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

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 his book, Suicide of a Superpower -- which has the subtitle Will America Survive to 2025? -- that the 'European and Christian core of our country is shrinking,' which is damaging the nation 'ethnically, culturally, morally, politically.' The book also contains a chapter titled, 'The End of White America.'"


The xenophobia seems to be gripping a few of the white folks like Buchanan. If you recall South Africa, there was a similar phobia when the ruling whites had to relinquish power to the black majority, their expectation was that they may have to flee, but when the surrender actually happened, fears dissipated and the democracy in a black majority became a way of life guarding the safety and rights of every citizen.
There is phobia that the Mexican immigrants will change our way of life, and there is a fear that other religions will dilute the monopoly of white Christianity.


We have some choices to consider: We can choose to become a self reliant recluse nation, and we will not buy products or services from other nations or sell anything to them either, as there is no such thing as one way trade. It might shrink our economy and lower the comforts of our life as it would become expensive for a majority of us to afford most things produced in America.


We will do all our work ourselves without the help of immigrant workers be them Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Somalis or the others. We may as well close the doors of immigration; even most of the European white Christians are secular and want to keep God in the closet.


In the long haul, we cannot survive as a nation with a zero or a negative population growth, we need to get busy in producing children.


People come to America for its openness and freedom; we need to entrench and enrich them with our values, it will ensure continuance of our culture and our societal norms.
We need to work on integrating different parts of the society to act as a whole and to sustain the systems we love and cherish. Each one of us has to become a part of the system and not live in silos and blame others, or else the nation will fall apart.


Personally I grew up in homes with fancy orange, teal and other colors in India. Now, I have learned to love the modest colors of America. I was a home builder responsible for several subdivisions in Dallas Metroplex and I have learned the value of consistency and external appearances. I was also a president of the home owners association, where we set the rules in the neighborhoods to preserve the values of homes through managing external appearances. This is an example of integration to sustain our way of life despite the fact that I was blatantly turned down by employers for my accent.
The last, but resentful, choice is to go buy an Island to live on our own terms, and live as freely as we want.


To feel secure about continuance of our life styles and white Christianity and all others, we have to nurture the values and systems to ensure a comfortable living, instead of griping about it. Americans Together can build a cohesive America, where no one will live in apprehension, discomfort or fears of the other and sustain their way of life.


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TEXAS FAITH: Does just war theory legitimize Anwar al-Aulaqi's slaying?

It is our duty to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety our citizens. Hate is one of the many sources of disrupting peace in a society and it is our responsibility to track down the source of such hate and work on mitigating it. If we cannot achieve that, we have the right to eliminate it. Dallas Morning News publishes opinions of the Panelists and I am pleased to one of the Texas Faith Panelists addressing the issues on a weekly basis. Here is my take. http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/texas-faith-does-just-war-theory.html

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

Anwar Al-Awlaki is gone, his death has brought a relief that the terrorist outfit Al-Qaeda has lost its backbone and a hope for a world free from terrorism is on the horizon. Al-Awlaki is an American charismatic preacher alleged to have influenced Major Nidal Hasan who killed 13 members of the Army in a rampage at Ft. Hood, the attempted Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad and the underwear bomber Abdulmutallab. He was considered a threat to the security of the people of the United States.

This is indeed good news with a grain of salt.

It is our duty to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety our citizens. Hate is one of the many sources of disrupting the peace in a society and it is our responsibility to track down the source of such hate and work on mitigating it. If we cannot achieve that, we have the right to eliminate it.

Indeed, there is partial justification in killing this man. However, the larger question remains about the character of our nation. Is this the kind of country that we want and is it constitutional? Rule of law is always sustainable and the guarantor of the safety and security of individuals in a society. Infringements of the law violates the rule.

The just war theory lists four strict conditions. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in paragraph 2309, states these conditions:

1.The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
2.All other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
3.There must be serious prospects of success;
4.The use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power as well as the precision of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

Although we have met the first condition, we have failed on the other three. We have relied upon our gun powder and not our ability to find solutions through a serious dialogue. We need to realize that the nations rise and fall and each one of the nations is vulnerable.

The end of Al-Awlaki seriously kills the prospects of success of Al-Qaeda, but the basics of injustice in that part of the world remain inflamed. President Obama's political decision to deny the statehood to Palestine and the subsequent settlement permits in Jerusalem keep people frustrated. If that cannot be channeled through a dialogue, it will be expressed through disruptions, which is the only option Obama has offered them. We have fueled unrest and that is a grave mistake against safety of Israel and justice to Palestinians, the mother of all violence.

As a nation we want to seriously ask ourselves, do we need to give our president the right to fly from his pants or demand that he follows and upholds the Constitution? We let our former president wage a reckless war against Iraq with not a single legitimate reason and have witnessed the destruction of our own economy, death of our soldiers and death of Innocent Iraqis, widowed women on the streets of Iraq and foreclosures and job losses at home.

