in the Koran maybe four times.
  It should be pointed out muslims are frequently told by their religious leaders that the scriptures of the Jews and Christians is hopelessly corrupted; while muslims almost universally say that they revere Taurat, Zibbur, and Injeel (Torah, Psalms, and Gospels, respectively), it is very rare to find any of them that has actually read them. In their view, this corruption of the scriptures necessitates a new revelation from their Prophet. In fact, the biblical references in the Quran are frequently a horrible mish mash, conflating various people and incidences with obvious anachronisms. It is also worth pointing out that it is quite likely the Christianity Mohammed was most familiar with may have been a heresy. (Nestorianism, perhaps?)
9. Re:This from a religion by sergueyz · 2014-02-23 02:51 · Score: 1
  
  As far as I understand the thing, Muslim can live along others if those others do not violate "the agreement". That "agreement" says that others should not try to advertise their religion among muslims, convert muslims into theirs and prevent muslims from converting others into Islam. This is so because all other religions are wrong.
  As far as I understand the thing, even me saying that it is easy to violate such agreement is a capital offense to Islam.
  So, yes. There's is a line that ordered muslims to live along the other people of the Book, but it is very much conditional one. And conditions are easy to violate for me or someone else.
  And I even not started about pagans to whom I do belong, I am atheist.
10. Re:This from a religion by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-26 00:44 · Score: 0
  
  The same thing that inspires radicals and terrorists among Christians - people with a lust for power who twist the scripture to suit their own goals, along with people who cherry-pick the scripture so it "supports" whatever they want it to.
So is staying on earth by giorgist · 2014-02-22 00:08 · Score: 2

Pretty much anybody staying on earth or even having returned to earth after going to space has died here. There is no technology yet that can change that.
1. Re:So is staying on Earth by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 09:38 · Score: 0
  
  What a bunch of doomsday religious bullshit you're shoveling there. Take it elsewhere, go print out your "species doomsday" fliers and hand them out at the mall like the good cultish nutcase you are.
Indeed... by Stumbles · 2014-02-22 00:32 · Score: 2

they (UAE) say it would be suicide for such a trip but suicide is OK if they strap bombs on a kid to blow up their enemies and do in the name of allah.

--
My karma is not a Chameleon.
Another collective thinking they have.... by 3seas · 2014-02-22 01:13 · Score: 1

...control over the choices of others.
Israel means "to battle god". Islam means "voluntary submission to god the infinite." Christianity mean saving by sacrificing savings. Hinduism means going with the whatever flow, and Buddhism means "the awakened one". So Israel wars against Islam sacrificing Christians all with the help of Hindus while Buddhist are "many" busy practicing to be "one awake" in their slumber. And all the rest help fill in any gaps in what is going to be nuclear WWIII due collectives thinking they must control others.
Suicide???? Islam approved only if you blow up some non-muslims too?
Guess not enough non-muslims going? Besides...
Mars = Mars Already Reaped that Shit. ......red barren planet...
Duh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 01:14 · Score: 0

Do they forbid stop being muslim too? Why do we still argue about this crap anyway.
Does this mean suicide bombers are forbidden too? by RoosterRuley · 2014-02-22 01:17 · Score: 1

I don't understand, does this mean that suicide bombing is also already forbidden?
Muslims can't go to Mars? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 01:48 · Score: 0

It is so sad, the poor muslims can't go home.
But hey... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 01:59 · Score: 0

...Islam has no problem with the enslavement or killing of those who don't convert to it...funny how that is.
I must be dreaming! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 02:21 · Score: 0

Muslim-free Mars? YEAH!
This might be a blow ... by Rambo+Tribble · 2014-02-22 02:36 · Score: 1

... to the Mars Needs Women campaign.
tell them the mission is to kill Martian infidels by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 02:42 · Score: 0

Case closed, next
Send 72 slashdotters with them by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 02:57 · Score: 0

So they get the virgins...that makes it okay.
1. Re:Send 72 slashdotters with them by rubycodez · 2014-02-22 04:17 · Score: 1
  
  that is not true. hardly any virgins here. almost all slashdotters have reached and passed the magic age when a boy and his hand come together and havephysical love and bonding in the soft glowing light of the monitor displaying pr0n
How to make it OK by dskoll · 2014-02-22 03:24 · Score: 1

As long as they blow themselves up when they get there, it'll be OK.
Why not send the Jews up there? by mtthwbrnd · 2014-02-22 03:41 · Score: 0

