The Ghouse Diary

Texas Faith: To what extent should government define the common good?

2012-02-14T20:00:00.004-06:00

There is a need for the conservative and liberals to be sensitive towards each other and move out of "my interests" zone to the interests of common good, all of us would be better off in the long run. Every American must feel a sense of security, safety and freedom. If we can learn to accept the otherness of others and respect the God given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and

Valentine's Day, the universal phenomenon

2012-02-13T21:28:00.002-06:00

From an exclusive meaningful rendezvous between two lovers, the Valentine's Day will morph into an all inclusive romantic day. It will become a universal affection day within a decade. Love has no bounds; it is between two people in love, husband and wife, mother and son, father daughter, brother sister, brothers, sisters, friends, uncles, aunties, Grand Pa and Grand Ma and any one you care

Mike Ghouse talks on America

2012-02-13T11:44:00.009-06:00

Dallas Campus of the College of Complexes Weekly Free Speech Forum Program Coordinator Tom Berry February 18th Meeting #125 at 6:00 PMBarbec's Restaurant, 8949 Garland Rd, Dallas, TX 75218 Why We Need to Work for A More Cohesive America The Playground for People Who Think Mike Ghouse (speaker, writer and author) will discuss the importance of recognizing hate, prejudice, and stereotyping

Obama contraceptive goof up

2012-02-10T16:48:00.003-06:00

I am really surprised by President Obama’s move that he would want to infringe on personal liberties. As a Muslim, and in behalf of several Muslims, I stand with our Catholic Brothers and Sisters, they should have the choice, and freedom to practice whatever method of birth control they want to pursue. We are not China to regulate, a man and a woman should choose what is good for him or her and

Israel and Palestine: looking for peace on the horizon

2012-02-10T14:31:00.012-06:00

Who am I to worry about Israelis and Palestinians? What inspires me to be involved in the Israel Palestine conflict? The following is the story of my struggle to see a cohesive world, the story will take you through different emotions but at the end, I hope you feel a sense of completeness of the story. Please let me know. Thank you. I believe at the heart of the world peace is the Israel

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the peace maker.

2012-02-09T15:53:00.012-06:00

This is an outline of my talk on Sunday, February 12, 2012 Slide show: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157629293229287/show/ Are you a Rahmat (Kindness/Mercy) to your family, your spouse, your friends, your neighbors, your nation and your world? Do you believe Prophet Muhammad was a mercy to mankind? If he was, can the world see a reflection of him in you? No one should be

Obama victory is certain if Santorum is the guy

2012-02-08T13:20:00.004-06:00

Santorum has busted Romney in three states last night; Missouri – Santorum 55% - Romney 25% - Paul 12% Minnesota - Santorum 45% - Paul 27% -Romney 17% Colorado - Santorum 45% - -Romney 34% - Gingrich 13% This does not bode well for the GOP, it will drive the moderates, independents, and Republican leaning independents towards Obama. GOP fails to understand that a majority of Americans are

TEXAS FAITH: Across religious spectrum, voters are increasingly identifying themselves as Republican. Why?

2012-02-07T17:56:00.001-06:00

Every religious group is clamoring to have their personal religious interests take precedence over the interests of America. In the long run it is not sustainable and does not bode well for America. There are two critical factors in the play to explain the voter shift towards Republicans; unemployment and religion. TEXAS FAITH: Across religious spectrum, voters increasingly identifying

My Sermon at Red River Unitarian Universalist Church

2012-02-06T22:21:00.004-06:00

11:30 AM Sunday, February 5, 2012Dennison, Texas Welcome to my world, the world of Pluralism. It was a pleasure driving to Dennison, Texas to give a talk on Pluralism. In the Unitarian Universalist Church language they call it a sermon. Marla Loturco, president of the Church was an incredible person; she is committed to building a community of Universalists around that Church. If you are

Standing up with Jews

2012-02-05T20:36:00.005-06:00

If we can learn to stand up for, and stand with every human being who is at a disadvantage or being taken advantage of, then we can hope for a world of justice where no one has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other. It is the same idea repeated and revived by several great reformers of the world including but not limited to Zarathustra, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Confucius,

Huffington Post - Mike's articles

2012-02-02T20:07:00.000-06:00

Stripping Nobel Prize From Muslim Dr. Abdus SalamPosted February 2, 2012 | 2/2/12 02:00 PM ETIt is a shame that many of the Pakistani people I have been interacting have bought the government-fed idea that Ahmadiyya Muslims are not Muslims.Shame on them, they have not only lost political freedom, they have lost their minds as well. As a Muslim, I am disappointed that Pakistan...Read Post http://

TEXAS FAITH: How do we create a common good today?

