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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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Poster child for the Church's lost generations over the last half century.
1 posted on 09/02/2011 9:07:49 AM PDT by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow
I'm not a very good practicing Catholic, but it MUST be the one, true religion after all....

it must be too tough....too demanding an intellectual and physical and emotional effort....

Ellison baby...you didn't leave because you didn't agree with Catholic teachings...you left because you couldn't live up to the expectations....

its so much easier to belong to an entity that claims ownership over women and encourages violence....

2 posted on 09/02/2011 9:23:04 AM PDT by cherry
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To: All

AMERICANS FOR A MUSLIM FREE AMERICA.

WE LEARNED ALL WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ISLAM ON 9/11


3 posted on 09/02/2011 9:36:17 AM PDT by troy McClure
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To: marshmallow

If you are a “black”, and also a “Muslim”..are your therefore automatically a BLACK MUSLIM? Does he wear bowties?


4 posted on 09/02/2011 9:40:10 AM PDT by ken5050 (Should Christie RUN in 2012? NO!!! But he should WALK three miles every day!)
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Comment #5 Removed by Moderator

To: cherry

Not to mention that Christianity does not proclaim the death penalty for people who leave it, whereas Islam does... What if he decides to drop out of Islam and try yet another religion in his obviously nomadic religious life?


6 posted on 09/02/2011 9:56:35 AM PDT by wildandcrazyrussian
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: marshmallow

Excuse me, Rep. Ellison: according to revered Islamic sources, Mohammed personally took part in beheading defenseless prisoners. Why do you venerate this man?


8 posted on 09/02/2011 10:03:39 AM PDT by GOP_Party_Animal
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Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

To: marshmallow; All
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Every “moderate” Muslim is a potential terrorist. The belief in Islam is like a tank of gasoline. It looks innocuous, until it meets the fire. For a “moderate” Muslim to become a murderous jihadist, all it takes is a spark of faith.

Ali Sini

10 posted on 09/02/2011 10:06:22 AM PDT by patriot08 (TEXAS GAL- born and bred and proud of it!)
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Comment #11 Removed by Moderator

To: MarkBsnr

People have free will, they can choose to defy God, and his will, as Ellison has, and they will reap their eternal reward.

I am a convert to Catholicism, I don’t hold the church responsible for Ellison choosing to leave the church and become a Muslim. That was his decision.

Evangelism requires that a person’s heart be open towards God. Not everyone is open to him.


12 posted on 09/02/2011 10:26:53 AM PDT by BenKenobi (Honkeys for Herman!)
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To: marshmallow

He became a Muslim because he felt Catholicism was too Dogmatic????

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

That’s like saying I turned out all the lights in my house because I felt it was too dark.


13 posted on 09/02/2011 10:28:31 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: MarkBsnr
"I consider that the failure of the Church to garner every lost soul for Christ to be, well, a failure."

I do not consider it a failure of the Church, but a failure of the individuals. The comfort I speak of is not that souls are lost, but that the Church remains the beacon of truth and light and facilitates a path to Salvation for those who seek it. I am comforted in knowing that the Church does not and will not compromise its message for the sake of headcount.

14 posted on 09/02/2011 10:36:51 AM PDT by Natural Law (For God so loved the world He did not send a book.)
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To: marshmallow
“I just felt it was ritual and dogma”

. . . and Islam is what?

15 posted on 09/02/2011 10:42:32 AM PDT by Oratam
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To: metmom
Charming as usual....

No kidding...

Hoss

16 posted on 09/02/2011 10:44:56 AM PDT by HossB86 ( NOBODY admits to being a Calvinist unless they are one. I AM ONE.)
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To: Natural Law
actually find it comforting that there was no room in the Church

I do not.

First off, the Church did not kick any of these folks out. They chose, for whatever reasons, to remove themselves.

That's their fault.

But in many cases, they did so because the Church did a hideously poor job of teaching them the Faith.

That's "our" fault.

17 posted on 09/02/2011 10:51:51 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: patriot08
Every “moderate” Muslim is a potential terrorist. The belief in Islam is like a tank of gasoline. It looks innocuous, until it meets the fire. For a “moderate” Muslim to become a murderous jihadist, all it takes is a spark of faith.

Approximately 85% of Mosques preach against Americans & violence is acceptable. They all should be closed down immediately.

18 posted on 09/02/2011 11:48:36 AM PDT by Digger (T)
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To: HamiltonJay

He became a Muslim because he felt Catholicism was too Dogmatic????

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

That’s like saying I turned out all the lights in my house because I felt it was too dark.


ABSOLUTELY INDEED.


19 posted on 09/02/2011 4:17:39 PM PDT by Quix (Times are a changin' INSURE you have believed in your heart & confessed Jesus as Lord Come NtheFlesh)
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To: Digger

Seems to me . . . if we merely

‘returned the favor’

1. we’d close them all down;
2. pour pig fat throughout them an burn them to the ground;
3. pour salt and Round-up all over the Muslim land.
4. post a permanent marker in heavy stone about why such was done.

But then, we don’t want to be like them.


20 posted on 09/02/2011 4:17:41 PM PDT by Quix (Times are a changin' INSURE you have believed in your heart & confessed Jesus as Lord Come NtheFlesh)
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