Let us build a better world together, says Mike Ghouse. Here’s how

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It is a delight to read my article reformated by my  friend Susan McKenzie,  making the article more meaningful and powerful. Thanks  you Susan – Mike Ghouse

The website is Abe Today
Link: http://abetoday.com/2011/11/06/let-us-build-a-better-world-together-says-mike-ghouse-here%e2%80%99s-how/

November 6, 2011
by Susan McKenzie
WHAT DOES LIVE AND LET LIVE MEAN?
We need to think about this as our neighbours may be of a different religion and culture. In America, Australia, Asia and Europe – your neighbours could be Hindus, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Atheists, Pagans, Wiccans, Zoroastrians and all manner of others as well.

LET A THOUSAND FLOWERS BLOOM
Why should anyone stand up for you, if you are not willing to do the same for others?

THE PLURALISTIC FACTS OF LIFE
Other people follow different beats in their hearts and even if we find it difficult to understand why they don’t embrace our faith we should respect their way of life.

LEVELS OF ACCEPTANCE
We may not want to take part in the prayers and ceremonies of Jewish, Muslim or Hindu religions if we are Christian, but we should have enough respect in our hearts to realize that devout Jews, Muslims and Hindus could never be expected to become Christians, or embrace all aspects of secular culture.

EXTENDING RESPECT
We should also respect Christians and others who are prepared to attend the prayer sessions of other religions because they believe in pluralism, harmony and as a way of showing respect to others.
ACTION FOR GOOD AND GODLINESS
In fact, these actions confirm our beliefs in the overall goodness of religion. Embracing our fellow man and partaking in his religious ceremonies actually gets us closer to God. Think about it – what would you be doing if you were not doing that? You might be at a ball game (nothing wrong with that) or watching television (nothing wrong with that either), but if you are in a Temple of God, a Mosque of God or a Church of God then you are drawing nearer to God.
DRAW NEARER TO GOD AND GOODNESS
Jesus (PBUH) was a Jew and worshipped in synagogues – if what is good enough for Jesus, it must also be good enough for us. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also worshipped God with non-Muslims. Hinduism may not be about one God but nevertheless we could look upon this religion as encompassing all aspects of God from different perspectives. At the very least it is about holiness and respect and that can only be good.

WHY WE SHOULD BUILD UP OTHER’S FAITHS
Look at your world – do we have enough Godliness in it? The world would be so much better if everyone had a religion and practised it as best they could. We should make it our life purpose to build up Godliness in all and that includes respecting and supporting all religion.
WHAT EACH FAITH IS
Mike Ghouse: Each faith is dear to the believer and no faith is superior to the other either. Faith is about humility. All faiths are designed to bring solace to its followers. Religion is a mechanism that gives hopes and restores one’s balance with what surrounds one; people and the environment.

LET US BUILD A BETTER WORLD BLESSING
B: Building up should be our aim in life. Build up the Godliness within us and then we can help others.
L: Live and let live, because living in a respectful way leads on to building better communities and societies.
E: Embrace Godliness by showing respect to all good and wholesome religions. Every major religion (Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hinduism, Buddhism and more) have good and wholesome values at their core.
S: Show respect and make this a better world.
S: Showing respect will increase the amount of respect in this world, including respect for your beliefs and religion.

Y: You are an ambassador of your religion if you say you have a religion, so do remember to be the best ambassador that you can be.
O: Our world will be so much nicer if we put respect at the forefront of our understanding of the practices by people with other religions. Other people follow different beats in their hearts and even if we can’t understand why they don’t embrace our faith we should respect their way of life. Our heart should be a heart of respect.
U: Understand the interplay of religion and culture and seek to increase the understanding in the world by being the personification of the good aspects of your religion.
BEST BLESSING: Building respect leads on to building understanding and with understanding we may have more respect. Respect and understanding leads to a more harmonious society – a more peaceful society where more people can operate together and flourish. Will you help in this grand scheme of building up society in this way? Encourage everyone to practice their religion by really respecting the practice of religion generally. Godliness and being godly and goodly in our natures is what makes the world a better place.
SOURCE OF THIS POSTING
http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2011/11/bigotry-against-hinduism-in-kentucky.html
Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer committed to build a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His work is fully indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net
Susan McKenzie is an English teacher with over 20 years teaching experience. Susan has worked in the British Council and Linguaphone, well-known language teaching organizations. Susan is a London-trained lawyer, and has also been an editor in an international book publishing house and a national magazine. In her teens, Susan was a Sunday School teacher and in 2006 was appointed as an Ambassador of Peace by the Universal Peace Federation and Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace. Susan is also a co-author of two law books: English Legal System and Company Law, published by Blackstone, Oxford University Press. For enquiries about the IELTS, practical English and pronunciation courses Susan teaches, email susanmckenzie2003@yahoo.co.uk. FOR DAILY BLESSINGS: www.abetoday.com