2012-02-01T10:14:00.005-06:00

What can you do to shape the common good, or perhaps are shaping it. Ten Panelists respond: MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas Fifty years ago, President Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country" and President Obama's theme in the 2012 State of the Union -- "Government and citizens are responsible together for the common

Dr. Abdus Salam's 85th birthday, the Pakistani Muslim Nobel Laureate

2012-01-31T00:39:00.006-06:00

Dr. Abdus Salam, the only Muslim Nobel Laureate of Pakistan. Published at Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/stripping-nobel-prize-from-muslim-abdus-salam_b_1244138.html It is a shame that many of the Pakistani people I have been interacting have bought the government fed idea that Ahmadiyya Muslims are not Muslims. Shame on them, they have not only lost

Ghouse speaks at Red River Unitarian Church Feb. 5

2012-01-30T23:28:00.003-06:00

Mike Ghouse to speak at Red River Unitarian Universalist Church Feb. 5 http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_74515.shtml By Red River Unitarian Universalist ChurchJan 30, 2012 Red River Unitarian Universalist Church will hear Mike Ghouse speak on the topic “Welcome to My World: The World of Pluralism” at 11:15 a.m. on February 5. Mr. Ghouse was a speaker and moderator at the 2009

My Republic Day Message to Indians, happy Republic Day India!

2012-01-26T11:47:00.004-06:00

January 26, 2012. Today is India’s Republic day; the day India adopted its constitution on January 26, 1950. Indeed, we are one of the few stable pluralistic democracies in the world where the rule of law is honored, where we have learned to respect the otherness of other and accepted the uniqueness of each individual and his faith. We are not there fully, but we will make it while other

Fanatic Muslims?

2012-01-25T18:58:00.002-06:00

It is my responsibility as an individual to respond to a question about Fanatic Muslims and I have done this to the best of my ability. As a civilized society, the first thing we need to come to grips with is avoid stereotyping any one. Baptists are intolerant, Muslims are fanatics, Evangelicals are bullies, Jews control America, Atheists do not have morals… and someone said, don’t trust Texans

Obama or Sundry who?

2012-01-25T15:30:00.001-06:00

The public wants to see a formidable challenge to Obama, sadly there is none at this time. Newt is not a man of his own, he lives under the shadow of Reagan, the name Reagan is his security blanket, and he can’t live without it. He hides under the label conservative; he ain't any conservative with his record. Romney has a chance but the Evangelical leadership will exhibit their bigotry

Newt, you can run but you can't hide

2012-01-25T15:28:00.002-06:00

Mitt Romney, Brian Williams and John King wanted simple answers, what did Newt do? Instead of answering, he attacks them and let them spin and fend themselves; King almost felt like it was a crime to do the follow up, Romney recovered at least once but Williams moved on. So, Newt goes Scot free and the supporters laud him. They will keep lauding and keep building Newt to be a farce, fake thing

Texas Faith: What do you think about Tebowing?

2012-01-24T16:15:00.001-06:00

Tebow told Fox Sports last fall that he knows about the criticism, but he's more focused on those who draw inspiration from his public prayers. Said Tebow: "It's not my job to see people's reasons behind it, but I know [of a kid] with cancer that tweeted me, 'Tebowing while I'm chemoing' -- how cool is that?" Tebow said. "That's worth it right now. If that gives him any encouragement or puts a

Stand up for a Hindu family in Norway, sign the petition

2012-01-23T17:56:00.001-06:00

Norway is one of the nations looked up for best the civil conduct; however, they have failed to even study the culture of their inhabitants. Here Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharaya fed their child with hands as is the custom in their home land, India, and had the kids sleep on their bed. The Norway government found that to be offensive and abusive and took the child away from the family. It has

Ahmadiyya Muslims Interfaith Symposium in Houston

2012-01-23T13:25:00.008-06:00

Please note: If you believe that yours is the only way, this is not for you. Houston, Saturday, January 21, 2012. The Ahmadiyya Muslim community held an interfaith symposium, as they do frequently and do a great job at it in selecting the right topics. The following was my talk including sharing the essence of the talks of speakers before me. Dr. Sulekh Jain explored on the idea of

5th Annual Reflections on Holocaust and Genocides in Dallas

2012-01-23T11:16:00.001-06:00

The 5th Annual reflection on Holocaust and Genocides was held on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at Unity Church of Dallas in Texas. Education was the purpose; we have to learn, acknowledge and reflect upon the terrible things that we humans have inflicted upon each other, and to we have to understand that our safety hinges on the safety of all others around us. There is a shameless cruelty in us,

Pat Buchanan's fear :: End of White Christian America

2012-01-22T22:38:00.000-06:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/pat-buchanans-phobias-abo_b_1196352.html The phobias stem from the fact that religions have moved away from being spiritual to political entities, simply meaning each religious group is living in its own silos and in conflict with the other. An article in the New York Times, "Patrick Buchanan's Future at MSNBC Is Murky," says, "Mr. Buchanan argues in

John King, tear Gingrich down.

