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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: CynicalBear
>>Where'd you get the 6911 years from?<<

The two schools of thought are either 66 or 76 generations between Adam and Jesus. The 66 years holds more credibility from my study on the subject. I simply took 70 as an average. Multiply that times the 70 year life span and add the 2011 years since Jesus and you get 6911 years since Adam. Most scholers have stated approximately 6000 give or take since Adam.

Where did the two schools of thought come from and how did they get 70 years as a generational span? How old was Noah? Solomon? Come on, let's come up with the justification for this. If I die at 15, does that make my generation 15 years? If I die at 1000, does that make my generation 1000 years? How do you relate one individual's life span to another?

1,461 posted on 09/07/2011 4:25:48 AM PDT by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel, if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move m to do so.)
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To: CynicalBear
>> Tell me, what is length of the Baby Boom generation? GenX? GenY? Get back to me on that would you please?<<

I don’t use modern day terminology or understanding to interpret scripture.

Then please confine your discourse to Koine Greek.

1,462 posted on 09/07/2011 4:26:40 AM PDT by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel, if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move m to do so.)
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To: Gamecock
I still think that Jesus is going to ask us at our Judgement what it is that we did in our lives.

Sounds very Romanist to me. Never mind about what Scripture teaches that our sin was transferred to Jesus and His perfect righteousness was given to those who put their faith in Him. There's not going to be a lot of questions. Either your name is in the Book Of Life or it isn't.

It's actually very Christian. That is what all of Christianity believed before Calvin was a gleam in the milkman's eye. And still does, if you think of it.

Interesting statement, though. What do you think the Judgement is?

You know, the Beatitudes and the whole Sermon on the Mount that the children of the Reformed have redacted from their Bible.

That is an asinine assertion.* Both of those texts are held very dear by the Reformed.

Dear in what way? I have been assailed by members of the Reformed on FR for using the Beatitudes as standards of Christianity.

It is the Papist Church that has added entire books to the Bible

And which books would these be?

and fosters a hatred of Paul by her followers because he refutes the very core of what Rome teaches.

We don't hate Paul - he has formed a great amount of Church doctrine and was its greatest evangelizer. We merely hate what misguided individuals twist his words to mean. Even II Peter cautions us against that.

*Note that I called the claim asinine, not the poster.

Well noted, sir.

1,463 posted on 09/07/2011 4:34:00 AM PDT by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel, if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move m to do so.)
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To: marbren
We had all the truth! LOL.

Let us pray daily (if not hourly) that the Truth have us.

1,464 posted on 09/07/2011 4:34:59 AM PDT by Mad Dawg (In my Father's trailer park are many double-wides. (apologies to Iscool))
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To: marbren
If God is no respecter of person but somehow it's OK for marbren to discuss other's fruits and then draw others in to discuss it also?

Luther was persecuted for his faith by an organization. As long as they could control him, he was fine. So in your rush to compare - it seems it's your fruit that is obvious here.

And Paul, Stephen, John the Baptist and many others were persecuted for spreading the gospel in the Name of JESUS - and all on the direction of God Himself for It is Written.

It's not wise to act so foolishly. And, BTW, God's Word is THE FINAL AUTHORITY.
1,465 posted on 09/07/2011 4:37:04 AM PDT by presently no screen name
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To: marbren
We had all the truth!

ONLY God's Word has ALL The Truth. Not any church, member or so called scholar.
1,466 posted on 09/07/2011 4:43:47 AM PDT by presently no screen name
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To: CynicalBear
>>Show me where Trinity is found in Scripture, even from Jesus Himself?<<

1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

Applause. This is the most Trinitarian verse in the Bible. The trouble is that it does not exist in most of the existing Greek manuscripts, and is called the Comma Johanneum. The baptismal formula in Matthew 28 was also a late addition. However, that is what we have, and I will accept them based upon the Church's acceptance of them. Your acceptance is also based upon the Church's acceptance of them as well, I will note.

Note that the term "these three are one" can mean a lot of things in Koine Greek, normally something along the lines of 'one in purpose' or 'joined in a common goal'. Aside from this you have posted nothing that even suggests Trinity.

I have often said that if it were not for the writings ascribed to John, it would be impossible to establish any sort of agreement about the Trinity. The Synoptic Gospels, Paul, and to some extent John, describes Jesus as either a subordinate God, or as a super David (which the Jews are still looking for).

>>If you hold to Trinitarian doctrine, you must hold to Mother of God.<<

No you don’t. “Mother of God” is a “doctrine of man”.

If one is, then the other is as well. Both on equal amounts of evidence. Do you expect that you have greater insight than a Church Council of bishops?

1,467 posted on 09/07/2011 4:46:57 AM PDT by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel, if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move m to do so.)
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To: smvoice
Wait. In your thinking it's okay to come to somebody else's place and knowingly break the rules and it's wrong when somebody else points that out? Is that what you are saying?

How can that be correct? I don't get it.