Commitment is at the core of Eid. Commitment is the bedrock of life

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It is a delight to read my article reformated by my friend Susan McKenzie, making the article more meaningful and powerful. Thanks you Susan – Mike Ghouse 

November 6, 2011

by Susan McKenzie

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MAN OF ALL VIRTUES
The Qur’an describes Abraham as “a man who combined within himself all virtues, devoutly obeying God’s will” (An-Nahl (The Bee) 16:120)

SACRED FAITH, LOVE AND DEVOTION
God wanted to test Abraham’s faith, love and devotion and asked of him what everyone in love asks; “If you love me, you would…”

SACRED COMMITMENT
No one wants the beloved to give up his or her life, but wants a simple assurance and commitment in the relationship.

SACRED LOVE
It was Abraham’s main trial to face the command of God to sacrifice his only son. Upon hearing this command, he prepared to submit to God’s will. When he was all prepared to do it, God revealed to him that his “sacrifice” had already been fulfilled. He had shown that his love for his Lord superseded all others that he would lay down his own life or the lives of those dear to him in order to submit to God.

SACRED SACRIFICE
Thus the tradition of symbolic sacrifice began. During the celebration of Eid-al-Adha, Muslims commemorate and remember Abraham’s trials by sacrificing an animal such as a sheep, camel, or a goat.

SIGN UP TO RESPECT
Mike Ghouse says that submitting to God simply means subscribing to the idea of a cohesive environment where each human being is respected for his or her place, nourishment and nurturance.

WE ARE ALL CONNECTED
Mike Ghouse wants to emphasize that we are all connected. He quotes a Native American, Chief Seattle who said: “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 web, he does it to himself.”

ONE WORLD, ONE WEB
The idea of one web encompasses the idea of the world as one family and the oneness that we really are as humanity.

WHAT EID REALLY IS
Mike Ghouse: God does not need one to sacrifice; it has nothing to do with atoning sins or using the blood to wash ourselves from sin.

WILLING TO SHARE
The act symbolizes our willingness to give up some of our own bounties in order to strengthen and preserve the web and help those who are in need. We recognize that all blessings come from God, and we should open our hearts and share with others. The meat from the sacrifice of Eid-al-Adha is given away in three ways; self, relatives and the poor. It is a symbolic act of sharing with people who are malnourished and don’t get to eat the meat as we do.

SHARING SHINE
The attitude – a willingness to make sacrifices in our lives in order to stay on the right path (subscribing to the oneness of humanity and oneness of creator the God). The creator would be pleased when his creation is nurtured, cared for and sustained. Indeed, to be religious is to be a peacemaker, one who seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for peaceful co-existence.

BLESSINGS TO YOU – HAPPY EID
Happy Eid
Eid Mubarak
Eid-al-Adha Mubarak

ONENESS BLESSING
B: Blessings to you on this Eid.
L: Love and commitment are at the heart of Eid. Let love reign in your heart and show it in your commitment to God and man.
E: Eid is about the deepest of devoted love, sharing, caring and helping fellow humans. Every moment of our lives we have the opportunity to express love, care and concern.
S: Show your love and commitment through sharing with others, family, friends, and those in need, which is the true essence of Eid and of religion.
S: Sacred and holy is simple love, simple sharing and caring.
S: Sign up to respect: respect for God and for fellow man. Sign up and subscribe to the idea of a cohesive environment where each human being is respected, nourished and nurtured.

Y: You are connected to me and I am connected to you because there is a web of life at work, so don’t rock the boat, keep an even keel as much as you can.
O: One world, One family, One God, One web, so let us be One as much as possible and respect the other.
U: Use what you have to benefit the world and a miracle of good will unfold.

BEST BLESSING: May we all live in such a way that we strengthen and preserve the web of life, the interconnected web that we all inhabit. Blessings come ultimately from God and we should open our hearts and share what we have with others.

CREDIT: This article was first published by Mike Ghouse at http://www.worldmuslimcongress.com/n.php?nid=5168&fb_source=message

About the author
Susan McKenzie is an English teacher with over 20 years teaching experience. Susan has worked in the British Council and Linguaphone, well-known language teaching organizations. Susan is a London-trained lawyer, and has also been an editor in an international book publishing house and a national magazine. In her teens, Susan was a Sunday School teacher and in 2006 was appointed as an Ambassador of Peace by the Universal Peace Federation and Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace. Susan is also a co-author of two law books: English Legal System and Company Law, published by Blackstone, Oxford University Press. For enquiries about the IELTS, practical English and pronunciation courses Susan teaches, email susanmckenzie2003@yahoo.co.uk. FOR DAILY BLESSINGS: www.abetoday.com