2012-01-20T20:13:00.004-06:00

John King of CNN asked (it was asked) Newt, if he would like to share his thoughts on what his ex-wife Marianne Gingrich had to say. Instead of answering the question, Newt attacks the press belligerently and gets away with it and John King backs down, damn his gutlessness and irresponsibility for not following it up with tougher questions. Newt was billing himself as a conservative candidate

Surya Namaskar and Muslim Response

2012-01-20T16:26:00.000-06:00

http://www.indianmuslimobserver.com/2012/01/latest-editorial-surya-namaskar-and.html By Mike Ghouse The Surya Namaskar is a Hindu religious tradition, a beautiful act of bowing to the Sun and welcoming the first rays of dawn as an expression of gratitude to the energy it breathes in to life and everything about life. India is a pluralistic society, where we have come to respect every which way

Standing with Christians

2012-01-19T06:13:00.006-06:00

Jesus Christ’ ultimate dream was to create a kingdom of heaven on the earth; it is the idea where no human has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other under one God. It is the same idea repeated and revived by several great reformers of the world including but not limited to Zarathustra, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad, Nanak, Bahaullah, Gandhi, MLK and others. Then

Texas Faith: Beyond King, which religious leader(s) has had an impact

2012-01-18T14:30:00.004-06:00

Beyond King, which religious leader has had a major impact on American Politics and culture. Ten Texas Faith Panelists share their thoughts, here is Mike’s perspective, to see them all including this, please go to Dallas Morning News:http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2012/01/texas-faith-beyond-king-which.html Mike Ghouse, President, Foundation for Pluralism I am pleased to share about

POLLS ACCURACY

2012-01-17T20:02:00.001-06:00

I have been keeping an eye on the accuracy of polls for quite a long time when Gallup was the only game, then ABC joined and now we have plenty of sources. But usually the actual results come very close to the polls... that establishes the authenticity of polls. January 17, 2012 Monmouth U Romney 33, Gingrich 22, Paul 12, Santorum 14, Rasmussen Romney 35, Gingrich 21, Paul 16, Santorum

South Carolina Republican Debate

2012-01-16T22:38:00.000-06:00

Romney could have nailed Gingrich, when Gingrich suggested Romney to tell his super Pac to cut the ads, Romney went through a series of questions – and Gingrich said it was illegal to tell the pacs… then Romney should have asked – are you telling me to do the illegal thing? Instead the gentleman suggested you and I are in the same boat – If Gingrich was on the other side, he would have buried

Super Pacs are a bane on politics

2012-01-16T16:50:00.002-06:00

Super pacs are an anathema to democracy and our way of life. A few with money can buy their influence with sound bites and mis-information. Your single vote will not mean anything anymore; many of us will be deprived of listening to the candidates first hand and making your own decisions. We have committed blunders upon blunders in ruining our economy, banking and politics through

NEWT THE LOSER - YOU AIN'T REAGAN

2012-01-16T15:52:00.003-06:00

Why would anyone want to elect you who cheated on his wives in hospital?Why would anyone want to man who is not himself, but lives on Reagan Name?Why would anyone want to elect a man who was dumped for ethics violations? ROMNEY LOST TO OBAMA BECAUSE My fellow Republicans like you had f'd up the country Because Bush had destroyed America, and Because Obama gave hope to a nation desperately needing

Mitt Romney, you can do this, others don’t have the balls.

2012-01-13T19:37:00.008-06:00

I was concerned with Romney's statements earlier on that bordered on bigotry, but he has done very well with his response to a question by a woman, "Do you believe in the divine saving grace of Jesus Christ?" "I would hope that there are people in our nation that have different beliefs. There are people of the Jewish faith and the Islamic faith and other faiths who believe other things, and our

Dallas school districts controversial use of religious buildings

2012-01-13T01:46:00.002-06:00

Dallas Morning News writes a report on the topic and includes some of my comments in the article following my notes. The School District’s decision to hold the commencement ceremonies at churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious buildings without restrictions does not bode well in the long haul. A few religious places will be generous in their offer; however, it implies an association

TEXAS FAITH: Evangelical leaders finding an alternative to Romney

2012-01-12T15:03:00.003-06:00

The Dallas Morning News' Wayne Slater and Texas Faith moderator Wayne Slater reported last week that a group of prominent conservative evangelical leaders are gathering at a Texas ranch this weekend to decide about a candidate they could unite behind as an alternative to Mitt Romney. The invited include James Dobson of Focus on the Family, Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention,

Texas Faith – Evangelicals ganging up on Romney?