If they really want a "Land without a people for a people without a land"!
Any complaints of anti-semitism can be filed under: What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Since it appears to be okay for people to snipe at Muslims with quips about "virgins" and "blow yourself up when you get there" without accusations of Islamophobia.
How is it suicide? by nurb432 · 2014-02-22 03:57 · Score: 2

Its no more suicide than it is to settle in another country with no intent to return, and live the rest of your life there. The 'Mars settlers' plan on living the 'normal' remainder of their life, not just getting there to starve to death in a couple of weeks. ( sure, accidents happen but the plan is what is relevant )
Or as a Muslim you are required to go 'home' before you die?
Stupid religious fanatics. Get rid of them and the world would be a much happier ( and safer ) place.

--
---- Booth was a patriot ----
1. Re:How is it suicide? by KeensMustard · 2014-02-22 19:09 · Score: 2
  
  Its no more suicide than it is to settle in another country with no intent to return, and live the rest of your life there.
  There is a distinction between deliberately and inevitably shortening your life by some action (e.g. by going to Mars), and choosing to live your life in another country. This is about the choosing to die, not about hazard, and not about location. Mars residents can expect to live up to a year, maybe less, maybe slightly more. They have no chance of living a full life.
  This Muslim is not alone in considering the current plans for suicide missions to be ethically problematic. Many of the people signing up for the Mars One expedition (and similiar) have unrealistic expectations - that it is the start of permanent settlement, that a Mars colony can thrive, that humanity has some mysterious 'destiny' to move beyond Earth, that they will be remembered fondly by future generations. None of these things are likely or even plausible. If they knew the truth, would they be signing up? What is Mars One, doing, peddling lies that will lead to the deaths of the unlucky few who are chosen?
2. Re:How is it suicide? by nurb432 · 2014-02-23 03:58 · Score: 1
  
  This Muslim is not alone in considering the current plans for suicide missions to be ethically problematic.
  
  And that is why religion should be banned. Now.
  And if you honestly equate relocating to a harsh environment as suicide, you are an idiot should be banned too.
  
  --
  ---- Booth was a patriot ----
3. Re:How is it suicide? by KeensMustard · 2014-02-23 19:28 · Score: 1
  
  This Muslim is not alone in considering the current plans for suicide missions to be ethically problematic.
  And that is why religion should be banned. Now.
  By all means, attempt to ban anyone who doesn't agree with your views on Mars settlement.
  
  And if you honestly equate relocating to a harsh environment as suicide, you are an idiot should be banned too.
  By all means, attempt to ban me (from what, might I ask, out of curiousity?) . And good luck with that. But back to the real world - unless you are actually able to describe why we should let a corporation (e.g. Mars One) get away with sending people to their deaths, based on lies, I'll continue to voice my concern and expose those lies: like this one: In a 1000 years, everyone on Earth will still remember who the first humans on Mars were.
  or this one: Mars One designed a mission using only existing technology. In the coming years, a demonstration mission, communication satellites, two rovers and several cargo missions will be sent to Mars
People need to stop taking UAE Clerics... by mtthwbrnd · 2014-02-22 04:00 · Score: 0

as being representative of Islam or Muslims.
How about we take the Rabid Rabbis as being representative of the views of Jews?
So does that mean that all Jews believe that "Non Jews are donkeys put here only to serve the Jews" as the highly revered (e.g. the Israeli prime minister gave him a great speech when he died) Rabbi Ovidia Yosef recently stated? Does that mean that all Jews believe that "even" a Homosexual Jew has a higher soul than a goy as one of the Rabid Rabbis recently stated? Does that mean that all Jews believe that they are entitled to kill a non Jews in order to take his organs should a Jew need them, as one of the Rabid Rabbis recently stated?
Of course not! The Jews and their supporters will shout! He is on the fringe! He does not represent us!
But on the other hand you are all okay with taking these few extremist's words are being representative of the views of all Muslims!
The fact is that there are nut bags on all sides and Jews and Christians have their fair share of them too. They just don't get the biased press coverage for some strange reason.
1. Re:People need to stop taking UAE Clerics... by mtthwbrnd · 2014-02-22 13:54 · Score: 1
  
  Some Jew bag marked this as flame bait! This is not flame bait, it is a serious point. We have people here posting anti-Islam comments all over this article. My comment points out their hypocrisy.
did the same clerics have an opinion on bombings? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 04:14 · Score: 0, Insightful

did these same clerics forbid suicide bombings?
Like being born? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 04:26 · Score: 0

