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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: smvoice

Wow - amazing .

Paul is talking about the OT of course!!

The new wine -


4,041 posted on 09/18/2011 10:09:24 AM PDT by stonehouse01
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To: stonehouse01

Actually Paul is talking to those in Christ who have been be-deviled into thinking that rites rituals mysticism philosophy, etc. are perfectly okay in this present age. He tells them emphatically NO. they are NOT okay.


4,042 posted on 09/18/2011 10:17:07 AM PDT by smvoice (The Cross was NOT God's Plan B.)
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To: smvoice

So - we are now refuting the recreation of the last supper/mass.

What about His admonition - Do this in memory of me?


4,043 posted on 09/18/2011 10:23:36 AM PDT by stonehouse01
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To: stonehouse01
You tell me. Are you in the dispensation of the Kingdom or the dispensation of the grace of God?

And who says we are now refuting anything? You're the one who made THAT jump right into mass. But no matter, here we go..recreation...memory..actual..real presence..unbloody sacrifice..yet present totally and completely...Go for it. Wherever you want to begin. It's your Catechism.

4,044 posted on 09/18/2011 10:44:57 AM PDT by smvoice (The Cross was NOT God's Plan B.)
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To: stonehouse01
this is not a free ride.

"If the son sets you free you are free indeed".

4,045 posted on 09/18/2011 1:11:26 PM PDT by caww
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To: Iscool

These were prayers of the Pope...Jesus is mentioned as an afterthought Imo....and far less then Mary in his prayers. Ceertainly he does more than encourage Mary worship...as he mentions kneeling before her statue....which is clearly idolatry. But of course they have fabricated another word for what they do to justify their actions..as with so much “stuff” that’s ritualistic within their church.

It’s very obvious they give Mary the honor and position which upsurps Christ’s rightful place. In one prayer he referes to her as Queen as well. It is no wonder there are some who recognize this adoration as that similar to the earth queen environmentalists worship...the vocabulary used is similar.

It’s especially offensive when he speaks of Maryas the “keeper of Europe”..which of course she has othing at all to do with. Nations rise and fall by the and of God alone...additionally that she is the one who guides people to toward heaven...which is the work of the Holy Spirit...certainly not Mary who is powerless on earth since she is with the Lord...amazing beyond measure what they acknowleddge her to be within their church. Why need Jesus at all since she pretty much covers all which He is and does for us?


4,046 posted on 09/18/2011 1:23:58 PM PDT by caww
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To: caww

There is no free ride - get over it.

Paul to the Philippians:

Chapter 2 - Verse 12 with fear and trembling work out you salvation


4,047 posted on 09/18/2011 1:25:52 PM PDT by stonehouse01
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To: caww

No usurpation at all. Jesus loves his mother/ we love his mother


4,048 posted on 09/18/2011 1:28:58 PM PDT by stonehouse01
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To: reaganaut

There is no doubt Christ connects us in magnificient ways, at timely moments when no doubt we recognize it is HE. It goes hand in glove when His Spirit indwells us...and thus the “body of Christ”...all connected.


4,049 posted on 09/18/2011 1:29:20 PM PDT by caww
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To: stonehouse01; reaganaut
Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient to open the gates of heaven - his sacrifice does not guarantee entry because we have free will. It can be both and has to be both - we must cooperate with Him with our works - this is not a free ride.

Certainly it's a free ride. It's a gift.

The sacrifice was enough to cleanse us from all our sin and put us in Christ. Our life is hidden with Christ in God. We ARE heirs with Him already seated in the heavenly realms.

If you trust in Christ completely for salvation, you can be in that position as well. If you want your good works to save you, well good luck with that. God will judge you on that but don't forget that the wages of sin is death.

4,050 posted on 09/18/2011 2:20:45 PM 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: stonehouse01; Mad Dawg
>>We have not covered Maccabees and purgatory<<

Purgatory or Grace Jesus was sent to release those held captive in Sheol. He held the keys of Sheol and released the faithful who died before He became the final sacrifice.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me, to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; (Luke 4:18)

Paul also talks about those held captive in Sheol. They were taken with Christ and led them with Him.

“Therefore He says: When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. Now this, “He ascended” – what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.” (Ephesians 4:8-10)

Jesus also told the thief on the cross that he would go with Him into paradise (Sheol).

“And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

After Jesus death and resurrection believers no longer go to the place called Sheol but go immediately to heaven to be with Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

The concept of purgatory indicates a debt that needs to be paid. Christ paid that debt. For someone to assume that guilt is to step away from the grace of God.

