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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: Judith Anne; metmom
What? Did Sister Sadistical give you an F in Rosary? Poor thing.

Two men considering a religious vocation were having a conversation. "What is similar about the Jesuit and Dominican Orders? " the one asked.

The second replied, "Well, they were both founded by Spaniards -- St. Dominic for the Dominicans, and St. Ignatius of Loyola for the Jesuits. They were also both founded to combat heresy -- the Dominicans to fight the Albigensians, and the Jesuits to fight the Protestants."

"What is different about the Jesuit and Dominican Orders?"

"Met any Albigensians lately?"

4,201 posted on 09/19/2011 9:10:02 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: stonehouse01

We don’t get saved by works, we don’t stay saved by works.

God prepared good works in advance for us to do, but that is to glorify Him and accomplish His purpose on earth THROUGH us, not for us to earn or keep our salvation.


4,202 posted on 09/19/2011 9:58:15 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; caww
Judith Anne-post 4141: No prayers addressed to Christ or the Holy Spirit?

Post 4141 is YOUR post.

Do try to focus here.

The initial conversation was about the ratio of Hail Mary to Our Father in the rosary.

How many prayers addressed to Mary in the rosary in the form of Hail Mary vs how many prayers addressed to God in the Our Father? Are there not 10 times the number of Hail Mary's prayed vs the number of Our Father's prayed?

4,203 posted on 09/19/2011 10:05:36 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: caww; Judith Anne
OK, JA, maybe this one won't be so incriminating for a Catholic to answer.

-Peter the hermit invented the rosary in the year 1090, more than 1000 years after Christ.

Is caww correct or not about the origin of the rosary?

This should require no more than a simple *Yes* or No*, although if you want to refute it and dispel all the ignorance about the origin of the rosary that's out there, you could also provide the official Catholic church version of its origin.

4,204 posted on 09/19/2011 10:16:40 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: stonehouse01; Elsie
PS - that is why the Blessed Mother was assummed - she just went ahead of us because she was perfect

Jesus was the only one who was perfect.

If Mary was conceived without sin and lived a sinless life, she didn't need a savior, she could have BEEN the savior.

But then she would have been lying when she sang her song and referred to God her savior.

oops.....Now she needs a savior.

4,205 posted on 09/19/2011 10:25:28 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: Elsie

Sorry about the feel

Although feelings and emotions do enter in

Anyway do this in memory of me surely means a ritual


4,206 posted on 09/19/2011 10:33:05 AM PDT by stonehouse01
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To: metmom
Metmom...what I discovered was even the catholic church varies on the origin of the Rosary...many storeis of it's beginnings...additionally it was changed and or added to over the course of it's use..Popes changed it from what I've been reading...and people themselves use at their will how they choose to use it....

As I mentioned before it seems to be 'a one size fits all'...whatever they want to do with it. Bottom line it's no different then using any other "book mark"..and or the emotional attachment one might determine for them...rather like a pacifier for some...for others something to hold onto when they can't mange life events... For others simply unimportant.

For me I prefer just going directly to the Savior who hears my words long before I speak them and already in motion for whatever concerns me....and if I find it hard to speak I know with certainty the Holy Spirit is interceeding for me to Father....sometimes just kneeling before is enough...just being before Him...changes all equations.

4,207 posted on 09/19/2011 10:40:24 AM PDT by caww
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Comment #4,208 Removed by Moderator

To: Elsie

The thief’s work was to witness.

There is an apochryphal story that the thief encountered Mary and Joseph as a younger man in the desert as the Holy family were on their way to Egypt.

We will never know for sure - his work was then, as well


4,209 posted on 09/19/2011 10:48:19 AM PDT by stonehouse01
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To: metmom

It is mystical - without time per se.

There is no way Our Lord would have come into a sinful womb.

Saving Grace is timeless.


4,210 posted on 09/19/2011 10:51:09 AM PDT by stonehouse01
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To: metmom

What happened - free will - there is no logic to this position


4,211 posted on 09/19/2011 10:55:48 AM PDT by stonehouse01
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To: Judith Anne

There are certain subject matters on threads I will not particpate in for I recognize my sensitivities to these on a personal basis. So sometimes best to not get involved when the heat appears to be turning up.

On the other hand becuase of personal experience I find speaking up is advantageous and just keep the emotional reaction in check.

Either way we do choose and can step back any time when it might seem to overwhelm us or we cannot deal with what’s being said.

It really isn’t about offending others...it’s about truth and or seeking and understanding it. At other times it’s about tearing down the strongholds we as Christians are called to participate in.


4,212 posted on 09/19/2011 11:24:59 AM PDT by caww
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To: Elsie; Mad Dawg

Soo good. So funny.

However in the Jesuits defense, the protestants are difficult.

St. Ignatius pray for us.


4,213 posted on 09/19/2011 11:30:46 AM PDT by stonehouse01
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To: metmom

Are there any OTHER religions that use a rosary like device to remember prayers?


4,214 posted on 09/19/2011 11:31:56 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: stonehouse01
Anyway do this in memory of me surely means a ritual No one said it wasn't.

The focus here on your saying it was NEEDED.

...the ritual is needed.

Address THIS part.

4,215 posted on 09/19/2011 11:34:05 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: caww

St. Dominic - pray for us


4,216 posted on 09/19/2011 11:34:26 AM PDT by stonehouse01
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To: stonehouse01
There is no way Our Lord would have come into a sinful womb.

Uh? ....Well He did take the form of a human body.....which might be like us choosing to become a grub. "God became man" is astounding...

Mary's womb was simply a mothers womb....the real difference was the work of the Holy Spirit...and He does all things well under any circumstances...including using a humble womans imperfect womb.

4,217 posted on 09/19/2011 11:34:37 AM PDT by caww
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To: stonehouse01
The thief’s work was to witness.

THAT worked out well!

4,218 posted on 09/19/2011 11:35:17 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: stonehouse01
There is no way Our Lord would have come into a sinful womb.

Oh yeah?

Prove it!

HE came into a SINFUL world, remember.

4,219 posted on 09/19/2011 11:36:11 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: stonehouse01

Why call on the departed when Jesus knows your plea long before you even thought of it. He is ready to hear from us directly as He “loves the fruit of our lips”.


4,220 posted on 09/19/2011 11:38:54 AM PDT by caww
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