How will religions work on the Moon, in orbit/open space, etc.?

[Delta4Embassy]

As humanity colonizes the Moon, spends extended periods of time in orbit or going to Mars, those who have religious convictions need their faiths' observances and obligations met. Since many religious observances are time-sensitive, how do we handle month long days on the Moon, or no days/nights in open space en route to Mars say?

How Long is a Day on the Moon?

"A day on the Moon lasts 29.5 of our Earth days. In other words, if you were standing on the surface of the Moon, it would take 29.5 days for the Sun to move entirely through the sky and return to its original position."

If you have to fast and on Earth the fast is a day long, beginning or ending with the rising and setting of the Sun, what do you do if that day is now a month long? What about in open space where days are meaningless?

In all seriousness, this has to be addressed at some point. Some religious commitee has to convene and decide these things. All I ask is you make the transcript public so we can read along.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

Use Earth time.

Next?

 

[Delta4Embassy]

"In 2006, Malaysia's national space agency Angkasa convened a conference of Islamic scientists and scholars to address the religious obligations of Muslim astronauts. The result was a detailed set of rules called "A Guideline of Performing Ibadah (worship) at the International Space Station (ISS)." It tackles a number of issues, like the number of times a Muslim should observe daily prayers, when a day lasts just 90 minutes in orbit."
UAE Islamic affairs authority warns Muslims against a mission to Mars - CNN.com

" The performance of the physical postures (such as standing, bowing and prostrating) is to suit the conditions in ISS, prioritizing as follows:

a. If upright standing is not possible, then any standing posture,
b. Sitting. Bowing is by bringing down the chin closer to the knee or the prostrating place,
c. Lying down on the right side with body facing the direction of Qibla,
d. Lying flat
e. Using the eye lid as an indicator of the changing of postures in prayer,
f. Imagining the sequence of prayer.

Regarding directions to Mecca (where Ka'aba is located):

Determining the Direction of Qibla
Qibla direction is based on what is possible, prioritizing as below:
i. The Ka’aba
ii. The projection of Ka’aba
iii. The Earth
iv. Wherever

Regarding prayer times:

Determining the Prayer Time
The daily five prayer times is defined in a 24 hour duration (equals to 1 Earth day) following the time zone at which port the astronaut is launched (in this case, Baikonur, Kazakhstan).

Actually a lot of this is quite reasonable (within religious context). I'm not sure if a conference of 150 scientists and scholars was needed for this...but it could have been worse. But, of no less importance, the document also has directions for dress code (please no space-suit burqa jokes):

Dress code
A Muslim astronaut need to cover his aurat where:
a. Aurat for male is from the navel to the knee.
b. Aurat for female is the entire body except for her face and hands below the wrist.

It almost seems as if space-suits were made for Muslims.

You can read about praying problems here."
Irtiqa: Finding Mecca from space - praying at the Space Station

Muslims are on it at least.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

"In 2006, Malaysia's national space agency Angkasa convened a conference of Islamic scientists and scholars to address the religious obligations of Muslim astronauts. The result was a detailed set of rules called "A Guideline of Performing Ibadah (worship) at the International Space Station (ISS)." It tackles a number of issues, like the number of times a Muslim should observe daily prayers, when a day lasts just 90 minutes in orbit."
UAE Islamic affairs authority warns Muslims against a mission to Mars - CNN.com

" The performance of the physical postures (such as standing, bowing and prostrating) is to suit the conditions in ISS, prioritizing as follows:

a. If upright standing is not possible, then any standing posture,
b. Sitting. Bowing is by bringing down the chin closer to the knee or the prostrating place,
c. Lying down on the right side with body facing the direction of Qibla,
d. Lying flat
e. Using the eye lid as an indicator of the changing of postures in prayer,
f. Imagining the sequence of prayer.

Regarding directions to Mecca (where Ka'aba is located):

Determining the Direction of Qibla
Qibla direction is based on what is possible, prioritizing as below:
i. The Ka’aba
ii. The projection of Ka’aba
iii. The Earth
iv. Wherever

Regarding prayer times:

Determining the Prayer Time
The daily five prayer times is defined in a 24 hour duration (equals to 1 Earth day) following the time zone at which port the astronaut is launched (in this case, Baikonur, Kazakhstan).

Actually a lot of this is quite reasonable (within religious context). I'm not sure if a conference of 150 scientists and scholars was needed for this...but it could have been worse. But, of no less importance, the document also has directions for dress code (please no space-suit burqa jokes):

Dress code
A Muslim astronaut need to cover his aurat where:
a. Aurat for male is from the navel to the knee.
b. Aurat for female is the entire body except for her face and hands below the wrist.

It almost seems as if space-suits were made for Muslims.

You can read about praying problems here."
Irtiqa: Finding Mecca from space - praying at the Space Station

Muslims are on it at least.

 

[September]

Many of those who practiced ancient pagan religions were fascinated with incorporating the Earth's cycles, and references to Nature and the cosmos, into their sacred monuments and architecture. The solstices and equinoxes, the seasons, day and night, months, years, various attributes about the Earth and the cosmos, etc... it would be incredibly awesome and exciting to revive those traditions on other planets and develop new sacred sites in accordance with those places' planetary attributes, cycles, and cosmic position.

And to those who believe visitors from the stars may have been involved... this time we are the extraterrestrials

​

 

[the_human_being]

As humanity colonizes the Moon, spends extended periods of time in orbit or going to Mars, those who have religious convictions need their faiths' observances and obligations met. Since many religious observances are time-sensitive, how do we handle month long days on the Moon, or no days/nights in open space en route to Mars say?

How Long is a Day on the Moon?

"A day on the Moon lasts 29.5 of our Earth days. In other words, if you were standing on the surface of the Moon, it would take 29.5 days for the Sun to move entirely through the sky and return to its original position."

If you have to fast and on Earth the fast is a day long, beginning or ending with the rising and setting of the Sun, what do you do if that day is now a month long? What about in open space where days are meaningless?

In all seriousness, this has to be addressed at some point. Some religious commitee has to convene and decide these things. All I ask is you make the transcript public so we can read along.

The boy thinks of nothing buy religion. It occupies his every thought. He is totally a religious fruitcake.