Going to mars doesn't kill you, you still get to live your life. Being born is tantamount to suicide then since it too surely dooms you to death eventually.
1. Re:Like being born? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 15:32 · Score: 0
  
  Not at all. I don't know a single person who chose to be born.
  However, if you wanted to argue that procreating was tantamount to murder you might almost have an argument there.
So is staying on Earth by Bengie · 2014-02-22 04:29 · Score: 1

Someone has to make the trip and take the risk. Stay on Earth is also "tantamount to committing suicide", because Earth will also perish. Are they trying to say that they want all the reward without the risk? I would argue that is pure selfishness. There is a good case to argue that just being alive is an act of suicide, and anything that you don't do to keep yourself alive longer is an act of suicide.
Can we even do one-way trip yet? by wonkey_monkey · 2014-02-22 04:49 · Score: 1

At the moment, there is no technology available that would allow for a return trip from Mars
Is there even technology available for the one-way trip yet?

--
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
They are stilled allowed to go to the Sun... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 05:32 · Score: 0

Except only at night.
By the same (lol) logic... by Anarchduke · 2014-02-22 05:35 · Score: 1

Staying on Earth will end up with you dead too, which must also be tantamount to suicide. Therefore, if you are Muslim, you shouldn't be allowed to live anywhere.

--
who prays for Satan? Who in 18 centuries has had the humanity to pray for the 1 sinner that needed it most? ~Mark Twain
Sounds fair enough for me. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 06:12 · Score: 0

Suicide is a sin in many religions.. no?
As a side point by Kimomaru · 2014-02-22 06:14 · Score: 1

I honestly don't understand this whole thing about sending humans to Mars - a move that can only end in disaster. If people are that eager to leave civilization, maybe they should just go to the Artic. It's pretty much the same thing with the same set of challenges, but it would be easier to walk back a bad decision.
1. Re:As a side point by Your.Master · 2014-02-22 11:50 · Score: 1
  
  Well actually it's a very different thing with a different set of challenges, one of which being that you can't walk back the bad decision....
  These people are eager to say they were among the first, to see things as nobody else has ever seen them, to have their names known, and to go down in history books. They just can't be the first to the arctic anymore.
2. Re:As a side point by Kimomaru · 2014-02-22 21:16 · Score: 1
  
  Good point.
Al Queda is strongly against terrorism. by 140Mandak262Jamuna · 2014-02-22 06:15 · Score: 1

But the fact that 99.9% of Muslims oppose terrorism doesn't seem to be swaying the terrorists.

In fact, Al Queda is very strongly against terrorism. The only difference is they would define whatever is done by America, drone strikes, invading Muslim countries, making swimming compulsory for Muslim girls in American schools etc, as terrorism, and whatever they are doing as a fight for liberation.
I agree with you to some extent. Killers come in all stripes and they will kill and use any ideology to justify the bloodlust. Many ideologies have very bloody history, Judaism, Christianity, Islam among the religious and communism, fascism, naziism, marxism among the secular ideologies.
It is the responsibility of the non-killer practitioners of the ideology make sure their ideology is not used as justification for killing. Muslims are not the only oppressed people in the world. Hindus have suffered under Muslim invasion and then under Christian rule. They are not producing terrorists as much as the Muslims do. Buddhist lands have been occupied by Muslims, and they are churning out terrorists.
We have enough Muslims talking English to the West. We get it, "Islam is a religion of peace and not all Muslims are terrorists". But unless the moderates make some headway talking Arabic to fellow Muslims and reduce the number of terrorists who shout "Allah o' Akkubar" while they kill, we, the Western moderates, will have tough time containing our extremists.

--
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
Well for once I agree with religious crazies by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 06:35 · Score: 0

Why? All the religious crazies should be on a one way trip outta here.
who is suicidal by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 06:53 · Score: 1

calling out people to obey antiquated notions based on an invisible sky god, resulting in humanity engaging in bloody religious warfare and the deaths of millions. happily producing as much crude oil as possible and encouraging consumption, leading to global climate change. The imams, along with the nutjob christians, are driving the world to a suicidal cliff. I wonder what the traditional islamic punishment for encouraging suicide is? oh, since the people encouraging it are the people deciding what islamic law is, then i suppose they will simply write the laws to exclude their culpability. I am getting really fucking sick of these religious people and their death wish. they have disproved the existence of their (narrowly defined) god, because if such a god did exist, he would have wiped these mfs out already.
Really.... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 07:10 · Score: 0, Insightful

Since when do Muslims care about suicide? They do it all the time when they're blowing themselves up.
The Emperor has no clothes. by westlake · 2014-02-22 08:20 · Score: 4, Interesting

Clearing away the brush.