Romans 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

God imputes righteousness without works.

Romans 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

We obtain that righteousness while here on earth, not after we die.

Jesus was made sin for us.

2 Corinthians 5: 21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Why would anyone reject what Jesus did for us and try to do it themselves when we are told that’s impossible? We know that we already have righteousness through faith.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

So it’s impossible to please God without faith, and faith already gives us the righteousness that is required by Him why would anyone reject God’s freely given righteousness to once again return to the law of works which we know doesn’t even please Him?

On the cross Jesus last words were “it is finished”.

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

In the Greek, the phrase, “it is finished”, is written as one word – “tetelestai”. In english that means “paid in full”. By claiming that people go to purgatory to either pay for their sins or have someone else pay for them they are calling Jesus a liar.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ” (Romans 8:1), 1 Corinthians 3:15 is talking about the fact that since we are no longer condemned we will not stand before Christ in judgment of sin but rather in judgment of our service to Him for our rewards

If we are justified by faith we will not only escape damnation but in Hebrews we are told that God will not even remember our sins.

Hebrews 10:17 Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

We are also told in Hebrews that once we accept Jesus sacrifice there is no more offering for sin. Not on this earth and not in some place called purgatory.

Hebrews 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

4,051 posted on 09/18/2011 2:22:02 PM PDT by CynicalBear
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To: stonehouse01; CynicalBear
Mary certainly has no grave. That is very telling.

It's very meaningless.

Her having a grave might be able to prove that she died. Not being able to find it means nothing other that nobody has been able to find it.

4,052 posted on 09/18/2011 2:26:14 PM 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: stonehouse01; Iscool
..... - He does not necessarily like this only Him approach.

How do you know?

Is there something about Him saying that He is the way, the truth, the life, no man comes to the Father but by him, that is too hard to understand?

4,053 posted on 09/18/2011 2:29:01 PM 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: stonehouse01; caww
>>Chapter 2 - Verse 12 with fear and trembling work out you salvation<<

Jesus answer to that.

“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:28-29

4,054 posted on 09/18/2011 2:29:22 PM PDT by CynicalBear
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To: metmom

It astounds me what they base doctrine on.


4,055 posted on 09/18/2011 2:35:05 PM PDT by CynicalBear
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To: smvoice

++++++++
Are you in the dispensation of the Kingdom or the dispensation of the grace of God?
++++++++++

Isn’t that a little like me asking you if you were suffering from any mortal sins or if all your current sins were venial?

I mean there’s a system of interpretation behind dispensational thinking and a similar system behind our teaching about sin. So if I ask you my question it’s introducing a great big bunch o’ stuff!

What, in unrelated news, do you mean by “mysticism”? In my reading (and writing) about Paul I have encountered the phrase “Pauline Mysticism”, which, speaking loosely, I would y is about what Paul writes about the individual’s dynamin and personal relationship with the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit.

So, no gotchas or anything, I’d like to know your thinking.


4,056 posted on 09/18/2011 2:36:17 PM PDT by Mad Dawg (Jesus, I trust in you.)
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To: CynicalBear

Yes purgatory exists.

I repeat - the Lord opened the Gates - he went to hell (*Sheol) and released the faithful.

There are no sinners in Heaven.

We are all sinners - we must be purged.


4,057 posted on 09/18/2011 2:40:02 PM PDT by stonehouse01
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To: CynicalBear

do not be astounded - doctrine is truth


4,058 posted on 09/18/2011 2:41:52 PM PDT by stonehouse01
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To: metmom; stonehouse01

The absence of a grave is absence of proof that we are wrong. It’s not proof that we are right.

What suggests the early opinion of SOMETHING uniquely remarkable is the absence of relics of Mary.

And, just to be clear, the Assumption leaves undefined whether Mary died or not. Whether or not she did, the dogma I that she “now” enjoys the full resurrection which all the saints will enjoy at the end.


4,059 posted on 09/18/2011 2:44:34 PM PDT by Mad Dawg (Jesus, I trust in you.)
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To: CynicalBear
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”.... John 6:28-29

Powerful verse CB!......I have often wanted to do a study on belief.....since there is a difference between..."Knowing" and "Belief"..and "Faith"..I think...and the order of when we come to Christ.

Once you 'know', and that without Question, then it's settled....but it seems prior to knowing one might relate to Thomas...."I believe help thou my unbelief".....

4,060 posted on 09/18/2011 2:46:37 PM PDT by caww
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