Muslim Cleric Declares All Christians 'Infidels' –

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Grand Mufti of Al-Azhar University, Ali Gomaa

It is quite possible, the Grand Mufti of Al-Azhar university Ali Gomaa did not say anything like the alleged words listed below. These guys at Middle East Forum may have cooked it up. They have done it before and that is their business. I recall two blatant mis-translations they chose not to correct. Their audience is the rich guys who write big checks and facts don’t matter to them.
****** I have received clarification from the Mufti, his words were twisted by MEMRI to suit their fund raising needs by falsifying the truth.. I will add the response asap – Mike Ghouse

Here is another point of view to explore.
On the other hand, if Mufti Gomaa is calling the Christians (or any one) infidels he is wrong. Indeed, the word Kafir is not the problems as long as it means denier of my version of truth; otherwise it is used as a denigrative word. There is a great example set by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) when the other side did not accept his signature as Muhammad, the messenger of God on the peace treaty, as they did not believe he was a prophet. What did the Prophet do? He understood their point of view and changed the name to Muhammad son of Abdullah for the sake of peace and for the sake of creating a model, where we learn to accept the otherness of other.

Quraan reccomends one to tell the truth, but it does not permit one to condemn other faiths. It amounts to inviting others to denigrate you. It is clear in Sura Kafirun, to you is your faith and to me is my faith without putting each others faith down. Each one of the six verses teaches one to treat the other with respect. (http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2008/07/sura-kafirun-un-believers.html)

The word Islam is derived from the word peace which is beautifully explained in the parenthesis of 5:16 below by Asad. As Muslims, we claim Islam means peace… obviously it is not to Sheikh Gomaa bent on making declarations that have unintended consequences to destroy peace between the communities.

2:62 (Asad) VERILY, those who have attained to faith [in this divine writ], as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians [49] -all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds-shall have their reward with their Sustainer; and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve. [50]
5:69 (Asad) for, verily, those who have attained to faith [in this divine writ], as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Sabians, [86] and the Christians – all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds – no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve.

There are bad dudes in every religion. Falwell, Robertson, Jeffress and others in Christianity make other Christians cringe; a few Rabbis do the same and the Right wingers among Hindus are no saner. The sad part is they all have a following.

Most things from Middle East Forum and David Horowitz are driven by money; they have to paint Islam as a villain to earn their bucks. They have deliberately misrepresented the translation or perhaps used one of the two wrong translations to make their buck. The translation in the article for 5:16 is blatantly anti-Christian, whereas, it is not the case in actual Quraan translation I have quoted below.

5:16 (Asad) through which God shows unto all that seek His goodly acceptance the paths leading to salvation [29] and, by His grace, brings them out of the depths of darkness into the light and guides them onto a straight way. [(The word salaam, here rendered as’ “salvation”, has no proper equivalent in the English language. It denotes inner peace, soundness and security from evil of any kind, both physical and spiritual, and the achievement of what, in Christian terminology, is described as “salvation”: with the difference, however, that the Christian concept of salvation presupposes the existence of an a-priori state of sinfulness, which is justified in Christianity by the doctrine of “original sin”, but is not justified in Islam, which does not subscribe to this doctrine. Consequently, the term “salvation” – which I am using here for want of a better word- does not adequately convey the full meaning of salaam. Its nearest equivalents in Western languages would be the German Heil or the French salut, both of which express the idea of spiritual peace and fulfillment without being necessarily (i.e., linguistically) connected with the Christian doctrine of salvation.(Quran Ref: 5:16 )]

5:17 (Asad) Indeed, the truth deny they who say, “Behold, God is the Christ, son of Mary.” Say: “And who could have prevailed with God in any way had it been His will to destroy the Christ, son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone who is on earth-all of them? For, God’s is the dominion over the heavens and the earth and all that is between them; He creates what He wills: and God has the power to will anything!”

5:18 (Asad) And [both] the Jews and the Christians say, “We are God’s children, [30] and His beloved ones.” Say: “Why, then, does He cause you to suffer for your sins? Nay, you are but human beings of His creating. He forgives whom He wills, and He causes to suffer whom He wills: for God’s is the dominion over the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and with Him is all journeys’ end.” [Cf. Exodus iv, 22-23 (“Israel is My son”), Jeremiah xxxi, 9 (“I am a father to Israel”), and the many parallel expressions in the Gospels.(Quran Ref: 5:18 )]

As a Muslim I condemn the efforts of Mr. Gomaa in creating chaos and conflicts, principally wrong approach to building societies where peace prevails

Mike Ghouse
Committed to cohesive societies
www.MikeGhouse.net
# # #
Top Muslim Declares All Christians ‘Infidels’

by Raymond Ibrahim
http://www.meforum.org/3085/muslim-declares-christians-infidels

To what extent was Egypt’s Maspero massacre, wherein the military literally mowed down Christian Copts protesting the ongoing destruction of their churches, a product of anti-Christian sentiment?