The Malaysian National Space Agency (MNSA) and its Department of Islamic Development held a two-day conference in April [of 2006]. They invited 150 scholars, scientists, and astronauts to discuss "Islam and Life in Space."
Five times a day (before sunrise, at midday, in late afternoon, after sunset, and at night), earth-bound muezzins call Muslims to prayer. A spaceship traveling 17,400 miles per hour orbits the earth 16 times in a day. Does that mean praying 80 times in 24 hours?
If interrupting work to pray is not possible, the astronaut may practice a shorter version of the prayer or combine midday and afternoon prayer times, or the evening and night ones.
The next problem: Where is Mecca?
Muslims on Earth face Mecca, in central Saudi Arabia, when they pray. The MNSA suggests that the astronaut pray toward Mecca as much as possible, or at the Earth in general. But if it becomes necessary, the astronaut may simply face any direction.
How does an Islamic astronaut face Mecca in orbit?
The conference went on to discuss a broad range of concerns. To sum up: The rituals of the Islamic faith are meant to focus the believer's attention on his relationship with his God. They are not an exercise in puzzle-logic and they do not require a geometric or technological solution.
Moving on.

In January 2014, former German astronaut Ulrich Walter strongly criticized the project for ethical reasons. Speaking with Berlin's Tagesspiegel, he estimated the probability of reaching Mars alive at only thirty percent, and that of surviving there more than three months at less than twenty percent. He said, "They make their money with that [TV] show. They don't care what happens to those people in space...

Mars One
Captain John Smith ran a tight ship and had no use for the Virginian colonist whose plans were based on magical thinking and not careful planning, adequate material and financial resources and a rigorous internal discipline.
He published a list of supplies he believed to be the minimum requirements for survival on the frontier: essentially a year's supply of all consumables and durable goods, and allowing for a generous margin of safety.
New France saw one or two supply ships a year, which may give you some idea of the expense. New France, remember, had an economically viable export trade in furs and unflinching support from the crown. Those ships would be coming, hell or high water. Other colonies were less favored.
Smith's budget has no allowance for a healthy communal and social life. Entertainment, education, religion and so on.
No successful American colonial settlement ever began with a base as small as twenty or bound to a space that is at once so physically confined and isolated. I would expect to see alcohol as a problem. I would expect to see suicide as a problem.
1. Re:The Emperor has no clothes. by westlake · 2014-02-22 11:02 · Score: 1
  
  Lost in transit from CSM:
  
  The guidelines are much more reasonable: Daily prayer in space [was] not linked to sunrises and sunsets, but to a 24-hour cycle based on the "home" time zone of Baikonur, the Russian-leased launch site in Kazakhstan. Five meditations every 24 hours [would] suffice.
  The geek wants to see a Martian colony in his lifetime.
  Mars One is wish fulfillment --- magical thinking -- not science.
2. Re:The Emperor has no clothes. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 18:09 · Score: 0
  
  Escapism.
  You are God but you are also not God
  You can choose to lie to yourself;
  and then you can choose to believe your lies.
  Once you believe your lies you will see the world more in that way;
  when you see the world more in that way this will reinforce your belief.
  As a human with ability to make decision, action - you can act on this belief and actually do things - speak, write, predict, etc.
  and the things you do can be to try to prove to others that your beliefs are right - eg. agenda.
  But remember all opposites are simultaneous in their expression.
  No energy can be radiated or radiating that has not been or is not being generated;
  the light of the sun and the dark of space are two opposite conditions of the same thing;
  your ideas of Mind once they began are powerful and will never end;
  so indeed you are powerful and your agenda is real.
  But you are also not powerful and your agenda is illusion;
  because no idea of Mind ever began;
  or ever ended.
  Knowledge has no beginning and no end.
  All there is is God and everything that is is of everything else that is;
  there is no escape.
  You are God;
  but you are also not God
  Now stop playing on Slashdot and get back to work!
These are Very Educated Minds Making Decisions by LifesABeach · 2014-02-22 09:02 · Score: 1

Have these very same people considered that those who "go down to the sea in ships" may be successful? And at some point in time decide NOT to come back?
Muslims to Mars by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 09:54 · Score: 0

Clerics won't let them go? That is bad news.
The brilliance of this is staggering. by Hussman32 · 2014-02-22 10:47 · Score: 1

I hadn't heard of this until this article, but I am impressed by the brilliance of this. They'll ride this wave of media attention from the Fatwa to get funding for the fake colonies that they can put in the desert cheaply, get people living in the fake colonies by 2015 and turn it into a reality show that would dwarf Big Brother using the Mars exploration for the challenges etc. Then if for some reason this pipe dream actually became a reality (which I doubt), everyone would be paying monthly subscriptions waiting for the inevitable series finale (dust storm that breached all of the vacuum seals killing everyone on board).

