The main difference between a Mosque, Church, Synagogue and Temple is, that they are used by members of different faiths. A mosque is a building in which members of the Muslim faith, pray and engage in services. Before entering a mosque, one must take off one's shoes. If you wish, you can also take part in a washing ritual. Unlike churches, which are full of chairs, ornamentation and platforms for the clergyman and choir to stand, mosques are large and without seating, decoration or depictions of God, in this case is Allah. Everyone sits on the floor in a mosque and is considered of equal status. A church is a building, used for prayer and services by members of the Christian faith. Weddings and funerals also take place in a church for many Christians. Whilst churches vary in size, from a small parish church to Canterbury Cathedral, and style (some churches have square towers, some have spires), they all follow a simple pattern of front door, pews set out in rows, central aisle, altar at the front of the aisle and vestry in the back. A synagogue is a building, used by members of the Jewish faith. Synagogues are places for prayer and study. There are a number of standard features in a synagogue but, unlike church, synagogues rarely look similar. The standard features of a synagogue are the ark, in which the Torah (the Jewish holy book, scrolls) are stored, the pulpit (from where prayers are lead from), the reader's platform (from where readings from the Torah take place), and the eternal light (a lamp which is constantly kept burning). The religion most associated with the temples is Buddhism. Buddhist temples are usually very ornate on the outside and symbolise Fire, Air, Earth, Water and Wisdom. All temples contain a Buddha statue.
