Three Faiths -- Has the United States Become Judeo-Christian-Islamic?

NewHouse News Service ^ | 5/15/03 | Mark O'Keefe

[Technogeeb]

In addition, some argue that Islamic ideas helped shape the European West

This is true. If not for the threat of domination by the hordes of the Dark Lord Allah, the West might have never escaped the Dark Ages. Like the Black Plague, much good came from Islam's existence.

[PISANO]

Actually, IMHO the United States has become a RELIGION FREE ZONE. There is always talk about Judeo-Christian founding and principles and NOW it is PC to include Islam's faith, however any public utterences of faith are taboo and most often illegal.

[keithtoo]

More often than not, when people refer to a Judeo-Christian America they are not referring to the exact makeup of present day America so much as our shared Judeo-Christian heritage.

If American were 100% Christian, we would nonetheless have a Judeo-Christian heritage. If America were 100% atheist, we would still have a Judeo-Christian heritage.

It is what our country was based and built on, no matter what our current mix is made up of.

[Luna]

I would agree to the Muslims being added only if the ACLU treats them as shabbily and censoriously as said ACLU treats Christian-Judeo values and beliefs.

[Luna]

Christian-Judeo = Judeo-Christian.

[backhoe]

Better choices, they say, are "Judeo-Christian-Islamic" or "Abrahamic,"

Over my dead body.

[Gritty]

"Part of the Islamic creed is lying is OK to promote Islam. "

Not exactly the "values and chararter that define the United States."

No. But it does define the American Democrat Party!

[DannyTN]

"Estimates are disputed but range as high as 7 million

If I believed the statistics, I would have to be a gay islamist.

My understanding is that there is only about 1 million Muslims in the US. And this is only because of a stupid immigration policy that favored middle eastern countries.

The reason Judeo-Christian applies. Is not because there are 5 million Jews, but that Judeo-Christian can refer to the Christians whether there were any Jews or not. Christianity is the fulfillment of Jewish prophecies.

[F16Fighter]

...said the Rev. Ted Haggard of Colorado Springs, Colo., president of the National Association of Evangelicals: "What the Islamic community needs to make are positive contributions to culture and society so we can include them."

Does anyone know if 'page 1' been completed yet??

[Travelgirl]

My understanding is that there is only about 1 million Muslims in the US. And this is only because of a stupid immigration policy that favored middle eastern countries.

Do you have information about who is responsible for the favored middle eastern countries immigation policy? I would appreciate this info very much. Thanks.

[DannyTN]

"Do you have information about who is responsible for the favored middle eastern countries immigation policy?"

I don't, I understand it's set by the state department. So culpability probably lies both with certain administrations and Secretary of States as well as career state department bureacrats.

[rmlew]

What a load of BS.

Muslims are new members of teh Polity. They had nothing to do with the founding of the American Republic. We got nothing from them as far as our political beliefs, history, or culture.
The US was founded as a Protestant nation, at a time when Old-Testament structures were in vogue. Thus a case, but not a particularly compelling one, can be made to call us a Judeo-Christian country.
The US was a Christian nation. I'm not sure it is today, but it should be.

If simple existance of peoples in the Republic are to affect its trancedant nature, then why not include Hindus, Buddhists, Shintoists, Confuscians, Zoroastrians, Bahai, animists, Shamanists,.....

Finally, where teh heck are teh Muslims getting these numbers? There are fewer than 3 million of them in the US.

[pgkdan]

Does it matter, though? If five million people in the US believe it, at minimum the same size group as the Jewish, then it is as worthy of recognition as Judaism in describing American religious culture.

Yes it matters. Judeo-Christian works because Christianity is closely related to Judaism...as daughter and mother. Judaism gave us our Old Testament and from the Jewish people came Our Lord.

Islam gave us nothing but unremitting warfare since it's inception. It is a lie, established by the father of lies.

[gcruse]

I don't care if it works or not. If efficacy were the key to validating religions, we'd all be existentialist. If Muslims represent as much of this culture as Jews do, then we don't live in just a Judeo-Christian nation. This isn't Kansas anymore, Toto. The encroachment of Spanish is just the beginning of America's transformation.

[weegee]

The Judeo-Christian description is in reference to the founding of this nation. Might as well add Scientoligists to the description of this nation.

The Judeo-Christian Bible was an important book in the lives of the people who founded this nation. The islamic faith works from a radically rewritten version of this text. The founding fathers did not read that document.

[weegee]

The Rev. Bob Edgar, general secretary of the council, which represents 36 Christian denominations, said he prefers "Abrahamic" to "Judeo-Christian-Islamic" because it "rolls off the tongue a little easier."

When I saw Little Richard last year (he's a minister, right?) he said that when he saw those men fly those planes into the WTC, he knew that they couldn't be followers of the God of Abraham.

[pkjeff]

This idea is becoming too popular. The following appeared in today's Virginian-Pilot:

Three faiths' symposium tries to foster diversity

Abraham's Children Together (ACT), a tri-faith Christian, Jewish and Islamic group, will host a symposium, "Three Faiths Approach Life's Challenges: How Our Faith Affects the Way We Live," on Sunday, June 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Parish Hall of Blessed Sacrament Church, Norfolk.

The church is at the corner of Painter Street and Newport Avenue, behind DePaul Hospital.

Offering perspectives will be Rabbi Michael Panitz of Temple Israel, Norfolk; the Rev. Thomas Quinlan of Holy Family Catholic Church, Virginia Beach; and Dr. Ahmed Noor of the Mosque and Islamic Center of Hampton. A question-and-answer session will follow led by Bob Glover, executive director of the DSC Community Mediation Center.

ACT aspires to promote greater understanding and appreciation of diversity in society.

For more information abot the event or about facilitated interfaith dialogues, call Barbara Hughes at 495-5130 or email her at Bhughes456@aol.com; or contact Bob Glover at 480-2777 or at BobG@infionline.net.