A video of Egypt’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Ali Gomaa (or Gom’a), which began circulating weeks before the massacre, helps elucidate. While holding that Muslims may coexist with Christians (who, as dhimmis, have rights), Gomaa categorized Christians as kuffar — “infidels” — a word that connotes “enemies,” “evil-doers,” and every bad thing to Muslim ears.

After quoting Quran 5:17, “Infidels are those who declare God is the Christ, [Jesus] son of Mary,” he expounded by saying any association between a human and God (in Arabic, shirk) is the greatest sin: “Whoever thinks the Christ is God, or the Son of God, not symbolically — for we are all sons of God — but attributively, has rejected the faith which God requires for salvation,” thereby becoming an infidel.

Gomaa then offered a hypothetical dialogue between Christians and Muslims to illustrate Islam’s proper position:

Christians: You have the wrong idea about us; we don’t worship the Christ.

Muslims: Okay, fine; we were under the wrong impression — but, by the way: “Infidels are those who declare God is the Christ, son of Mary.”

Christians: But these are philosophical matters that we are unable to explain.

Muslims: Okay, fine; God is one—but, by the way: “Infidels are those who declare God is the Christ, son of Mary.”

As a graduate of and long-time professor at Al Azhar university and Grand Mufti of Egypt (a position second in authority only to Sheikh Al Azhar), Ali Gomaa represents mainstream Islam’s — not “radical Islam’s” or “Islamism’s” — position concerning the “other,” in this case, Christians. Regardless, many in the West hail him as a “moderate” — such as this U.S. News article titled “Finding the Voices of Moderate Islam“; Lawrence Wright describes him as “a highly promoted champion of moderate Islam”:

He is the kind of cleric the West longs for, because of his assurances that there is no conflict with democratic rule and no need for theocracy. Gomaa has also become an advocate for Muslim women, who he says should have equal standing with men.

How does one reconcile such sunny characterizations with reality? The fact is, whenever top Muslim authorities like Gomaa say something that can be made to conform to Western ideals, Westerners jump on it (while of course ignoring their more “extreme” positions). It is the same with Gomaa’s alma mater, Al Azhar, the “chief center of Islamic and Arabic learning in the world.”

MEMRI, for instance, recently published a report titled “The Sheikh of Al Azhar in an Exceptionally Tolerant Article: Christianity, Judaism Share Basic Tenets of Islam.” Of course, the day after this report appeared, this same sheikh — Islam’s most authoritative figure — insisted that the American ambassador wear a hijab when meeting him: just as Muslim “radicals” compel Christian girls to wear the hijab, “moderate” Al Azhar compels U.S. diplomats.

In short, yes, many religions “share basic tenets,” but they are secondary to the differences, which are more final and define the relationship. Or, to put it in Ali Gomaa’s paradigm: Fine, Christianity and Islam have commonalities — but, by the way: “Infidels are those who declare God is the Christ, son of Mary.”

The fact is, this Quranic verse is as much a cornerstone of Islam’s view of Christianity as the unity of God and Christ is a cornerstone of Christianity, articulated some 1700 years ago in the Nicene Creed. The issue is clear cut for all involved.

Accordingly, how can one fault Gomaa? As Grand Mufti, he is simply being true to Islam’s teachings. Indeed, his consistency is more commendable than the equivocations of Western ecumencalists who, by falling over themselves to assure Muslims that they all essentially believe in the same things, demonstrate, especially to Muslims, that they believe in nothing.

Incidentally, if Gomaa upholds the plain teachings of the Quran concerning who is an infidel, is it not fair to assume he also upholds the Quran’s teachings on how to confront them, as commanded in Quran 9: 29: “Fight … the People of the Book [Jews and Christians] until they pay the Jizya [tribute] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.” Of course, prudent Muslims, undoubtedly like Gomaa himself, know that now is not the time to talk openly about such things.

Either way, here is another reminder of how Quranic verses and terms that Western people brush aside as arcane or irrelevant have a tremendous impact on current events — such as Egypt’s Maspero massacre: For the same word Gomaa, the nation’s Grand Mufti, used to describe Christians is the same word Muslim soldiers used when they opened fire on and ran over Christian Copts; the same word twenty Muslim soldiers used as they tortured a protesting Christian; and the same word Muslims hurled at Christians during the funeral procession for their loved ones slain at Maspero: Infidel.
Raymond Ibrahim, author of The Al Qaeda Reader, is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

# # #

Apple experience in North Park, Dallas

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I am writing this note to commend two of the exemplary employees of Apple Store in North Park Center; Tassjania Lozano and David Bowhall who restored my faith in Apple.

