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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: Natural Law

I am going to point to the finished work of Christ on my behalf and thank God that the blood of Christ removed my sins.


3,241 posted on 09/14/2011 10:19:02 AM PDT by smvoice (The Cross was NOT God's Plan B.)
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To: smvoice

Yawn. More Paul worship. Twisting the Scriptures to make up justification for rejecting Christ.


3,242 posted on 09/14/2011 10:20:10 AM 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: Judith Anne

No, Judith Anne, You don’t have any “secret” sins that will send you to hell. Not accepting the finished work of Christ on your behalf is what will send you to hell. Depending on a religious institution and their doctrines of men for your justification, salvation, and sanctification is what will send you to hell. The “secrets” Paul was referring to were the reasons inside a person who willingly rejects the finished works of Christ for their own works of “righteousness.”


3,243 posted on 09/14/2011 10:25:02 AM PDT by smvoice (The Cross was NOT God's Plan B.)
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To: smvoice

What further revelations? Where does Paul say that his gospel is different than that of the others? What you write here does not mean that what Paul was given was different and as you say not contradictory or competing with the others.

What I see here and read in these verses is that Paul was given private revelation and what revelation he received he took to the “pillars of the Church”Peter, James and John, the Church which he claims later is the “pillar and foundation of truth” that the gospel or revelation he taught was indeed true.

Hmmmmmm.....


3,244 posted on 09/14/2011 10:26:13 AM PDT by Jvette
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To: smvoice
No, Judith Anne, You don’t have any “secret” sins that will send you to hell. Not accepting the finished work of Christ on your behalf is what will send you to hell. Depending on a religious institution and their doctrines of men for your justification, salvation, and sanctification is what will send you to hell.

How is it tht you know that I do not accept the finished work of Christ on my behalf? How is it that you know tht I dpend on a religious institution and their "doctrine of men" --FALSE1--for my justification, salvation and sanctification?

The answer is, you do not know any of that, and you cannot know any of that. You are not Christ, who can see my heart. You have no idea when, how, and where I received the gift of faith in Christ Jesus, the risen son of Almighty God and my Lord and Savior. None. You know nothing except what your division of Scripture has taught you, totally useless knowledge that will not do you any good whatsoever. It certainly does not seem to have impacted your life in any discernible way.

3,245 posted on 09/14/2011 10:33:08 AM 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
Reading the mind of another Freeper - and making the thread "about" another Freeper - are both forms of "making it personal."

Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.

3,246 posted on 09/14/2011 10:34:01 AM PDT by Religion Moderator
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To: Jvette
What further revelations? Read 2 Cor. 12:1-7. Paul was given an abundance of visions and revelations from Christ.

As to Paul's gospel of grace, gospel of the uncircumcision, being different from Peter's gospel of the Kingdom, gospel of the circumcision, Paul states in Gal. 2:2 that he went up to Jerusalem by revelation, and communicated unto those there THAT GOSPEL which he preached among the Gentiles. But he communicated PRIVATELY to them which were of reputation, (Peter, James, John) that gospel that he preached among the Gentiles. If it were the same gospel, why tell them privately?

"And when James, Cephas (Peter), and John who seemed to be pillars, perceived THE GRACE that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision."Gal. 2:9.

It is about THE GRACE which was given to Paul that James, Peter and John perceived and caused them to give Paul the right hand of fellowship. The Grace. The Dispensation of the Grace of God. THAT is the gospel that Paul took to those at Jerusalem and gave to them privately. It was not the gospel of the Kingdom that was being preached by Peter and the 11, hoping for Israel to repent and accept Christ as their Messiah. It was a new day dawning, and James, Peter and John perceived that. Israel as a nation was not repenting, and they could NOT take their kingdom gospel to the ends of the world until Israel had accepted Christ as their Messiah. "Beginning at Jerusalem..."

3,247 posted on 09/14/2011 10:45:35 AM PDT by smvoice (The Cross was NOT God's Plan B.)
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To: Mad Dawg
(Quibble: Actually, it is yeast that ferments grape juice into wine. It does so anaerobically.) giggles that's true .It's fungal not bacterial . I should have use the word microbe. It's also proof that real wine was used at the Last Supper and not grape juice . With no refrigeration juice from a grape harvest could only be wine or vinegar. Grapes ripen in the summer , the Last Supper (Passover) was in the spring.
3,248 posted on 09/14/2011 10:59:17 AM PDT by Lera
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To: smvoice
It is about THE GRACE which was given to Paul that James, Peter and John perceived and caused them to give Paul the right hand of fellowship. The Grace. The Dispensation of the Grace of God.

Let's make a substitution, here: "It is about THE GRACE which was given to Mary that James, Peter and John perceived, and caused them to give Mary the embrace of sonship. The Grace. The dispensation of the Grace of God.

3,249 posted on 09/14/2011 11:03:04 AM 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
"I am going to point to the finished work of Christ on my behalf and thank God that the blood of Christ removed my sins."

The Blood of Christ did not remove your sins, it paid for (ransomed) your sins. It was an atonement, not a cleansing.

"just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:28

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” - Mark 10:45

"who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time." - Timothy 2:6

3,250 posted on 09/14/2011 11:03:10 AM PDT by Natural Law (For God so loved the world He did not send a book.)
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To: smvoice

For starters, a Jew would recognize in Peter’s sermon that Jesus died and was victorious over death in His resurrection.

They were steeped in the word of God, that death and corruption of the body entered the world through sin and all of their sacrifices were for the remission of sins, sin offerings.

