On religion

I know, I know... I haven't given any details of my Saturday's driving excursion yet. It's nearing the end of the "semester" and time is precious, as I try to plan for exams, review sessions at the hotel, projects, and such!
So , I wil try to get something written before I head out for my next day's excursion tomorrow or Saturday (I decided not to bother to go to Dubai on my last weekend - the expense in relation to the reward was just too high a ratio! - so I will be heading out for one last day of freedom by rental car...)

But for now (as I am hiding from a VERY devout person; I won't idenitfy the faith), I will just say that today I have had three lessons in religion - two about the Muslim faith (one from a student, one from a concierge), and one about the Hindu faith (hotel employee).

From what I can tell so far, the Muslim faith is quite different from what we American Christians, influenced by the media, would believe (the whole 70-virgins-for-a jihadist idea was totally thrown out by both my Muslim tutors!).

My immediate sense is (please correct me if I am wrong, anyone who has any REAL knowledge!) that the Hindu faith builds more personal recognizance into their faith ("Do right, and God wil reward you") whereas the Muslim faith is EXTREMELY clear and precise in its tenets. Even to the point where there is - pardon me for not phrasing this right! - Muslim banking. You may deposit money for safekeeping, but it won't collect interest, as that is not a good thing. You will not borrow money from a bank to buy a car or a house - the BANK will buy the car or the house, and you will then be dealing directly with the bank as both loan officer and owner. (Seems to me this would solve a lot of the whole mortgage and bankruptcy mess we have in America!)

Overall the Muslim faith is "strict" in that it is highly regulated with direct writings in the Q'uran (how does one spell that properly?). Even to the point of eating olives and milk and honey, if I can believe my tutors. Whereas the Hindu faith appears to me on the surface (and - full disclosure! - from one very special tutor, who has had a life-changing experience that underscored his faith), to be more personal and almost mystical.

Interesting. I think I need a course on religion! And, after two whisky-and-gingers, some real food!
:)

Who among you would have thought I'd be waxing philosophical on religion? certainly, not ME!!!