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 ...
In the magical world of every 3 year old, there should be no difference between what they want it to be and what it actually is. When there is a discrepancy, they either claim that there actually isn't one, or else they stamp their feet and wail loudly that life isn't faaaaaaiiiiirrrrrrrr.........
Very astute. And correct.
Faith has its roots in the Latin word fides - Trust is among its nuanced meanings. Faith in the Trinity means trusting in its saving power. Is that what you meant by (a) saving faith? If so, that is what I meant, as well.
A fascinating question. I look forward to the forthcoming and prompt answer.
Isn’t it wonderful what Christ has given to us!
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27)
Not all men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. (Matthew 19:11)
Jesus gives us faith (ie belief).
Matthew 9:22 Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
God gave us Jesus and with it everlasting life.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God gave us freedom from condemnation.
John3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Even salvation is a gift from God. It is ours!
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
He then promises another gift!
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Let us analyze wheat admissions have been entered. Most are proud to have crammed five and a half years of learning into four but you are to first to take pride in cramming four years of study into five and a half years. Is this some attempt to reach a level of humility demanded by Jesus in Mt 23:12?
What Bible college did you attend and what theological persuasion did they impart?
Remember 9/15 is an important date for some and might well portend the rapture. Maybe you and Harold Camping and the brain dead MTV rappers can in unity proclaim the rapture while traveling together singing the blues.
Although they rail agains the authority of the Church, as I said in an earlier post it, really comes down not to authority but obedience and the different interpretations of that term.
Like the three-year-olds you referred to, Protestants maintain a self centered view of the world and see obedience as a degrading concept, like a dog responding to its masters commands and "protest" against Church authority.
Catholics, on the other hand, are called to obey Church authority and happily do so because we know definition of obey is not blind subservience. Our Catechism defines it as (CCC-144) "To obey (from the Latin ob-audire, to "hear or listen to") in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard, because its truth is guaranteed by God, who is Truth.
So every time any Protestant slams the Magisterium and insists that everything spiritual must be extracted explicitly from Scripture, while relying on cheap imitations of a magisterium in the form of sermons from the the Rev. Billy-Bob Rolex, Bible College courses, banned websites and comic books, Reformist catechisms and treatises, we see the lie.
It certainly is. Yet, as the father of six, I get a strange sense of deja vu every time I read Protestant post along the lines of what I am referring to. A sense of gimme. A sense of me, all me. A sense of mine, all mine. A sense of entitlement. A sense of I, I, I, me, me, me.
You know the brats as well as I - the ones who have no gratitude and simply want more and more and more and yet sneer at everyone else because they have all these things. It is all about them. Period. Infantile egocentrism is the term and I believe that it applies to many more than would accept it upon them themselves.
We Catholics acquiese to God. We submit. We are grateful and do not seek to reinvent God or the understanding of God.
That is the difference between Church theologians and armchair Protestants. Church theologians seek to better understand God. Armchair Protestants seek to invent new ways to describe God.
. I will assume that you have scanned at least a portion of some threads after this time. Have my words any validity? Is there a difference between Catholics and Protestants in attitude and in their view of God?
Is there less infantile egocentrism among Catholic posts on this or other threads? Is it less about the individual and more about God? We don't name it and claim it, you see. We acquiese to God and leave it up to Him.
After the battle of Armageddon comes the thousand year reign.
Rev. 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Then comes Armageddon.
Revelation 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Then the end of this world and the “new heaven and a new earth”.
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
We then see “the book of life” you so cavalierly made sport of.
Revelation 21:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Who do you think wrote the books of the New Testament?
So would you finally show me where God told you about the bodily assumption of Mary that you “acquiesce” to?
I’m sorry you don’t claim the gifts of God that He clearly has said were gifts to us. Praise His name!
Do you differentiate between "wrote", "authored", and "inspired"?
CCC - 106 God inspired the human authors of the sacred books. "To compose the sacred books, God chose certain men who, all the while he employed them in this task, made full use of their own faculties and powers so that, though he acted in them and by them, it was as true authors that they consigned to writing whatever he wanted written, and no more."
There will be many, many, ethnic Jews in heaven. There were many Israelites who were promised eternal life before Christ. The same promise during this period of grace is given to them as well and the Gentiles. The during the last seven years there will be ethnic Jews who accept Christ who will be saved out of the tribulation to rule with Christ for 1000 years. No replacement theology. The church did not replace the Jews.
I have asked you not to ping me again and I would appreciate it if you would honor my request.
I am surprised that those who profess the Rapture deny that Mary, who has already been judged and found sinless, has been taken up.
Scripture does not specifically confirm, or preclude the Assumption of Mary, but the Apostolic Tradition has long held it to be a fact. Scriptural evidence of the Assumption of both Elijah and Enoch affirms this doctrine.
How many times do I need to ask you not to ping me? Do I really need to involve others to get you to comply?
It seems some don’t understand the concept of a public or open forum.
What we need here is an ignore button. Would solve lots of problems.
“Scripture does not specifically confirm, or preclude the Assumption of Mary, but the Apostolic Tradition has long held it to be a fact. Scriptural evidence of the Assumption of both Elijah and Enoch affirms this doctrine.”
Besides why would Jesus not do for His Mother what he did for Elijah and Enoch?
I’d hate to see it have to come to that but ……………..
Crickets ... no answer
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.