Tassajania Lozano
I bought the Apple’s new i-phone 5s at 2:00 PM yesterday and until 2:40 PM today, it was a nightmare.  I was told that I can transfer all the data to my i-phone 5s at i-tunes site where the data for my i-phone 4 was stored. 
Every effort we made failed in transferring the data, my friends Son Hamza did all he can, including deleting all the software from my Lap Top and re-installing and backing the i-phone 4, and attempting to transfer on the new phone.  He was unable to restore the text messages and was able to restore about a dozen of the 111 notes.

We went to the AT&T store by Galleria Mall; the person was interested in selling more products than fixing our problem. She said we cannot transfer the text messages.  At about 7:00 PM, I called AT&T and after 30 minutes I was transferred to Apple care.  I was on phone for 1 hour and 52 minutes. The person who answered the phone said that text messages were not transferrable to the new phone. I assured him that it was, as I had done from i-phone 2 or 3 to i-phone 4 without hassle. Then he said to go to the Apple store and that they will do it. I demanded the name and a firm answer that it can be done and that he is not just telling me, he got his supervisor on line with me. Towards the tail end of the conversation, I asked him, look I have come to you as a last resort and if you cannot answer me, who do I go to?  He was nice but was really not helpful but did comply with my request and even sent an email.

This morning I went to the Willow bend Mall store, no appointment was available till 4:30; however he set us up for 2:20 back at North Park. Adil my friend and I went there and waited till 2:50… we got some wishy-washy answers; two of the employees really did not know much but were shooting their mouths off. I was losing patience and faith in Apple, thinking to simply return the phone and go find something else and cut loose with Apple’s bad service.

At 2:50 a slot opened, she listened to my (now) gripe with patience and repeated back what needs to be done. What a relief! She at least knew what needs to be done and how to do it. She was not eager to say no, but rather, open to see the possibilities. She said exactly what she can do and started plugging the wires… with full confidence!  My whole attitude was changing, and started accepting the weakness of a few employees… I recall losing my big business some 15 years ago due to employee mistakes and appreciated this employee for Apple: Tassjania Lozano.

Tass was exceptional and efficient in getting the job done. She was amazing,  she said it will take 12 minutes for one operation, 40 for other… and asked me if she could serve other customer while the system was working…  and she was able to attend to both of us and took on another one – simul-serving all the three while most others were doing one on one.  The guy sitting across me was thrilled with the service just as I was.  I did ask for her supervisor (forgot her name), who came right up and listened to my sermon. 

I told her that is not common for people to appreciate the good service and I just wanted her to know how good an employee she had in Tass.  I suggested her that in her weekly meetings do the brainstorming with new employees and teach them how to respond to unusual and odd questions.  Never say no for convenience, but say, let me find out for you…. I was almost giving her Sales and motivational talk, but held back.

David Bowhall, Apple North Park
Then Tass turned me over to David Bowhall, he was just one hell of a great person to deal with. He knew what he was doing and was also sharing with me the ins and out of i-phone, i-pad, i-cloud and i-tunes.

Well, Tass, you have restored my faith in Apple. I started out with Apple II in 1982 and still have my first Mac, had published a news paper out of Mac and glad to remain with Apple through i-phone and i-pad although I have switched to PC for my business needs.  Thank you and Thank you David, please train your employees with your standards.

# # #
Mike Ghouse is a motivational speaker, thinker and a writer and presents pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. All his work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net.

TEXAS FAITH: Images of God and Mental Health

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When all else fails, a strong belief in God brings solace to one’s mental health. Many polls affirm the Baylor survey on God and mental health. A strong belief in God assures the person that he or she has a place in the scheme of things. It may not make any sense but faith in God gives hopes and hope is a positive energy that restores one’s ability from tipping. One may be angry at God, may not understand or even wonder about God’s role in one’s life, but when they heal, or even see a slight improvement in their lives, there is someone to give credit to, and it is usually God. The relationship was always there unacknowledged.

Here is one of the 10 responses at Dallas Morning News, for all the responses to go;
http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/11/texas-faith-images-of-god-and.html


MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

When all else fails, a strong belief in God brings solace to one’s mental health. Many polls affirm the Baylor survey.

 A 2008 Gallup poll found that 78 percent of respondents expressed a belief in God, the numbers have declined from a 2003 Gallup polls which found that over 95% of Americans profess belief in God and 62% believed that religion can answer all or most of today’s problems. Even though the numbers are changing, belief in God holds out to 90% in2010 Polls.  As a pluralist, I want to highlight another part of the same survey where 72% of Americans do not believe that their version of God is the only way – meaning all will achieve salvation regardless of their religion.  

The focus of most surveys is belief in God and not which version of God or frequency of prayers.  I am glad to read the Baylor findings, “Respondents who pray every day report statistically the same number of mental health issues as those who never pray or pray only on certain occasions.”