23 You delivered him to sinners to be crucified and killed, and in this way the purpose of God from all times was fulfilled. 24 But God raised him to life and released him from the pain of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in the power of death

29 Friends, I don’t need to prove that the patriarch David died and was buried; his tomb is with us to this day. 30 But he knew that God had sworn to him that one of his descendants would sit upon his throne and, 31 as he was a prophet, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah. So he said that he would not be left in the region of the dead, nor would his body experience corruption.
32 This Messiah is Jesus and we are all witnesses that God raised him to life. 33 He has been exalted at God’s right side and the Father has entrusted the Holy Spirit to him; this Spirit he has just poured upon us as you now see and hear.
34 And look: David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself said: The Lord said to my Lord: sit at my right side 35 until I make your enemies a stool for your feet. 36 Let Israel then know for sure that God has made Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 When they heard this, they were deeply troubled. And they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What shall we do, brothers?”
38 Peter answered: “Each of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise of God was made to you and your children, and to all those from afar whom our God may call.”

You read this and do not see in it that Jesus died for their sins? Okay, that explains a lot.


3,251 posted on 09/14/2011 11:06:08 AM PDT by Jvette
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To: Alamo-Girl

Maybe political power was what motivated Mad Mo. Maybe he was motivated to please the “angel.” Who knows?

However, I don’t see how a suicide bomber could be motivated by political power. After all, it’s hard to hold power when you’re dead.


3,252 posted on 09/14/2011 11:14:11 AM PDT by WPaCon
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To: smvoice
It is SIGNIFICANT that while Paul did baptize some, and mention this in his first letter to the Corinthians, he states that he is GLAD he baptized so few, adding that Christ sent him NOT to baptize, but to preach the gospel. The preaching of the Cross. 1 Cor. 1:17,18.

If water baptism were so critical for salvation I can't imagine Paul being glad that he didn't baptize people. On the contrary, I'd have expected him to spend all his time doing that.

3,253 posted on 09/14/2011 11:17:28 AM 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: Mad Dawg
"Buried with him in baptism, wherein ye are risen with him through the faith of THE OPERATION OF GOD, who hath raised him from the dead." Col. 2:12. It is the operation of God, not the operation of a priest, through water, that we are spiritually buried with him in baptism and raised with him. It is God who resurrects from death, not a priest or minister. "For BY one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." 1 Cor. 12:13.

It is spiritual, performed by the Holy Spirit. Not by a priest, and not by water.

Unless you believe that Dr. Frankenstein ("That's FRANKENSTEEN") could regenerate people from death to life.

3,254 posted on 09/14/2011 11:19:03 AM PDT by smvoice (The Cross was NOT God's Plan B.)
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To: metmom
EXACTLY PRECISE, metmom. If baptism was part of the gospel, then why did Paul say he was GLAD he baptized so few??? He would not have been following the gospel if he were so glad he had baptized so few of them!! What kind of lame, lazy, ignorant, apostate Apostle would THAT have been?!?

THINK PEOPLE< THINK

3,255 posted on 09/14/2011 11:23:38 AM PDT by smvoice (The Cross was NOT God's Plan B.)
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To: Natural Law; 1000 silverlings; Alex Murphy; bkaycee; blue-duncan; boatbums; caww; ...
Out of the writings which Peter himself called Scripture.....

1 Corinthians 11 1 Be imitators of me (Paul), as I am of Christ.

Of course, we believers have the Spirit of God living within us to bring that Christlikeness to fruition.

3,256 posted on 09/14/2011 11:23:38 AM 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: Judith Anne

Sure. Add to, take from. It’s only God’s word. Substitute all you want. He doesn’t mind.. It was given to men so they could take it to other men to connect the dots for them. Whatever../s


3,257 posted on 09/14/2011 11:27:47 AM PDT by smvoice (The Cross was NOT God's Plan B.)
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To: Jvette

If you will allow me to rest my fingers for awhile, (I’m not kidding, I’ve been typing all morning!), I will get back to you about this with Scripture. It is a VERY important point. Thanks, smvoice


3,258 posted on 09/14/2011 11:31:10 AM PDT by smvoice (The Cross was NOT God's Plan B.)
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To: smvoice

Wow, you are really reaching here and why you believe what you profess is becoming clearer to me.

Peter, John and James perceived that Paul had received GRACE, but it was not a different grace than what they had received, and Paul makes no such claim. They perceived that Paul was indeed teaching the same gospel as them and so they gave Paul their imprimatur, the seal of their approval.

I don’t know what translation you use, but the word used in all the translations I searched say that the Apostles in this verse were.....regarded as the leaders, were the esteemed leaders.

The translation you use seeks to aggrandize Paul over the others, yet Paul himself says that the Lord has no favorites.

The Lord tells Ananais before the conversion of Saul this...

“Go! This man is my chosen instrument to bring my name to the pagan nations and their kings, and the people of Israel as well. 16 I myself will show him how much he will have to suffer for my name.”

Note, that Saul is to bring His name to the pagan nations, their kings and the PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.

This commission to the pagans and the Gentiles was not just given to Saul, Jesus tells the twelve they are to go into ALL THE WORLD, preaching the good news and baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

And that the good news would be brought to the Gentiles was nothing new....The OT speaks of the Messiah’s name being great among the Gentiles, in Luke, Jesus says...

30For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

31Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

32A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Paul himself writes in Ephesians...

3 Make every effort to keep among you the unity of Spirit through bonds of peace. 4 Let there be one body and one spirit, for God, in calling you, gave the same Spirit to all. 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism. 6 One God, the Father of all, who is above all and works through all and is in all.


3,259 posted on 09/14/2011 11:31:46 AM PDT by Jvette
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To: smvoice

Take whatever time you need, I have to be off running errands so don’t know when I will be back.

May you have a blessed day.


3,260 posted on 09/14/2011 11:35:17 AM PDT by Jvette
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