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My Faith: Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), from Catholic to Muslim
CNN ^ | 9/1/11 | Chris Welch

Posted on 09/02/2011 9:07:47 AM PDT by marshmallow

Minneapolis, Minnesota (CNN) –Prior to 2006, few people even knew that then-Minnesota state legislator Keith Ellison was a Muslim. Because of his English name, he said, no one thought to ask.

But five years ago, when he ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives - a race he would go on to win - word of his religious affiliation began to spread.

“When I started running for Congress it actually took me by surprise that so many people were fascinated with me being the first Muslim in Congress,” said Ellison, a Democrat now serving his third term in the House.

“But someone said to me, ‘Look Keith, think of a person of Japanese origin running for Congress six years after Pearl Harbor–this might be a news story.’”

Though Ellison's status as the first Muslim elected to Congress is widely known, fewer are aware that he was born into a Catholic family in Detroit and was brought up attending Catholic schools.

But he said he was never comfortable with that faith.

“I just felt it was ritual and dogma,” Ellison said. “Of course, that’s not the reality of Catholicism, but it’s the reality I lived. So I just kind of lost interest and stopped going to Mass unless I was required to.”

It wasn’t until he was a student at Wayne State University in Detroit when Ellison began, “looking for other things.”

(Excerpt) Read more at religion.blogs.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Islam; Theology
KEYWORDS: blackmuslims; islam; keithellison; muslim
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To: metmom
"Scripture was written when the apostles were still alive, not three centuries later."

By what objective standard were The Acts of Andrew, The Acts of John, The Acts of Paul, The Apocalypse of Peter, The Epistle of Barnabas, The Gospel of Hebrews, The Gospel of Matthias, The Gospel of Thomas, The Shepherd of Hermas, The Teachings of the Apostles, The Gospel of Peter, The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Matthias, The Acts of Andrew, The Acts of John, The Gospel of Mary, The Gospel of Truth, The Gospel of Philip, The Gospel of Judas, and the hundreds of other contemporaneously authored documents excluded from the Canon of Scripture?

241 posted on 09/04/2011 5:59:11 PM PDT by Natural Law (For God so loved the world He did not send a book.)
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Comment #242 Removed by Moderator

To: Avalon Hussar
I don't know how God is going to use me, but at the same time I also don't know if there's any point in trying to point out the Truth if the person I'm talking too isn't ready to hear it yet.

Well, then we'd never share the truth with them at all, since there is no way we can tell if the person is ready to receive it. Our only responsibility is to share and leave the rest to God and trust that His timing is in the situation.

243 posted on 09/04/2011 6:08:36 PM PDT by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: Jvette

“It’s funny. I was just thinking the other day that things on the RF in regards to Catholicism have been pretty mellow. Not a lot of flaming invectives and falsehoods being bandied about by the usual suspects lately.

As I read through the comments here, I literally did so with my mouth open. I could spend a day here just responding to a lot of outright deception and some innocent misconceptions.

I don’t because I have forever given up responding to some of the posters here. Jesus said to shake their dust from your feet and move on. To wade into some of this is to get in the mud and I have sworn off mud wrestling.”

So funny, I was thinking the same thing. The anti-Catholics must have been on vacation. And Jvette, you’re right. Jesus did say to shake the dust from our sandals. So I will have a post or two and then I will do what I usually do which is leave.

I refuse to be drawn into an occasion of sin by those who have no clue.


244 posted on 09/04/2011 6:11:30 PM PDT by Not gonna take it anymore
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To: metmom

“The anti-Catholics are running wild tonight. I think they live for it because deep down inside they may think they really aren’t OSAS after all and that is a scary thing.
That’s an interesting admission about Catholicism since they don’t believe in OSAS.”

Catholics don’t believe in OSAS and you well know it. I was talking about the usual suspects here.


245 posted on 09/04/2011 6:13:39 PM PDT by Not gonna take it anymore
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To: Natural Law; metmom
Wouldn't the Nicene Creed be equally significant in the fact that is was SILENT concerning the Assumption of Mary as a fundamental belief of the Roman Catholic Church? And what about the belief that the Apocrypha were inspired? The Apocryphal books were not a part of the ancient versions of Scripture. They were first added after 300 A.D. But the Laodicean Council rejected them in 363 as being uninspired. The Vatican Version of Scripture of the 4th century. The Council of Trent accepted 6 of the Apocryphal books as inspired and added them to their modern versions of Scripture.

So, just how does canon and creed work, again? 300 years after the facts is a long time for corruption of the word to set in and become doctrine. Thank God He preserved His word as He promised He would.

