Sep 21, 2010 | Dallas Morning News

Sam Hodges/Reporter

“Had I but one wish for the churches of America I think it would be that they come to see the difference between charity and justice. Charity is a matter of personal attributes; justice, a matter of public policy. Charity seeks to eliminate the effects of injustice; justice seeks to eliminate the causes of it. Charity in no way affects the status quo, while justice leads inevitably to political confrontation.” – The Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Jr., from his book Credo.

The quotation above inspired me to pose the question(s) below to Texas Faith panelists:

In these hard times, religious groups in America are joining other nonprofits in answering the much greater need for charitable assistance. But was Coffin right that people of faith tend to favor charity work over justice work, because the latter leads to conflict? Should churches, synagogues and mosques rely less on their parent religious organizations for policy pronouncements and demand that local clergy preach on, say, whether Dallas should raise property taxes to keep parks and libraries open, or whether Texas should have gone after the potential millions for public education through federal Race to the Top funds?

Charity or justice. Which should be foremost in the minds of religious folk as they live out their faith?

And here’s what I heard back:

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas:

Charity or justice reminds me of the chicken or egg example.
Charity comes alive in response to social and economic injustices that happen in a given society. If the societies operate on the principles of justice in every aspect of life, then charity may remain a dormant element. However, there is something beyond all this that operates within all of us.

I have learned about the “grace” aspect of Christianity from the Rev. George Mason of Dallas’Wilshire Baptist Church. He explained that our actions alone will not bring peace of mind (or a place in heaven). There is an inexplicable element of grace from God that operates beyond visibility. I have gradually absorbed that thought and have also learned to relate it with Prophet Muhammad’s advice to his associates not to be judgmental about others. He said only God knows and sees the goodness of a person in its entirety, beyond what is apparent to the society. The invisible grace also overwhelms the laws of Karma.

As an American, charity remains foremost in my mind, as justice is the bottom line of our society and ultimately triumphs. However, in other nations justice may be foremost – for the absence of it.
Other opinions at – http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/09/texas-faith-should-faithful-fo.html

Texas Faith: What religion stories should the media focus on?
Sep 14, 2010 | Dallas Morning News

William McKenzie/ Editorial Columnist

I’m pleased to announce the participation of two new panelists: Dr. James Denison and interfaith proponent and blogger Mike Ghouse. They will join our team as we move into our third year. Over the next few weeks, we will add a few more panelists, but today I want to welcome Jim and Mike.

Jim long served as pastor at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. He now is president of the Center for Informed Faith and is a distinguished adjunct professor of religion at Dallas BaptistUniversity. He also is a theologian in residence for Texas Baptists.

Mike presides over the Foundation for Pluralism, is active in the World Muslim Congress and blogs regularly at various sites. He also has been a city commissioner in Carrollton, Texas and serves on the board of the Dallas Peace Center.

You can read more about them on our website later this week. Meanwhile, I know Wayne Slater, Sam Hodges and I look forward to their participation.

Now, onto this week’s question:

There has plenty of criticism of the media for the amount of attention paid to Terry Jones, the pastor of the 50-member Florida church who had been planning a Quran-burning until he was talked out of it. Colin Powell typified the questioning of the media when he wondered on ABC’s “The View” last week how a guy like Pastor Jones could end up commanding so much attention from the press.

That’s a fair question, so let’s turn the tables this week, which comes a few days after the anniversary of 9/11. Here’s the question for discussion;

If you were a media baron, an editor or a television or radio producer, what religiously-based stories would you focus on?

Read on for numerous responses, many of which conclude that
“sensationalism sells.”

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas
“The business of the journalist is to destroy the truth; to lie outright; to pervert; to vilify; to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell the country for his daily bread.”

Ever since John Swinton, of the New York Times uttered those words in the last century, discussions among media barons have continued about the nature of their business.

Every aspect of a society continues to seek its own equilibrium; the once abusive capitalism is on the course of self-correction and blissfully moving towards responsible investments.

From a journalism point of view, unconscionably, we have accepted the inclusion of sensationalists and propagandists as journalists. They are generating ratings and revenues for the media barons. I believe this aspect of destructive propaganda journalism will also start correcting itself toward responsible journalism, which can restore the social cohesion of our society. This week’s topic for the Texas Faith panel is an indication of such a movement.

