Friday, January 22, 2016

King Solomon, Are Americans Fair to Muslims…or, (Post Four)


are Muslims fair to Americans. Is Islam a religion of peace?
In my last post I stated I would explore positive examples of both religions, and the reason I surmise Islamwich may have decided to change from a Christian to a Muslim Islamic religious faith.

Islamwich stated how she decided to become a Muslim in the Washington Post Opinion  I linked in Post Two.  I surmise from the following except of the statement that there was an ulterior reason other than what she stated.
Excerpt
“In November 2001, while firefighters were still sorting through the rubble at the World Trade Center, I became a Muslim.
I had been on my path of discovery for several years. I was raised Catholic, the daughter of a disabled Vietnam vet. And I appreciated the upbringing the church afforded me. At Catholic school, I learned to love God and respect people of all faiths.
But I found it difficult to accept the teachings about the Holy Trinity. So I sought out other monotheistic religions.
In college, I became agnostic. But after my roommate (a Baptist) converted to Islam, I got interested. As she learned more about it, she shared her findings with me. I appreciated the revolutionary equality the prophet Muhammad taught when he said that “an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.” 
In My Opinion
When you read her post About, she lives in the South. This leads me to surmise what I have experienced from having some wonderful former neighbors who were Southern Baptists. Doris confessed that until she moved to Chicago, she had never met a Roman Catholic. Neither of us tried to convert each other and frankly, I believe she is a more devout Christian than many Roman Catholics…
Every Sunday, her family met with a group of Baptists n a rented storefront and prayed and sang together at their Sunday service, Afterword, they remained for hours, ate together food they brought and socialized. Apparently, the group consisted of a number of people who knew each other from their former communities in Southern areas who had moved north to Chicago for employment. They too, like immigrants from other countries that move to large urban cities will still maintain old community ties, whether it is family, religion or neighborhood.
The point I am making is the group of Southern Baptists identified others they trusted and associated with their religion. Same thing happens with any religion in big crowed city and/or a small country community Church. The positive is in all religious cultures is a community of people meet and unite in a common purpose to pray together. When someone is repeatedly seen over time, even though they may never come to know each other personally, it serves to identify by association which then serves as an element of preconceived trust about a person.
I surmise Islamwich converted to Muslim, not so much as her not accepting a religious dogma about Christianity beliefs in the Holy Trinity. Islam has a number of religious mysteries for an agnostic to question, She may have decided to convert to Islam because she was introduced by a friend and welcomed to a Muslim religious community. She certainly appears to be a stoic member ever since.
King Solomon
A mean person gets paid back in meanness, a gracious person in grace. Proverbs 14:14
May our words and actions reflect a gracious spirit!
Sourcc HERE
In my last post I stated I would explore positive examples of both religions, and the reason I surmise Islamwich may have decided to change from a Christian to a Muslim Islamic religious faith.
In my next Post
I will explore whether we Americans, and/or any religious community, are mean, bigoted, or unfair to Muslims or any other immigrants for that matter, in spite of the teachings in our schools, laws, or faiths? Do we graciously welcome everyone into our Country, Church, community, or our homes?  If not, why not?
Regards and goodwill blogging.
Previous Post Links
Post One HERE
Post Two HERE
PostThree HERE

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