Here is the Fifth Amendment. Has the President followed it? Shall we make an exception for him?

"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

This time seven Texas Faith panelists address the question including mine, please visit Dallas Morning News and write your take on the issue at: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/10/texas-faith-does-just-war-theo.html

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Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Politics, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. Over a thousand articles have been published on the topics and two of his books are poised to be released on Pluralism and Islam. Mike's work is reflected in 4 website's and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/ and you can find all of his current articles at www.TheGhousediary.com

Need for one God

Indeed, there is only one creator God.

No matter what name we call him, her or it, it remains the same. To believe that Allah is not the same God as what others believe amounts to creating a duplicate or another God, it’s called Shirk in Islam.

The idea of one abstract God was for more people to see their description of God fit in to the larger, all inclusive abstract God. It’s like painting the house in neutral colors to fit in any decorative theme.

Each group of people ascribe different attributes to that creator, all are valid to that believer. Muslims and Jews see God as non-entity, non imaginable, non-collapsible into one word and we believe in the abstract form of God, hoping it fits all descriptions; narrow and wide. However, Hinduism sees the same creator in different aspects - in the form of representations - same with Christianity and some other religions.

The idea of mono-theism is larger than a private club where membership is restrictive.

Monotheism or abstract God was created to bring all folds together - so if we fight with each other, let it be about land, food, water and the resources and not for God. You do fight for God if that God is yours exclusively. God belongs to every one of his creation.

At if, it is a new way of looking at Shirk, it will be rejected by many at this time, until it makes sense to everyone and God willing we need to learn to express it in terms where is not off the basics in Quraan. I believe it is indeed ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ

But we have to learn to express it well and I am learning... this is my 3rd attempt and hopes you can enhance it as well or reject. But you have no right to decide who is a Muslim or not - only God decides. After all what is a Muslim? It is someone who subscribes to the idea of equilibrium where all of us live in harmony within ourselves and keep the balance with others.

I love to Quote Chief Seattle again: "All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the webs, he does it to himself." - Chief Seattle, 1854.

I am sure you will find verses in Gita, Quraan, Bible, Avesta, Torah and other holy books to this effect.

May God and his goodness guide us for creating a world where everything has its own respectable place in the universe?

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. He is available to speak at your place of worship, work, school, college, seminars and conferences. . Mike's work is reflected in 4 website's and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/ and you can find this article at www.TheGhousediary.com

The Spirit of Ramadan - Eid Mubarak

Rituals signify the mile stones of our daily life. Every significant moment of the day is a ritual. It is an unwritten way of measuring our progression; a memory pattern to bring discipline to our actions.

From the moment we are born to the last rites of our life and every moment in-between is laden with rituals, though some of us may deny it. Whether we go to the gym, eat our food; go to sleep, wear clothes, drive some place, in our intimate moments, or picking that phone up, we follow rituals.

Discipline is necessary to do things on time, managing personal relationships, driving to a destination or keeping within budget to achieve the goals; the result is worth the discipline to most people. When joyous, whether we are a theist or not, we have to express that sentiment, otherwise a sense of incompleteness lingers in our hearts.The Spiritual masters have captured the human gravity for rituals and have molded it with the art and science of self-discipline in their respective religion. The noble purpose of each one of them was to bring a balance in our lives and a balance with things that surround us; life and environment.

The Spirit;

Every faith is composed of a set of unique rituals to bring discipline and peace to human life. Fasting is one of the five key rituals that Muslims around the world observe.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is generally observed with a ritual precision; it is an annual training or a refresher. It requires one to abstain from food, drink, intimacy, ill will, ill talk, ill actions or any temptations from dawn to dusk, every day for a month. One has to rise above his or her baser desires. Islam gifts this month to its followers to inculcate discipline to bring moderation in their daily lives. Twenty five hundred years ago, Buddha, the enlightened one taught that human suffering is caused by unrestrained desire to own and had recommended a middle path, and the same recommendation was made by Prophet Muhammad fourteen hundred years ago.

Although Ramadan is popularly known in the West for its culinary delicacies and fancy Iftaar (ceremonial breaking of fast at sun down), the spirit and intent of Ramadan lies in a human transformation in a month long inner spiritual journey of finding oneself in tune with spirituality. God has no need for the hunger or thirst of someone who hurts others, violates their dignity or usurps their rights, said Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The fasting of the stomach must be matched by the fasting of the limbs. The eyes, ears, tongue, hands and feet all have their respective fasts to undergo. The tongue's temptations, for example - lies, backbiting, slander, vulgarity and senseless argumentation - must be challenged and curbed to maintain the integrity of the fast.