The media in Dallas has acted responsibly this week, when Pastor Jeffress made incendiary remarks about Islam, whether one agrees or not. Steve Blow of the Dallas Morning News took on the responsibility to seek another opinion from some one like Pastor Bob Roberts. Blow offered an equally powerful, but peace making perspective, which the public has welcomed.

Whether it is Pastor Jones, Jeffress, Phelps or Robertson, the media has failed to nail down the exact words or phrases that cause them to make such divisive declarations, and the unfinished business is frustrating the public. The real issue is not the amount of coverage but the quality of coverage.

As a media baron, I would consider leading the torch of responsible journalism by addressing the moderate majority. It is untapped, but the biggest niche in the marketplace. Moderates are crying out loud for the media to be fair, just and responsible. On the other hand, they need to reward the change and move away from the idea of “No news is good news” and instead, read and watch the good news and not discount it as “no news.”

Other Opinions – http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/09/texas-faith-the-media-and-reli.html

That’s this week’s question: Are we better off by forbidding some views, some beliefs – however ill-expressed – in an honest discussion of America’s view of Islam?

If you wish this article is worth reading, please feel free to comment at the end of the link, you can do thumbs up or down and recommend the article on top of the article

No, we are not better off forbidding any view however ill-expressed in an honest discussion ofAmerica’s view of Islam. Neither God nor religion should be free from any critical study including Islam and Quraan. Yes, I am a Muslim, and like most Muslims I will defend that freedom to the core – Mike Ghouse

13 VIEWS ON THE TOPIC including mine –http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/10/does-the-firing-of-juan-willia.html

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker, writer, optimist, educator and an activist of Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, India and Civil Societies. He heads the Foundation for Pluralism and World Muslim Congress and offers Pluralistic solutions to the media and the public on issues of the day.  He is available to speak at your school, work or place of worship. He is a conflict mitigater and a goodwill nurturer. Mike’s work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed athttp://www.mikeghouse.net/

1. Juan Williams is frightened when he sees Muslim ‘garbs’, really?
2. Juan Williams is pandering to the fears of the “frightened”*
3. Juan Williams signs up $2 Million contract
4. Juan Williams makes a fool of the right wingers
5. Juan Williams – http://tinyurl.com/2al7s2j
6. 6. Juan Williams – http://tinyurl.com/27zx43n

CHECK OUT THE MUSLIM GARBS
http://muslimswearingthings.tumblr.com/

The frightened souls are those who seek a false sense of security by creating chaos and pitch one American against the other.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker on Pluralism and Islam offering pluralistic solutions to the media and public on issues of the day. His blogs and sites are listed atwww.MikeGhouse.net

1:30 CST PM Thursday, October 21, 2010

Actual Show Script will be added as a link.

Freedom of speech must be guarded and defended at any cost; ultimately truth triumphs over every thing and is certainly truth is sustainable. However to have the moral courage to defend that freedom, its application must be universal and not selective.

Fox is defending Juan Williams saying that he followed it up by supporting Muslims, but that sound byte has done a lot of damage.  It reminded me of my encounter with Sean Hannity and Brigit Gabrielle on the Hannity Radio Show on Thursday, October 21, 2010.

Sean Hannity reads the words off my Blog on the air, “You said, it is good for America that Juan is fired” and jumps on to the free speech bit.  I asserted, “Sean, you did not read the next sentence and the last sentence”

Continued: http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2010/10/hannity-ghouse-gabriele-on-hannity-show.html

Mike Ghouse is a speaker on Pluralism and Islam offering pluralistic solutions to the media and public on issues of the day. His blogs and sites are listed at www.MikeGhouse.net

Courtesy: Dallas Morning News, Texas faith Panel. The president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Albert Mohler, caused a stir with a recent column decrying the practice of yoga by Christians.

