My Faith: Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), from Catholic to Muslim

CNN ^ | 9/1/11 | Chris Welch

[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.”

[metmom]

Isn’t presuming that you are proud of cramming a four year degree into five and a half years mind-reading?

[bronx2]

Bring it on. I did the due diligence by reading the internal reports providing me with the 30000 plus number

The 30000 plus number in 1998 has probably grown to over 100000 and is prima facie evidence of the disorganized state of confusion in the evangelical landscape.

This disunity as attested to by the statistic only serves to highlight the absurdity of self interpretation. The number will be forced fed until you can provide probative evidence to refute it. You can't since the static is valid

Sorry but no of your private interpretation mumbo jumbo allowed here

[metmom]

I don’t dishonor Mary.

Neither do I make up things about her that cannot be definitively be proved true using supporting Scripture, which Jesus Himself gave us, and pass it off as the truth without knowing whether it is or not.

[smvoice]

"Duh"..? Of which you have no library card, it seems.

The Bible is God's testament to men in all ages. It reveals the plan of God for mankind here, now, and in the next life. It will be opened at the judgement. It will last forever. It is the record of God's dealings with man in the past, present, and future. It contains His message of eternal salvation for all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior. And eternal damnation for all who reject the gospel of their salvation. It is indeed a divine library, written by different men at different times, all led by the Holy Spirit in writing what God wanted written. Christ is the subject of the Bible and the glory of God is its purpose. That's what it is about. From beginning to end.

And you want to tell me that God's word is not what it claims to be? And that this part only refers to this part and not the entirety of God's inspired revelation to mankind?

Then try an experiment. Pay no attention to the rest of God's word. Just avoid adding to or taking from the Book of Revelation.

[smvoice]

You cannot "make your own way through the Gate" without depending on yourself and your works to for righteousness. If you are making your own way, you are depending on your own works for righteousnss to get you through that open gate.

In light of this, why did Christ have to die for our sins?

[metmom]

And I also get the truth from God’s Holy Word. That would be Jesus. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. You want to get it from a book? Hey go for it.

And how does that work? Dreams? Visions? Do you hear voices?

How do you know it's Jesus? How do you verify?

[boatbums]

Exactly none of our Bible literalists will even reply to me on such matters because there is no possible reply except to acknowledge that without the Magisterium to interpret the Bible, it cannot make sense.

Honestly? How soon they forget! We discussed this topic very recently, do you not remember? You were given explanations and even a few links that explain in even more detail about the "supposed" errors in the Bible. AND, you claim you believe what your Magesterium says regarding the inspiration by God, the infallible nature and the reliability of the Scriptures. Is this a case of "flip-flopitis"?

[metmom]

Haven’t you heard? When Christ paid for our sins He paid in full. Our sins have been removed from us as far as the East is from the West. When we go before God He sees “paid if full” for all our sins. No partial payment or interest due. Christ did not do a partial job. So He’ll say “well done my good and faithful servant”.

Salvation is a gift. It's free. One doesn't have to work to earn a gift. If he does, then it's not a gift but wages due.

And our wages due us is death. That's all we get for our sin.

[MarkBsnr]

Honestly? How soon they forget! We discussed this topic very recently, do you not remember? You were given explanations and even a few links that explain in even more detail about the "supposed" errors in the Bible. AND, you claim you believe what your Magesterium says regarding the inspiration by God, the infallible nature and the reliability of the Scriptures. Is this a case of "flip-flopitis"?

Refresh my memory. What is written above the head of Jesus on the Cross and what are the events of Resurrection Sunday, if you please.

[MarkBsnr]

Honestly? How soon they forget! We discussed this topic very recently, do you not remember? You were given explanations and even a few links that explain in even more detail about the "supposed" errors in the Bible. AND, you claim you believe what your Magesterium says regarding the inspiration by God, the infallible nature and the reliability of the Scriptures. Is this a case of "flip-flopitis"?

Refresh my memory. What is written above the head of Jesus on the Cross and what are the events of Resurrection Sunday, if you please.

[metmom]

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

6Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

10these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

14The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

[presently no screen name]

They cannot defend their religion using God’s word.

Exactly. And they claim to be His Church! LOL!!

[metmom]

Well isn’t this an interesting train wreck we are witnessing. They cannot defend their religion using God’s word. And they know it. SO, they just deny Scripture as being God’s word and begin to just use Jesus Christ, The Word, to make their stand. Not knowing the difference, not knowing that we do know the difference, they crash and burn. Hoisted on their own petard. Once again.

We know because we were once where they are.

They won't understand until they are where we are now.

[metmom]

We have not had our personal sins paid for yet (per se) Every sin we commit is there on the cross. Time is mystical in this situation.

If time is mystical in this situation, then just as Catholics can consider that Jesus is in a perpetual state of being crucified in heaven, justifying the Eucharist and saying that participating in the Eucharist is participating in the sacrifice of Jesus, then all our sins are being continually paid for.

And if every sin that we commit is there on the cross, that means sins future as well as sins past to us because when Jesus died on the cross, ALL our sins were future to Him.

[presently no screen name]

AMEN! AMEN! He holds NOTHING back - not even His thoughts - that’s how we KNOW HIM! Praise You God for YOUR WORD!