246 posted on 09/04/2011 6:14:44 PM PDT by smvoice (The Cross was NOT God's Plan B.)
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To: smvoice

Go to Mass and get a clue. You will hear more Bible in a Catholic Mass than in most anti-Catholic churches.

I would have said Protestant but I used to be one. And no we didn’t get a lot of scripture but the churches I went to were not so rabidly anti-Catholic.

I guess I am not sure which anti-Catholic cults are posting here.


247 posted on 09/04/2011 6:21:53 PM PDT by Not gonna take it anymore
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To: Not gonna take it anymore
Did you understand what the point was?

Of course I know that Catholics don't believe in the security of the believer.

Your comment was that since you thought that they deep down inside weren't really sure that they are OSAS, that it would be scary for them.

My point was that it is no different than being a Catholic since they don't believe in eternal security themselves and it is scary for them as well.

God will not throw His children under the bus, so to speak.

Jesus' own words here......

John 10:22-30 22At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one."

Election and eternal security.

248 posted on 09/04/2011 6:24:20 PM PDT by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: Not gonna take it anymore

Evidently not, as you clearly seem unable to understand the Scriptures I gave you regarding God’s word. “Go to Mass and get a clue”? Is that before or after the wafer and juice are turned into body and blood? Because the first clue YOU should get starts right there.


249 posted on 09/04/2011 6:26:40 PM PDT by smvoice (The Cross was NOT God's Plan B.)
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To: marshmallow

Wow, I’ve never seen so many “Comments Removed by Moderator” in one thread. And astonishingly the vitriolic arguments do not seem to be about the topic, Islam, but about Catholicism.

It makes you wonder what it is about the Catholic Faith that seems to get folks all riled up unlike any other.


250 posted on 09/04/2011 6:29:06 PM PDT by baa39
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To: Natural Law
By what objective standard were The Acts of Andrew, The Acts of John, The Acts of Paul, The Apocalypse of Peter, The Epistle of Barnabas, The Gospel of Hebrews, The Gospel of Matthias, The Gospel of Thomas, The Shepherd of Hermas, The Teachings of the Apostles, The Gospel of Peter, The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Matthias, The Acts of Andrew, The Acts of John, The Gospel of Mary, The Gospel of Truth, The Gospel of Philip, The Gospel of Judas, and the hundreds of other contemporaneously authored documents excluded from the Canon of Scripture?

Perhaps God didn't figure he had to wait for your group to analyze what he had determined should be...Likely those works you mentioned were written after the last book of the Scriptures, Revelation...

We know what the OT is since the oracles were given to the Jews...Whatever they have for the OT is what is God ordained...

The World starts with the Creation which is Genesis...The World ends with Revelation...

Peter knew what scripture was...All the Apostles knew what scripture was...And John finished up with the last book of scripture...When John wrote, even so, come Lord Jesus, the bible was finished...By 100 AD....

251 posted on 09/04/2011 6:31:19 PM PDT by Iscool (You mess with me, you mess with the WHOLE trailerpark...)
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To: Not gonna take it anymore; Religion Moderator

The same cults that think Fatima was a UfO phenomenon. The same ones that say the Vatican priests are old men in dresses. The same ones that revile the Holy Father for the gift of Prada shoes. The same ones that make fun of our love of Mary and call us an Ishtar-worshipping Goddess cult. The ones who drip hate and ridicule from every pore, and who are surprisingly offended by anyone who doesn’t respond with smarmy love to their rank, disgusting falsehoods about us.

The ones I hope never step foot in a Catholic Church. They tell us that they are certain Christ has forgiven all their sins, and that they know their final destination. According to Holy Scripture, I think they have reason to worry.

RM, I already know that this post may be taken personally by some of the Usual Suspects, and frankly, that would not surprise me. Every word in this post is true.


252 posted on 09/04/2011 6:33:51 PM PDT by Judith Anne ( Holy Mary, Mother of God, please pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.)
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To: smvoice; Religion Moderator; metmom
"The Apocryphal books were not a part of the ancient versions of Scripture. They were first added after 300 A.D. But the Laodicean Council rejected them in 363 as being uninspired. The Vatican Version of Scripture of the 4th century....."

If you are going to past word-for-word from a website, you should at least give it credit.

http://shalach.org/BibleSearch/BibleFacts.htm

Now put your thinking hat on and at least try to digest what you are googeling before you post it in a rebuke of Catholicism. Now, of what relevance is a citation of the Council of Laodicea in that it was a only regional council that also rejected the Book of Revelation from the New Testament and included the Book of Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremy in the Old Testament? Or do you secretly endorse Canon XXXV of the Laodicean Council which states; "CHRISTIANS must not forsake the Church of God, and go away and invoke angels and gather assemblies, which things are forbidden."