Mohler seems to be threatened with the popularity of Yoga, a beautiful practice to bring composure to oneself. He is obsessed with the idea that Yoga is a bait to lure his congregation away into “a spiritual practice that threatens to transform their own spiritual lives into a `post-Christian, spiritually polyglot’ reality”, and then he asks, “Should any Christian willingly risk that?” How mistaken can one be? Yoga is not a mutually exclusive practice, nor is it a religion; it is indeed a catalyst in achieving the union of mind and body that is central to all spirituality.

Yoga is neither Christian nor Hindu; it is a beautiful gift that originated in India for the benefit of mankind to function cohesively.  All individuals and nations should give and receive the good without labeling it.
http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/10/texas-faith-should-non-hindus.html

Mike Ghouse is a speaker on Pluralism and Islam offering pluralistic solutions to the media and public on issues of the day. His blogs and sites are listed atwww.MikeGhouse.net

The Conference puts a Quraan in the hands of panelists made up of Pastors, Rabbis, Pundits, Shamans, lay persons, elected officers and the public. It is to demystify the myths about Quraan and Islam. An American effort to build cohesive societies.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct 10, 2010 – DALLAS, TEXAS – The Foundation for Pluralism and the World Muslim Congress have announced a conference on Quraan in Dallas to be held between 3:00 PM and 6 PM on Sunday, December 5, 2010 at the Unity Church of Dallas.

Representing the organizations, Mike Ghouse adds, “As members of diverse family of faiths, we seek to demystify the myths and falsification of our respective faiths. It is time for all of us to gather and understand the Qur’aan, the holy book of Muslims, which has been the subject of attack by a few among us. Indeed, the conference is a positive response to negative sermons delivered from a few pulpits of America this year.”

The uniqueness of the event is highlighted by facing the “terrifying passages” of Quraan. For the first time in history, the actual verses from Quraan will be read directly and explained by non-Muslim panelists made up of Pastors, Rabbis, Pundits, Shamans, Clergy, lay persons and elected officials who have a deep interest in bringing Americans together on common grounds.  The Muslim scholars either affirm their reading or refer to the Quraan for further understanding. It would be indeed a first hand educational experience.

It is time now to replace the ill-will with goodwill; no American has to live in anxieties, discomfort or fear of the other. The purpose of this conference is to remove such myths in an open forum in the public and restore the cohesiveness of our society and work towards building a safe and secure America.

Bring your children to experience the multi-cultural costumes in a designated room for them.

Refreshments will be served after the event.
THE EVENT IS FREE
Please R.S.V.P. to confirmattendance@gmail.com
Direct your inquiries to QuraanConference@gmail.com .

For details visit website http://www.quraanconference.com/

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker, writer, optimist, educator and an activist of Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam and Civil Societies. He heads the Foundation for Pluralism and World Muslim Congress and offers Pluralistic solutions to the media and the public on issues of the day.  Mike’s work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed athttp://www.mikeghouse.net/

POWERFUL DEBATE ABOUT ISLAM  ON ABC

Link included below

This is one of the most beautiful things about America, radical right can sit with the moderates andboth can give and receive crap. It was heartfelt and heart full of conversation.

Daisy hammered several nails right on, she could have hammered one more nail on Terry Jones story. She said the evangelists said no to Terry, told the world that he did not represent Christianity… by the same logic Osama Bin Laden or that idiot Anjum Chowdhury from UK does not represent Islam.

Thank God for Reza Aslan to speak out boldly against Robert Spencer, who had made a life out of selling hate. Reza hit it big when he said, he would rather believe FBI than Spencer.

I hope Daisy will add, ” we want to build a society that others want to emulate and not the other way around”.

Indian democracy is as beautiful, with the High court pronouncement on Ayodhya, there are many  men and women of India;  Hindu, Sikh, Muslims are writing and debating the issue from an Indian point and not religious point.

First let’s be a model nation, and when we have the guts to be right, we can cast the first stone on Saudi Arabia for them the wake up… and have a model to follow.

Riveting debate tele-cast today, it is worth preserving.

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/video/town-hall-debate-americans-fear-islam-christiane-amanpour-11787545

It was a good watch

Mike Ghouse is a speaker on Islam and Pluralism offering pluralistic solutions to the media and the public on issues of the day. His blogs and sites are listed athttp://www.mikeghouse.net/