http://bustedhalo.com/features/oxymoron-no-longer an online magazine for spiritual seekers Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:40:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://bustedhalo.com/features/oxymoron-no-longer/comment-page-1#comment-8767 Saisa Neel Mon, 12 Apr 2010 23:02:10 +0000 http://beta.bustedhalo.com/?p=1625#comment-8767 My dear nephew Marc, As always, I learn from your commentary. I can somewhat identify with you. While I am not a Christian, I belong to a community of faith in which African Americans are in the minority. We blacks here in the US, blend some of our own cultural customs with those of Islam, the faith to which I am dedicated. Islam welcomes all people, of all races, all across the world and in this country, those from Arab/South Asian countries outnumber indigenous, African-American Muslims. When in the company of my foreign born brothers and sisters, I sometimes feel estranged. But the spiritual depth of the faith comforts me and I am reminded that G'd (we call Him, Allah), created each of us to have faith, do His work, and treat every other creation including non-human animals and plants) with mercy and justice. As a member of African-American side of your family, I was pleased to learn the degree to which the Catholic Church kept enslaved black families in the Caribbean together, defying the European masters who wanted to separate them and sell them away from each other, as was done in the US. However, for me, after searching for my original roots in Africa, Islam makes much more sense. Many of our black slaved ancestors were already Islamized when brought here. Islam is definitely "the old time religion" and offers solutions to problems of racism, financial, educational, and political discrimination -- all problems that help keep black Americans in agony. However, I have learned as a Muslim, not to pit one faith against another. That is wasted energy. There is so much to do-- to bring mankind back to the Creator and to advocate for love and justice. Once each one has found the spiritual pathway he/she needs, the most important duty is to work on that chosen pathway. Marc, I love that you have chosen your pathway and are continuing the journey, with your impending marriage to another beautiful soul. May Allah be pleased! My dear nephew Marc,
As always, I learn from your commentary. I can somewhat identify with you. While I am not a Christian, I belong to a community of faith in which African Americans are in the minority. We blacks here in the US, blend some of our own cultural customs with those of Islam, the faith to which I am dedicated. Islam welcomes all people, of all races, all across the world and in this country, those from Arab/South Asian countries outnumber indigenous, African-American Muslims. When in the company of my foreign born brothers and sisters, I sometimes feel estranged. But the spiritual depth of the faith comforts me and I am reminded that G’d (we call Him, Allah), created each of us to have faith, do His work, and treat every other creation including non-human animals and plants) with mercy and justice. As a member of African-American side of your family, I was pleased to learn the degree to which the Catholic Church kept enslaved black families in the Caribbean together, defying the European masters who wanted to separate them and sell them away from each other, as was done in the US. However, for me, after searching for my original roots in Africa, Islam makes much more sense. Many of our black slaved ancestors were already Islamized when brought here. Islam is definitely “the old time religion” and offers solutions to problems of racism, financial, educational, and political discrimination — all problems that help keep black Americans in agony. However, I have learned as a Muslim, not to pit one faith against another. That is wasted energy. There is so much to do– to bring mankind back to the Creator and to advocate for love and justice. Once each one has found the spiritual pathway he/she needs, the most important duty is to work on that chosen pathway. Marc, I love that you have chosen your pathway and are continuing the journey, with your impending marriage to another beautiful soul. May Allah be pleased!

]]> http://bustedhalo.com/features/oxymoron-no-longer/comment-page-1#comment-7633 Darryl Isaac Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:54:58 +0000 http://beta.bustedhalo.com/?p=1625#comment-7633 Hello Marc, Thank you for a great insight into what I'm sure my children have experienced, being bi-racial, Orange County Catholics who also worship with me at Friendship Baptist in Yorba Linda, CA. Hello Marc, Thank you for a great insight into what I’m sure my children have experienced, being bi-racial, Orange County Catholics who also worship with me at Friendship Baptist in Yorba Linda, CA.

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