Latinos changing Christianity in U.S.

Latinos are transforming America's religious landscape, especially the Roman Catholic Church, according to a major study released Wednesday. The study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Hispanic Center found that Latinos, whose numbers are growing through immigration and a high birth rate, now account for a third of American Catholics and is likely to rise.

Latinos are nourishing a distinctive form of worship known as renewalism that is sweeping across Latin America. "You could call it bringing the fiesta spirit into the Catholic Church," said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

One of the fastest-growing movements in Christendom, renewalism emphasizes God's intervention in human affairs through the Holy Spirit, taking the Bible literally, speaking in tongues, faith healing, exorcism and prophesy, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday. The study also found that Latino evangelicals are twice as likely as Latino Catholics to be Republicans and are much more likely to approve of President Bush and to favor using force in Iraq.

In interviews with 4,016 Latinos from August to October, Pew found most consider themselves religious and pray daily. Almost 70 percent are Roman Catholic, 15 percent are Protestant, within which 54 percent of Catholics and 57 percent of Protestants define themselves as charismatic or Pentecostal. By contrast, about 10 percent of non-Latino Catholics and 20 percent of Protestants identify as charismatic or Pentecostal.

Conversions are bringing more Latinos into the Protestant faiths. The study found half of Latino evangelicals are converts, mostly ex-Catholics who wanted a more personal experience with God and were bored by traditonal Mass. At the same time, Catholic renewalists are forming new worship groups within the church.

I have a cousin in Texas who is a marshall of a small town. Recently they had a visit from the FBI who informed him that Mexican mosques are popping up all over Texas and Mexico. They are helping to bring in muslims from terrorists states and providing a cover for them.

Also, there is a steady rise of ‘Latino’s’ converting to Islam.

Olé to Allah
http://www.islamfortoday.com/ole.htm

On a recent crisp Friday afternoon in El Barrio, the Puerto Rican heart of East Harlem, Ramon Omar Abduraheem Ocasio, Imam of the Alianza Islamica, delivered a khutba (sermon) in Spanish, English and Arabic on fatherhood and responsibility to a motley congregation of Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Panamanians, Spaniards, and African Americans. Although it might seem surprising to find a Muslim mosque thriving in such a traditionally Catholic community, organizations like Alianza Islamica represent the ongoing growth of Islam among Latinos in North and South America.

Latino Muslims a Growing Presence in America

The Latino Muslim presence is particularly prominent in New York, Southern California and Chicago - places where both Hispanics and Muslims reside in great numbers. These cities boast Latino mosques and organizations exclusively directed toward the Latino Muslim community. The Islamic Society of North America’s annual conference on Latino Muslims and recently established Latino Coordinating Committee attest to the growing importance of this group in American Muslim society.

The number of Latino Muslims is difficult to determine, with estimates ranging from 25,000 to 60,000. This includes 2nd- or 3rd-generation Hispanic Americans as well as a diverse population of new immigrants.

http://www.hispanicmuslims.com/articles/latinogrowth.html

And here you have a ‘summit’ of black and latinos held at a mosque! Strange alliances being formed.....

LA, June 2006, “I was on my way to the “first annual historic summit” between black and Latino leaders, in a large mosque near downtown.

This is a serious discussion; no holds barred,” organizer Najee Ali, director of Project Islamic HOPE, said at the beginning of the summit.
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=ffc283c6f1cb134e4c694b80ed53a165

http://hispanicmuslims.com/

A group of Latina converts to Islam participate in a class at the Islamic Education Center of North Hudson, in Union City, N.J.

http://tinyurl.com/29cuqt

according to estimates conducted by national Islamic organizations such as the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) there are approximately 40,000 Latino Muslims in the United States.

Peter Awn, an Islamic studies professor at Columbia University, says there is no doubt that the number of Latinos converting to Islam is growing.

Vargas, meanwhile, says she questioned many things about the Catholic faith in which she was raised and felt an emptiness in Christianity.

Galvan, from LADO, pointed out that many people come to Islam through people that they know, “friends, co-workers, classmates, boyfriends or husbands.”

Professor Awn said that many Latinas find there is a greater sense of economic and social stability in Islam and that it also represents “a return to traditional values.”

“the younger generation is looking for a more progressive form of Islam.”

Organizations such as Latino American Dawah Organization (LADO) based in New York with chapters growing across the country provide information about Islam in Spanish to those seeking it. They also maintain an active web-site, which publishes a monthly newsletter that reflects the tones and currents of the new community. Other organizations such as PIEDAD, (Progagacion Islamic para la Educacion e la Devocion a Ala’ el Divino) concentrate their efforts on reaching the female component of the Latino community. LALAMA (Los Angeles Latino Muslims Association) began as a Spanish speaking Islamic study group at the Islamic Center of Southern California. The high demand and popularity of the group’s activities led the informal study group to formalize into a visible and service providing community organization. Similar organizations have begun to appear in Houston, Chicago and other metropolitan areas.

Perhaps the most well established Latino Muslim organization, Alianza Islamica was founded in East Harlem and now resides in the Bronx.

because most Latinos live in metropolitan centers and thus share the same space as many African American Muslims, it is safe to say that Latino Muslims have been influenced whether, directly or indirectly by the African American Muslim community.

******

“Am I still a Chicano?” he asked. “We have this Islamic identity and, being Latino, we have this Catholic background. I’m not Christian anymore, but am I still Latino? We’re redefining what Latino is.”

A small group of Latino Muslims — mostly college students and young professionals coming from Silicon Valley — have been meeting recently at Zaytuna to support one another in their new conversion and educate one another on their Latino connections to Islamic culture.

"...Mexican mosques are popping up all over Texas and Mexico. They are helping to bring in muslims from terrorists states and providing a cover for them."

Well, that didn't take long, did it?

Remember about 25 years ago when we first started seeing all of the "diversity" and "multiculturalism" classes popping up here, there and everywhere? Especially if you worked at a large corporation. Then came our newest liberal menu item du jour, "political correctness".

I don't know about you, but I've pretty much returned to the harsh truth as I knew it 25 years ago. Actually, for me, it didn't change all that much.

Lock and load...

The pure, unadulterated hatred of white descendents of european christian males in establishing the most free and successful nation in history is truly astounding!!!

It will be with us forever, no matter how understanding, tollerant and generous we all remain... IT IS NEVER ENOUGH!!! (and it never will be)

It's just like the militant environmentalists, it won't be enough until our air and water are purified to the point of being sterile and the nation is broke from squandering trillions to correct that last one tenth of one percent pollution!

Yet I see threads on FR that Newt Gingrich and plenty of FReepers think we MUST compromise with this mentality or we'll lose some elections now and in the future!!! Insanity!!!

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