Murphy and Fitchett in their research paper Belief in a Caring God Improves Response to Medical Treatment for Depression write, “For people diagnosed with clinical depression, medication certainly plays an important role in reducing symptoms,” Murphy said. “But when treating persons diagnosed with depression, clinicians need to be aware of the role of religion in their patients’ lives. It is an important resource in planning their care.”

Nancy Kehoe, a nun and a psychologist, writes in Wrestling With our Inner Angels that “respecting the spiritual and religious beliefs of those who suffer from mental illness actually opens the way to greater meaning, support, even healing.”

 Mental health, as defined by the Surgeon General’s report “refers to the successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other people, and the ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity.”

Dr. Grace Tsai adds, “Imbalance or “disharmony” is the cause of illness and results from physical, psychological, nutritional, environmental or spiritual influences tipping that balance.”

In the Theistic Integrative Psychology approach, Richards & Bergin(2004) wrote,   The foundational assumptions of our theistic strategy are that “God exists, that human beings are the creations of God, and that there are unseen spiritual processes by which the link between God and humanity is maintained” (Bergin, 1980a, p. 99). We also assume that people who have faith in God’s power and draw on spiritual resources during treatment will have added strength to cope, heal, and grow.

A strong belief in God assures the person that he or she has a place in the scheme of things. It may not make any sense but faith in God gives hopes and hope is a positive energy that restores one’s ability from tipping.  One may be angry at God, may not understand or even wonder about God’s role in one’s life, but when they heal, or even see a slight improvement in their lives, there is someone to give credit to, and it is usually God. The relationship was always there unacknowledged.

Many religions including Islam and Hinduism assert that even a blade of grass does not move without the divine plan and add that one has the freedom to choose and influence one’s destiny within the divine plan. Fate plays a key role in one’s ability to cope with the destitution, the moment one accepts it as a part of the divine plan, it mitigates one’s suffering.

Religion can be defined as a mechanism that gives hopes and restores one’s balance and harmony with what surrounds one people and the environment affecting that balance.

When reason fails, faith takes over.  Indeed, God is the last resort to those who believe in him, her or it.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer offering pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity and Fox and a regular on nationally syndicated radio shows. His work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net

Good things are happening in India Pakistan Relations;

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http://nabsites.net/demo/good-things-are-happening-in-india/

If we want a positive change that the majority of us inherently want, we have to stoke the goodness in each one of us. I hope these acts of goodness start piling up one by one and build a momentum towards resolving our conflicts and figuring out prosperity to each one of our citizens.  

This highlights a major factor in nation(s) building – you take on step forward to nurture goodwill, the other is bound to take a similar step, please don’t stop the momentum if the others do not match… keep doing, some day others will come around.  National policies should not be based on pushing the other down, but lifting them and raising along with them with the lift.

The fodder for the politicians is hate and anti-India or anti-Pakistan propaganda, because there are a few immoral chamchas out there who clap for their false destructive heroism, the idiots want to do more damage. Please do not encourage the ones who gain nothing and don’t let others prosper either.

Next time one spills hate for India or Pakistan, be blunt and ask them – does this feed your family? Does this make your heart purer? If it is an older man, ask him, if he is ever going to flush out the sewer from his heart?  

Thank God, out of the 100,000 Indians and Pakistanis in Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, you can count on an insignificant number of about a dozen of them with sewage filled hearts.   I pray that they flush it out and start enjoying the life. It is never too late and I would clap for those who are committed to bring goodness.

We have to continue to do the good, there is hope in it and there is goodness in it for all. Let us become the Ambassadors of peace whether the other acts good or not.  We need to be free from ill-will, let the politicians feed of that…

Here are the three things this week:

1.       Pakistan Says, India played a big role in support for the UN Seat –http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2011/11/pak-says-india-played-big-role-in-its.html

2.      Historical Hindu temple reopens after 60 yrs in northwest Pak – http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2011/11/historical-hindu-temple-reopens-after.html

3.      Pakistan Ambassador Celebrates Diwali – http://nabsites.net/demo/pakistan-ambassador-breaks-new-ground/

4.      Moment of Humanity after 46 years http://nabsites.net/demo/moment-of-humanity-after-46-years-of/

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer and presents pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. All his work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net.

Pakistan ambassador breaks new ground celebrating Diwali with Indians in Beijing

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May this trend continue everywhere.

This highlights a major factor in nation(s) building – you take on step forward to nurture goodwill, the other is bound to take a similar step, don’t drop if the other does not match… keep doing, some day he or she will.

Honestly, all the Ambassadors can take that initiative and give birth to a new colossal energy. I happen to watch Sahar Show, a poor Pakistani show, unlike many a great shows that I have been watching recently with Yasmeen. I do not watch TV… except a few shows with her. Last evening he was singing Indian Songs as a part of the entertainment, it was very normal for the audience and him… no condescending attitudes but plain normal attitude. .. when you and I, the individuals drop the small barriers and act, merely act as people of goodwill and good faith and not let pettiness come in our way… we can change things.