Consciousness of behavior and vigilance over action are the most profound dimensions of fasting: the fasting of the heart focuses on the attachment to the divine. That is when Ramadan really becomes a source of peace and solace, just as Christmas goes beyond the rituals to bring forth kindness, charity and caring.

True fasting is self-purification; and from this, a rich inner life that bring about values such as justice, generosity, patience, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy - values that are indispensable for the success of the community.

Knowing about hunger is different from knowing hunger. Empathy is not an intellectual equation; it is a human experience. Our hardness of heart often springs from our distance from the human condition of others. The poor, sick, disenfranchised, oppressed - we rarely walk a mile in their shoes, not even a few steps. "Rest assured," cautioned one teacher, "if you do not taste what it feels like to be hungry, you will not care for those who are."

For fasting to be truly universal, its benefits must extend beyond the fraternal ties of Muslims and must extend to forging a common humanity with others. Fasting is meant to impart a sense of what it means to be truly human, and its universality is reflected by its observance in Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Sikh, Zoroastrian and other faiths.

Ramadan will come and go with such stealth that we cannot but be reminded of our mortality. What is it that we value and why? Habits, customs, even obsessive behavior like smoking can be curtailed with relative ease in the face of a higher calling.
More:

Politics of Ramadan - http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/08/politics-of-ramadan-on-moon-sighting.html
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Rituals of Ramadan - http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2010/09/traditions-of-ramadan.html

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Spirit of Ramadan http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/08/spirit-of-ramadan-eid-mubarak.html

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. He is available to speak at your place of worship, work, school, college, seminars and conferences. . Mike's work is reflected in 4 website's and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/ and you can find this article at www.TheGhousediary.com

British Actress Inspired by Prophet Muhammad’s Life

Thanks to Hasni Essa for sharing this article with a great introduction, I read it and I really liked it. I can relate with Myriam Francois-Cerrah. The following note is written with the intention of a long term sustainable cohesive societies and I hope some of my Muslim and Christian friends get it and I know most of them do.

 

My story is similar in the sense I came to Islam for similar reasons that she did. As a Pluralist who respects all of God's creation and honors every which way one adores the creator, I found Quraan (Beware, there are two bad translations that the right wingers go by, rather than 23 good ones – details at www.Quraantoday.com ) to be a book of guidance in living with justice and fairness to every human being, where no one is afraid of the other, it was about creating peaceful societies and that is really what Islam is all about. Myriam has summed it up very well in her story and I am deeply inspired by Prophet Muhammad’s guidance and I urge individuals to find it on their own.

Religions indeed came into being to fix the dysfunctional societies, a majority of the people gets it and a few don't. Those who don't get it wear the same religious label but act entirely opposite of what their religion guides them. Neither Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews nor others act their religion out, they act their greed out. 

Rarely do I read conversion stories as I do not see the need for it, each religion is beautiful and serves the purpose of bringing tranquility and balance to the individual. The missionizing operations in Islam and Christianity are more interested in religionizing and branding the individuals rather than bringing tranquility and peace to them. Quraan was clear when it said, whether you are a Jew, Christian or other, you need not worry about God's grace, he will shower you with this blessings if you are good to his creation; people and the environment. Indeed, Prophet Muhammad fortified it by saying that if you marry a Jewish or a Christian woman, you don't need to convert. Those are powerful statements from a Pluralism point of view. Prophet Muhammad and Jesus (and all the messengers) offered models of living that will serve the individuals and the humanity, their models were so good that people would want to emulate them and that was the right approach, it was about free will.

However, if one is not satisfied with the given set of beliefs be it Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu or the other, she or he must explore and find what works and go for it. It is a shame that a few states in my India place restrictions on one's choices. No one should dictate what one eats, drinks, breathes, wears or believes.  

I get a lot of calls from people asking me about Islam, and I always tell them to take time to learn their own beautiful faith and not jump, despite that about nine have converted in the last year. At least 3 are Mormon girls and one an Atheist, Hindu and others.  I want to share an interesting sentence I heard a few weeks ago in my sermon on Pluralism – he asked if there is a way for him to follow Islam without being associated with Muslims? Most likely the few Muslims he met may have invited him to become a Muslim brand based on belief rather than what the belief will do to him; bring tranquility and peace.  Miryam has alluded to it, “I did not immediately identify with the Muslim community. I found many things odd and many attitudes perplexing. The attention given to the outward over the inward continues to trouble me deeply.” Indeed, a few visible Muslims have subdued the significance of the inward attainment and reduced the religion to external manifestations.

Let religion be a solution to your peaceful existence and not a brand.

 

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and is available to speak on the topic of Pluralism, Islam, India and Just societies. Details at www.MikeGhouse.net

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British Actress Inspired by Prophet's (peace be upon him) Life
Myriam Francois-Cerrah Embraces Islam

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/my-journey-to-islam/contemporary-stories/452274-british-actress-inspired-by-prophets-life.html