253 posted on 09/04/2011 6:38:10 PM PDT by Natural Law (For God so loved the world He did not send a book.)
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To: Not gonna take it anymore; smvoice; 1000 silverlings; Alex Murphy; bkaycee; blue-duncan; ...
Go to Mass and get a clue. You will hear more Bible in a Catholic Mass than in most anti-Catholic churches. I would have said Protestant but I used to be one. And no we didn’t get a lot of scripture but the churches I went to were not so rabidly anti-Catholic.

Hardly a representative sample. I find it interesting that the churches you label as less anti-Catholic has less Scripture in them.

It's pretty sad that Catholics consider Scriptural teaching to be anti-Catholic.

And as for how much Scripture one gets in mass or church during the services, it should be irrelevant in the life of the believer since the believer should be in the Word daily on his own. If someone claims to be a follower of Christ and depends on what they get from church to be their Bible for the week , they're in BIG DEEP trouble spiritually. It would be no different than eating one meal once a week and expecting that to nourish the body.

No believer should be depending on church to fill their spiritual needs. Church attendance is nice and all, but not the mainstay of anyone's spiritual walk. It should be able to take second or even third place in their lives.

254 posted on 09/04/2011 6:40:12 PM PDT by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: metmom; Salvation; boatbums
841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator , in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."330

NOTICE: NO MENTION OF JESUS in their 'plan of salvation'. You are right, metmom - Muslims come first and Luther is a heretic for exposing them. LOL!! Geez, how much proof does one need to wake up!
255 posted on 09/04/2011 6:41:16 PM PDT by presently no screen name
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To: presently no screen name
841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator , in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."330

Kinda makes you wonder what the big deal about a Catholic turning muslim is then.

256 posted on 09/04/2011 6:43:01 PM PDT by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: metmom

Good point.


257 posted on 09/04/2011 6:45:28 PM PDT by presently no screen name
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To: Avalon Hussar

There are no “pre-Vatican II” BELIEFS, unless you’re talking about the world being flat or something.

Sometimes those who prefer the pre-Vatican II Mass (the Extraordinary Form, aka “Traditional Latin Mass”) are called “Trads.” I’m talking about real Catholics here. SSPXers are not yet fully reconciled. Here’s a rough breakdown:

Progressive Catholics (actually heretics, tend to be liberals).
Mainstream Catholics (go to a “regular” Novus Ordo Mass and are pretty much clueless about history, theology, etc. This is the group that supposedly “elected” Obama).
orthodox Catholics (small “o” - true to the Faith and believe it).
Trads (same as orthodox but love the old customs, Latin, and sometimes veer a bit into confusing customs and doctrine).
SSPX - think they are Trads but are out of line, meetings ongoing with the Vatican to get them to shape up.

OK, I’ll sit back and wait for the attacks...


258 posted on 09/04/2011 6:45:59 PM PDT by baa39
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To: WPaCon; Alex Murphy
It does show one thing, though. While this site is anti-Catholic in many ways, it’s not enough to drive virtually all the Catholics off the site. My guess is that Catholicism is too mainstream, has too many members, and is too reasonable to be completely driven off the site.

I honestly do not understand how anyone can honestly say Free Republic is an "Anti-Catholic" site. Looking at the Religion Forum any given day there are 10 to 2 (maybe) Catholic to non-Catholic posts. Most of them, BTW, are designated Caucus, which disallows any arguing. Perhaps for one who claims they do not frequent "these" threads very often, it may only seem that there are more posters who disagree with the Catholic line of theology than that the entire site is "anti-Catholic".

The Moderators remind us that "thick skin" is needed to converse on such open religion forum threads. I've learned through the years that I should not take things said to me personally. I have also learned that I should state my beliefs in a way that I can not be perceived as "making it personal". I find that even when trying hard to abide by these rules, there will be some who "take" personally what was not intended as such simply because they do not have the temperament to engage with others who do not share in their beliefs. Those types usually get reminded by the Moderators and some have been banned when they do not abide by the rules - rules that benefit us all.

This does not make Free Republic an Anti-Catholic site but one that does exactly what it claims to be - an OPEN forum for Conservatives to discuss freely. It is why I rejoice in such an outlet and why I continue to support it.

259 posted on 09/04/2011 6:46:18 PM PDT by boatbums ( God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: presently no screen name
"NOTICE: NO MENTION OF JESUS in their 'plan of salvation'."

Do you really not think that Jesus is recognized a one hypostasis within "the one, merciful God" by the Catholic Church or are you just acting stupid?

260 posted on 09/04/2011 6:48:43 PM PDT by Natural Law (For God so loved the world He did not send a book.)
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