The fodder for the politicians is hate and anti-India or anti-Pakistan propaganda, because there are a few chamchas who clap for their heroism, as if the idiots fill their belly with it. As the general population we need to be free from ill-will, let the politicians feed of that…

Some 10 years ago, I was in India consular office in Houston with my late wife’s passport. Consular General Wangdi gave tremendous respect and had me and Najma sit in his office and got her passport stamped for multiple visits. The assistant who worked on the passport had stories to tell… great stories of how a Pakistani taxi driver took him in the middle of the night to a hospital with his sick daughter and did not charge him..these Ambassadors can count many great stories on both sides… It is time for them to take initiatives and change.. the upper layers will possibly see the goodness. The visionary Moraji Desai saw that and others can see it too.

For those petty fellow Indians, I have had a chance to marry a Mexican girl, an Algerian Girl and a Chinese girl after Najma… fortunately I met this Pakistani Girl whom I married and who is a blessing in my life. A handful of Indians in my town have a problem – may be 9 out of 80,000 Indians and there are six Pakistanis of the 20,000 some Pakistanis who are hateful towards India and me. Are they significant?

Next time one spills hate for India or Pakistan, be blunt and ask them – does this feed your family? Does this make your heart purer? If it is an older man, ask them, if he is ever going to flush out the sewer from his heart? Here is a real good story to read and watch this story. http://nabsites.net/demo/moment-of-humanity-after-46-years-of/

We have to continue to do the good, there is hope in it and there is goodness in it for all. Let us become the Ambassadors of peace whether the other also acts good or not.

Happy Diwali – http://nabsites.net/demo/happy-diwali-essence-of-diwali/

Mike Ghouse
Committed to Cohesive Societies
www.MikeGhouse.net

Pakistan ambassador breaks new ground celebrating Diwali with Indians in Beijing

Saibal DasguptaSaibal Dasgupta, TNN | Oct 30, 2011, 05.54PM IST

BEIJING: India-Pakistan relations sparkled for a while as Pakistani ambassador Masood Khan and his wife, Zohra, took the rare step of participating in Diwali celebrations at the Indian embassy premises here Saturday evening. Khan also waved at artists performing on the stage and the assembled Indians as a gesture of bonhomie.

The move comes soon after Indian ambassador S Jaishankar visited the Pakistani embassy to pay his condolences over the recent demise of Begum Nusrat Bhutto, the wife and mother of two different prime ministers of Pakistan and the mother-in-law of Asif Ali Zardari, the present one.

The Khans stayed for close to two hours and joined Indian ambassador S.Jaishankar for dinner along with Sultan Ahmad Baheri, the ambassador of Afghanistan and Sun Weidong, deputy director general of the department of Asian affairs in the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs. The event took on a diplomatic hue as this is the first time in many years that a Pakistani ambassador has visited the Indian occasion on a festive occasion.

The event attended by Indians living in Beijing included a Bharat Natyam performance by Chinese dancer Jin Shanshan and display of fire crackers, which is usually not allowed outside the embassy premises in Beijing.

Timesofindia.com

Happy Diwali – the essence of Diwali

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Diwali is the Indian festival of lights, and light symbolizes hope and positive energy. It indicates the victory of good over evil, a new beginning; seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and light is also a symbol of knowledge and internationally used.

People decorate their homes with lights and Rangoli (explained below). Their surroundings are filled with colorful light to enliven the day and mark the dawn of a new era in one’s life.

Although Diwali is a Hindu tradition, people of all faiths in India participate in celebrations – Hindus, Jains, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, etc.

My childhood is filled with Diwali’s good memories, the sparklers, the food, and everything joyous you can imagine.

Happy Diwali to you, my friends. May this Diwali bring happiness, serenity, and peace to you. Amen!

RANGOLI THEMES (Adapted from various sites) 

Those who are art experts can do Rangoli designs on the floor with freehand. Some draw the pattern on paper and fill it with colors. Some outline with chalk and fill it with forms. There are different Rangoli themes with symbols like Swastika, Om, Mangal Kalash, Chakra, a lighted Deepak Images Flowers Trees Creepers Birds, Elephants, Dancing figures, Geometric patterns such as circles, semi-circles, triangles, squares, and rectangles, etc.

Ingredients used in Rangoli traditionally are rice powder, and the colors derived from natural dyes from barks of trees, leaves, indigo, etc. were used. Today, however, synthetic dyes are used in a range of different colors. Rangoli being mainly a floor art, varied ingredients are used as follows: Powdered pigments, finely grounded rice flour, Turmeric Glitters, Natural flowers, etc. Rangoli can be given a three-dimensional art effect by applying cereals, pulses either in their natural coloring or tinted with natural dyes.  