--
"Who are you?" "No one of consequence." "I must know." "Get used to disappointment."
This is eerily similar to "The Marching Morons". by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 11:05 · Score: 0

200+ posts and not one reference to the short story "The Marching Morons" ?
Slashdot is well and truly on the way to Mars, itself, and it is a one way mission.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons
Getting a little ahead of themselves by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 12:51 · Score: 0

Sounds like a person who just got their GED talking about going to Harvard to study theoretical physics. Whoah there partner, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.
Finally, a loophole! by skaag · 2014-02-22 13:56 · Score: 0

I believe we may have found a loophole where muslims are left behind on earth, and sane people can safely travel to another planet without fearing being followed by retarded religious zealots!

--
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain... time... to... die...
Live out the remainder of your life = suicide? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 15:16 · Score: 0

Really?
So traveling to Mars to spend your remaining days (out from under the Fatbastard's thumbs) is tantamount to suicide?
So's strapping a bomb to your chest for a jihad dipshits.
Where's the announcement declaring jihad to be a no-go?
I know it's the zealots, non-conformists who want total control of every aspect of their people's lives that are the culprits behind the jihads, but seriously.
Driving a car down a street can be tantamount to suicide some days, no proscription from driving announced that I've seen.
Breathing air in some regions of China is tantamount to suicide, are there Muslim travel proscriptions to China?
By that logic by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 15:48 · Score: 0

taking a one-way trip to any place, even on Earth, is equal to committing suicide. Because you know when you're done spending your lifetime somewhere, you will die.
On Red planet by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 16:35 · Score: 0

UAE fatwa prevents Mars travelling to YOU!
I know that maybe you were joking but... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 01:10 · Score: 0

The myth that half the people who ever lived are still alive was busted quite a while ago. Sad really because it was a cool idea :
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-living-outnumber-dead/
Virgins by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 05:40 · Score: 0

Official Statement by Mullah Al-Fuckwit: There are no virgins on Mars. Not 72, not even 1.
More at 11 by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 05:50 · Score: 0

More at 11.
Hum. by matcheydj · 2014-02-23 07:09 · Score: 1

astronauts are pretty healthy - it wouldn't really hasten your demise, going to mars, so by that rationale staying on earth is tantamount to offing yourself. my question is how would NASA/ESA coordinate prayer times, and how exact would the calculation of which direction Mecca lies toward so that the Muslim Martian Explorers could satisfy prayer reqs? I'm sure they could come up with a reclining/inclining sled...
all life ends on earth by age or disease by eionmac · 2014-02-23 10:35 · Score: 1

All life ends on earth by age or disease, so if enough air/water/food for a lifetime then the Mars trip is no different to living on Earth. Cleric has no fundamental logic to life's period on Earth never mind elsewhere. So not suicide unless all life is a suicide trip.

--
Regards Eion MacDonald
What a relief! by CHIT2ME · 2014-02-23 11:26 · Score: 0

At least we won't have any "dead terrorists" on Mars saying; "I keel you!"

--
My karma is bad. Don't get too close!!!
Earth. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 13:08 · Score: 0

Just pray in the direction your comms antenna is pointing. (Unless you use a relay then yer kinda screwed).
Re:Well for once I agree... Me, too. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 16:15 · Score: 0

Evolved? You're kidding, right?
Allright who let the creationist in, couldn't have figured it out on their own.
And by NewYork · 2014-02-23 17:12 · Score: 1

"Religion was born when the first con man met the first fool" --Oscar

--
Casteism
I'm sorry Dave.... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 23:33 · Score: 0

Im sorry Dave The Muslim your unable to do that .....
Needed technology by rolias · 2014-02-24 11:54 · Score: 1

The technology to return from Mars is the same as that required to get there with this project - both of which are in short supply: money.
Feed the fairy. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-28 14:43 · Score: 0

Just maybe someone could convince these fools that Buraq is waiting for them on the planet to be their ride home. Is there a fatwa against riding nut-to-butt?