[Iscool]

I never said the Sinner’s Prayer. It never seemed real to me. It always seemed a manipulative thing. The altar call. Couldn’t do it.

At least you admit it...

A sinner's prayer was the most real thing I've ever done...Not to mention the most important...

Wasn't at an altar call...Was in my car...

I can only assume that far more people have said [The] sinner's prayer than acknowledge it...

I believe the statistics show that more people are leaving your religion after saying a sinner's prayer than those who join your religion never having said a sinner's prayer...You might want to look into that...

[metmom]

NL:”What difference does it make to the fidelity of YOPIS if it is only 3,000 or even 300? Where you have cause to disagree with other denomination on matters of interpretation, dogma or doctrine at least one of the denominations must be wrong. The only thing you seem to be able to agree on is a universal rejection (”protest”) of all things Catholic. “

Fine. If the number of denominations is irrelevant to non-Catholic denominations, then it is equally irrelevant to the number of Catholic factions..... or *rites* if you prefer.

Nor is there unity within the Catholic church. For all the Catholic criticism of Protestantism for differing *interpretations* etc, Catholicism is no better.

There is no unity within Catholicism. Catholics are in no position to point fingers.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2678253/posts?page=357#357

“Catholics look on diocesan bishops (Catholic and Orthodox) as the successors of the apostles who founded the particular church of their locale. In this manner a person could be a member of the Church of Corinth, Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Tucson or Pittsburgh.

Those of us who prefer Roman Catholic (actually Latin Catholic) are emphasizing our connection with the Roman Pontiff rather than the (e.g.) Maronite or the Melkite Patriarch.

Emphasizing the connection with the particular church rather than the Roman Church is IME common among very liberal Catholics and liberal bishops, many of whom actually see Roman Catholic as a derogatory term.”

******************************************************************************

Not to mention the different flavors of Catholicism such as.......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sect

Sects

Roman Catholic sects

There are many groups outside the Roman Catholic Church which are regarded as Catholic sects, such as the Community of the Lady of All Nations, the Palmarian Catholic Church, the Philippine Independent Church, the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church, the Free Catholic Church, the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, and others.

The Sodalitium Christianae Vitae started in Lima, Peru, has multiple cases of psychological abuses experienced by youth that were attracted to the movement.[16]

There is also Russian orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Coptic (Egyptian) to name a few more.

They most certainly do not adhere to the doctrinal position established by Rome on a number of fronts which many FRoman Catholics consider critical to Catholic faith.

*****************************************************************************************

There is hardly the unity in Catholicism or Catholic faith that Catholics like to put forth. Differences ranging from the doctrines concerning Mary to recognizing the primacy of the pope. Not insignificant differences.

For example.....
http://www.ukrainian-orthodoxy.org/questions/2010/intercommunion.php

Question:

What are issues that need to be discussed before a marriage should take place between a Roman Catholic and a Ukranian Orthodox Catholic? Is the Eucharist believed in the same way?

Response:

Dr. Alexander Roman alex.roman@unicorne.org

The theology of the Eucharist is the same in both the Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches. But the Churches are not in communion with one another which means that Roman Catholics cannot receive Communion in any Orthodox Church as a result.

http://www.ukrainian-orthodoxy.org/questions/2007/appostolic.html

Question:

I’m a Roman Catholic considering conversion to the Orthodox Faith. I’ve read some articles on the internet and am confused as to whether I need to bere-baptized. Do you consider baptism in the Latin rite invalid?

I’m planing to attend my very first mass in your Faith and was wondering if I would be allowed to receive the Eucharist or do I need to go through some sort of training first?

Answer:

Very Reverend Ihor Kutash kutash@unicorne.org

The Church preserves unity in diversity. In the Orthodox Church there is no hierarch with universal jurisdiction since its One True Shepherd, our Lord Jesus, has never left His Church (Matthew 28:20). The Apostle Peter does not replace or substitute for Him. The Scriptures do indeed indicate that Peter exercises an important role as leader among the Apostles but his primacy is exercised in equality or collegiality (”primus inter pares”) as the Book of Acts clearly shows. The Rock upon which the Church is built is our Lord Himself as we proclaim during Matins: “The Stone which the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone; this is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes” (from Psalm 118:2 - also the most often repeated phrase from the Old in the New Testament: Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:7). Peter, a leader among the Apostles, was first to proclaim the Church’s faith in our Lord upon Whom it is built: “You are the the Christ (i.e. the Messiah, God’s Chosen and Annointed One - igk), the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:15). He did not see himself as that Rock. Such, at any rate, is the conviction of the Orthodox Church.

[presently no screen name]

They won't understand until they are where we are now

True but was there a time you didn't want to know? Was it served on a platter and you refused it repeatedly? I'm thinking you sought it out and that brought you to where you are now.

[WPaCon]

Vladimir, I’ve seen you posting about the Inquisition before, so thought you might like being pinged to 2,586 for a little chuckle.

[Mad Dawg]

Nice.

We are as happy as a beggar who sees his most generous patron coming, the one we told all the other beggars was wonderfully generous.

We cannot but ask, but we ask with joy because he so generously and reliably responds to our pleas.