They are beautiful, beautiful creations of art indeed. You can take ideas from these designs and make a beautiful Rangoli this Diwali.

30 Pictures of Rangoli – http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=331967&id=851280248&l=56e2895228

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to the day’s issues to the media and the public. He is a speaker, thinker, and writer on pluralism, cohesive societies, Islam, interfaith, India, and Peace. He is available to speak at your place of worship, work, school, college, seminars, and conferences. All about Mike is at www.TheGhousediary.com

TEXAS FAITH: Should the word sin be part of our political vocabulary?

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Two generations from now, the word sin would simply mean anything that man does to mess with the cohesiveness of the society. Any conflict that does not mess with the three critical elements like one’s space, nourishment and nurtarance will not be considered a sin by a majority of the people regardless of their religious affiliation.

Here is one of the 10 responses at Dallas Morning News;
 http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/10/texas-faith-should-the-word-si.html


MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

The word Sin should not be a part of our political vocabulary as understood in its historical context; it is divisive and becomes a tool to pit one against the other. Indeed, it is a medium to shut the other out when frightened with a loss of power and control.

Let the word sin remain confined to the domain of religion and not creep into the political parlance, other wise men like Pastor Jeffress, Pastor Robertson, Imam Al-Awlaki,  Rabbi Shapiro and others will have no qualms in declaring others who disagree with them as sinners who deserve to be stripped off the basic human rights.

God has endowed humanity with the ability to communicate and find solutions to the conflicts as opposed to resorting to condemnations and judgments in the garb of sin.

Broadly, conflicts are caused by messing with three critical elements; one’s space, nourishment and nurturance. The civil societies determine the punishment for such violations to sustain trust and maintain equilibrium in a given society.

As far as one’s faith is concerned, it is between the believer and the creator. Whether one believes in Jesus, Muhammad, Krishna, Moses or Confucius is God’s business and no man should have the right to declare it as a sin.

Future of sin

The future definition of sin will cut a lot of fat out of the traditional understanding of sin, which is anything that goes against the norms established by religious men as God’s words.  

Yoffie’s statement gives good grounding in defining sin, “Absent sin, we are not responsible. Absent sin, there is no moral precision. Absent sin, there is no moral judgment. Absent sin, there can be no forgiveness.” 

Once upon a time secular behavior was considered a sin, interacting with people of other faiths was a sin, validating science was a sin, dating was considered illicit; marriage outside your faith was a sin and so many others things have now fallen out of the purview of sin.

Chief Seattle (1854), a Native American said this perfectly, “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.”

Two generations from now, the word sin would simply mean anything that man does to mess with that web and cohesiveness of the society. Any conflict that does not mess with the three critical elements mentioned above will not be considered a sin by a majority of the people regardless of their religious affiliation.

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

TEXAS FAITH: What does the Occupy movement say about American society?

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Indeed, the Occupy movement reflects the civility of our society. Frustration craves for expression and we ought to feel good that we have expressed that in the most civil manner.

Here is one of the 11 responses at Dallas Morning News;
 http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/10/texas-faith-what-does-the-occu.html

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

The Occupy movement is a new phenomenon in American society and is a healthy way of expressing societal frustrations. It is not in our psyche to protest over system failures as we have always found ways to fix them, most of them were specific to an industry or a group like the auto or other unions. Even the protests against Vietnam and Iraq were specific. However, the Occupy movement expresses general frustrations over failures of the system, corporate greed and economic inequality.

Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence model of protest was relegated to a corner assuming it will not succeed again; however, the Arab spring refreshed the method and gave a new life to it skillfully channeling the frustrations of the masses into powerful results.

The world was glued to the television to watch the next moment of the movement, they were curios and they were rooting for the Egyptians and Libyans. The effectiveness of the protests assured them that peaceful demonstrations can topple the powerful ones and bring the change they want as Gandhi had proved it. The Indians are doing it again with the anti-corruption movement by Anna Hazare and the world is seeing amazing success of the ordinary. Indeed we are anxious to test the newly infused empowerment through the social media.

We Americans have never lost our civility in dealing with difficult issues facing our nation. Indeed, we have witnessed the looting in London and the riots in LA with disdain, while admiring the Japanese for the way they handled the Tsunami, stories of returning bundles of monies back to the agencies to find the people who had lost the money restored our faith in humanity.

The Time Magazine survey results on October 13 found that 54 percent of Americans have a favorable impression of the protests, while 23 percent have a negative impression. An NBC/Wall Street Journal survey found that 37 percent of respondents “tend to support” the movement, while 18 percent “tend to oppose” it.

Indeed, the Occupy movement reflects the civility of our society. Frustration craves for expression and we ought to feel good that we have expressed that in the most civil manner.

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