1,468 posted on 09/07/2011 4:51:25 AM PDT by Mad Dawg (In my Father's trailer park are many double-wides. (apologies to Iscool))
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To: Quix
He started an entire thread about folks accusing FR of being anti RC. He was clearly not identifying as an RC on that thread.

Well, I could be wrong. But my memory and the post I found contribute to my continued belief he is Catholic. It is of no importance to me other than that I don't think this site is anti-Catholic. I am not Catholic, but I don't bash Catholics. I certainly disagree with them on some, to me, fundamental beliefs. But, so what?

If you can find the link to the thread you mentioned, I would be interested in reading it.

1,469 posted on 09/07/2011 5:00:12 AM PDT by AndrewC
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To: Mad Dawg

Yes,

“But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:24)

And the believer has direct access by faith into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, the all-sufficient Savior and intercessor, therewith to pray and commune with God.

I am convicted that i do not do more.


1,470 posted on 09/07/2011 5:03:39 AM PDT by daniel1212 (Our sinful deeds condemn us, but Christ's death and resurrection gains salvation. Repent +Believe)
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To: Mad Dawg

(Sorry for format. I had a notion I was on Frmail not posting.)


1,471 posted on 09/07/2011 5:04:26 AM PDT by Mad Dawg (In my Father's trailer park are many double-wides. (apologies to Iscool))
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To: Quix; Natural Law
What unmitigated hideousness. The authentic Mary herself has been reported in a number of Heavenly visitations to be grieved to tears over such idolatrous adorations and worship.

Okay, let me see if I understand this. You believe that Mary is not the mother of God and is not worthy of any more than somebody associated with the Incarnate Jesus. You also believe that there is a steady stream of tourists through Heaven and that the more extraordinary idiots on these bus tours get to tell Jesus what to do and comfort Him in His sorrow. Just checking to see if I got it right.

1,472 posted on 09/07/2011 5:05:25 AM PDT by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel, if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move m to do so.)
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To: boatbums

You are welcome.


1,473 posted on 09/07/2011 5:06:03 AM PDT by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel, if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move m to do so.)
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To: MarkBsnr

very well said!


1,474 posted on 09/07/2011 5:14:26 AM PDT by Hegewisch Dupa
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To: boatbums; CynicalBear
You are deflecting again. Try to stay on topic, which is simply that you stated something that implied a longer period of time between the Ascension of Christ and the recording of the first Gospel books.

I said that there was a generation between the Ascension of Christ and the beginning of the writing of the NT Scripture. And it was true then and is true now. No implication. If we knew more about the whole timeline I could have said so many years, months, days, minutes and seconds. But to most of us, we understand the meaning of 'generation' and the implication.

The implication was not a longer time - it was the fact that there was a whole new generation of people born after Christ who never knew him. Those of us who are familiar with what we now know about those times understand that this was the driving factor behind the writing and collecting of NT Scripture.

Much of the Church believed that Jesus would return soon (note that history is full of people who wrongly believed the same, sometimes over and over and over and over). The Church realized that as the witnesses of Christ's life started to die off, they'd better get writing or else all that would be left is the oral tradition - the Jewish oral tradition is amongst the best in all humanity - which would eventually change. So during the succeeding centuries, copyists inadvertently and deliberately both with and without Church intervention made multiple and myriad versions of many many books.

If you meant a "generation" was only 20-25 years, I doubt CB would have gone to the trouble. Do you at least understand the point?

It's rude to point. I meant what I meant, as illustrated by above.

1,475 posted on 09/07/2011 5:16:49 AM PDT by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel, if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move m to do so.)
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To: caww

Yes... Lots of those days.


1,476 posted on 09/07/2011 5:19:53 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: presently no screen name
ONLY God's Word has ALL The Truth.

How do you figure? Do you mean Jesus by "God's Word" or do you mean the Bible?

If the latter, what do you do with the end of John's Gospel?

Seriously, no agenda, just wondering.

1,477 posted on 09/07/2011 5:22:30 AM PDT by Mad Dawg (In my Father's trailer park are many double-wides. (apologies to Iscool))
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To: Not gonna take it anymore
For God so loved the world He sent a book? And not only that, He sent a book missing some sacred scripture.

What with Catholic church history, I find it amusing that you should criticize that.

God sent a magesterium and tradition?

I don't think so.

I'll take the revealed and then transcribed Word over word of mouth.

1,478 posted on 09/07/2011 5:25:29 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: presently no screen name

Thanks for your kind reply.


1,479 posted on 09/07/2011 5:25:53 AM PDT by Quix (Times are a changin' INSURE you have believed in your heart & confessed Jesus as Lord Come NtheFlesh)
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To: boatbums

INDEED.

However, duplicity seems to be a cardinal doctrine of the Vatican Ishtar-Mary Goddess cult.


1,480 posted on 09/07/2011 5:25:58 AM PDT by Quix (Times are a changin' INSURE you have believed in your heart & confessed Jesus as Lord Come NtheFlesh)
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