Religion should be fun. I just can't believe that the Almighty put us here on Earth with the express purpose of making us miserable - however likely that sometimes feels!
So if I was going to build a temple, I'd want it to be like the one pictured above...
This is Ayah Pin's Sky Kingdom. The commune would not seem out of place in a Disney theme park. It contains an umbrella-shaped building about two storeys high, an ornamental fishing boat, strategically located faux Greco-Roman pillars, and the centrepiece - a pink teapot.
Ayah Pin and his followers - he claims to have several thousand in Malaysia, Singapore, Bali and beyond - say the two-storey-high teapot was inspired by the dreams of one of the cult's followers, and reflects a similar vessel in the sky which God uses to shower his blessings on mankind.
Followers who come to the village for the first time have to drink "holy water" pouring from a giant vase that is perpetually filled by the teapot.
The cult does not have any moral or religious strictures of its own. Instead, Ayah Pin, whose real name is Ariffin Mohamad, says members can follow any religion they like. He claims that all prayers will be answered by none other than himself, because he is God.
"All religions are basically the same," says Ayah Pin. "God teaches love. He is for anyone who wants to know about the world. You can choose whichever religion you want."
The Sky Kingdom is said to be a version of similar structures found in the sky. But the structures in the sky are apparently more aesthetically pleasing since they are decorated with diamonds, sapphires, and other gemstones. The teapot represents purity of water. There is a vase to accept water flowing from the teapot. The vase is said to have healing properties, and the giant umbrella is a place for people to take shelter beneath God.
God is, indeed, great...
(h/tip to the Malaysian Star for the story...)
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