2012-01-11T14:14:00.000-06:00

Texas Faith – Evangelicals coalescing behind a candidate? http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/texas-faith/ If you were invited to join other religious leaders in coalescing behind a candidate, would you attend? If your answer is yes, please explain why. Twelve Texas Faith panelists respond to the question in Dallas Morning News, here is my response: MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation

Congratulations to the people of Oklahoma, the rule of law prevails.

2012-01-11T08:06:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to the people of Oklahoma that the rule of law has prevailed over bigotry in their state. We applaud the court in Denver for upholding U.S. District Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange's order blocking implementation of the amendment shortly after it was approved by 70 percent of Oklahoma voters in November 2010. It is unfortunate that the Oklahomans were misled by the politicians to

Romney wins New Hampshire

2012-01-10T22:45:00.002-06:00

Mitt Romney wins 39% of the votes, followed by Ron Paul -23%, Jon Huntsman -17% and in the 4th and 5th place is Gingrich and Santorum with about 9.5% each, Perry was not even in the picture. By the way, it is the first time a Republican candidate has won both Iowa and New Hampshire. Personally, I like Ron Paul, but he does not have the nationwide support and may not administer his policies

STEREOTYPING

2012-01-09T11:03:00.001-06:00

We are planning the following conferences to demystify the myths in building a cohesive America. Please share video links that highlight any one of the following issues, in this particular blog, I am looking for Stereotyping. Here is an example, please share the links in the comment section below REACTION OF AMERICANS WHEN A MUSLIM IS MISTREATED-HIDDEN CAMERA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

Dilip Kumar in Guinness world records

2012-01-07T22:38:00.002-06:00

India has three legendary actors - Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor, all were born in the early 20's and each one has set the standards for the cinematic acting, they were pioneers. Dilip Kumar is one of the most emulated actors in India, he is an institution. Dev Anand just passed in December 2011 and I wrote a tribute about him and Raj Kapoor passed some ten years ago. I have had the

Dawn of the Muslim Brotherhood

2012-01-07T22:36:00.004-06:00

Sean Hannity and I have debated about this issue for over one year now, even though the Brotherhood is deemed an extremists organization that disregards the rights of its minorities and women, it is better to have a dialogue with them, it will open the doors for us to have a say if we have a conversation. If we reject them, they dig in their heels, and we will ruin the possibilities of bringing

The Republican Party and Muslims

2012-01-06T01:16:00.020-06:00

(Note: this is a draft to be fixed over the weekend, it is in response to a barrage of questions as to why I am a Republican, and today's release of the video of Nezar Hamze on Jon Stewart Show caused me write this) Congratulations to Nezar Hamze on Jon Stewart Show. Video: Daily Show with Jon Stewart Exposes Florida GOP effort to bar Muslim from Party posts. When you watch the video, you

Texas Faith: Do we need a Steve Jobs of religion?

2012-01-04T16:45:00.006-06:00

Texas Faith : Do we need a Steve Jobs of Religion? http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/01/texas-faith-do-we-need-steve-jobs-of.html Do we need a Steve Jobs of religion, an innovative thinker who can "invent not a new religion but, rather, a new way of being religious?" If so, where would that person come from? And what would they try to offer? If you don't think we need a "Steve Jobs of

Citizenship, Islam and America

2012-01-04T09:21:00.000-06:00

Citizenship, Islam and America Published: Indian Muslim Observer, Two Circle and Huffpost http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/citizenship-islam-and-ame_b_1174834.html Law is one thing and practice is the other. As an American and as a Muslim, I have to be critical of both groupings and work toward creating cohesive societies where no citizen has to live in apprehension, discomfort or

IOWA REPUBLICAN CAUCUS NOTES

2012-01-04T09:13:00.003-06:00

Romney and Paul are relatively a safe bet against Obama; most certainly Ron Paul will be a bigger challenge to Obama than Romney. Rick Santorum earned 5 more votes than Romney in the final tally in the Iowa Caucus. Santorum will not make it, he is a right winger shamelessly wearing a conservative badge, he will take our nation to the brink of disaster thorugh war mongering mind set. Michelle

Make this year purposeful.

2012-01-02T12:15:00.001-06:00

NOTE: Susan Mckenzie my friend has the ability to turn my articles into bullet format that makes a lot of sense. Here is another one of Susan's miracles. Make this year purposeful. Here’s how, says Mike Ghouse http://abetoday.com/2012/01/02/make-this-year-purposeful-here%E2%80%99s-how-says-mike-ghouse/ INJECT MEANING Whether you are with your family, friends or alone, you can make your new

Clergy and Muslim Leaders Welcome Rally for Religious Freedom at City Hall

2012-01-02T02:23:00.000-06:00