Pluralism News Bulletin, May 27, 2017

Dr. Mike Ghouse   May 27, 2017   Comments Off on Pluralism News Bulletin, May 27, 2017

PLURALISM NEWS BULLETIN, MAY 27, 2017  

  • CFP – General Bulletin
  • CFP – Muslim Segment
  • CFP – Jewish Segment
  • CFP – Christian Segment
  • CFP – Hindu Segment
  • CFP – Sikh Bulletin
  • CFP- LGBT
  • CFP- Politics
  • CFP – Others as we gather the staff.

This weekly bulletin comes to you from the Center for Pluralism, an organization committed to building a cohesive America, where no American has to feel alienated or afraid of the other. How do we build such an America, where we can retire without tensions and our children and grandchildren can feel secure about their future?   Please visit: https://centerforpluralism.com

Link to this article: Link: https://centerforpluralism.com/pluralism-news-bulletin-may-27-2017/
CFP is an all inclusive organization for every American.

CFP – GENERAL BULLETIN

FESTIVALS OF MAY | www.Centerforpluralism.com/festivals/

05/02 – Bahá’í – Twelfth day of Ridvan Festival

05/10 – Buddhism – Buddha’s Birthday

05/11 – Islam – Shab-e-Barat –
Details – https://centerforpluralism.com/muslims-celebrate-shab-e-baraat-a-marathon-prayer-night/

05/23 – Baha’i – Declaration of Bab
Details –https://centerforpluralism.com/bahai-the-declaration-of-the-bab/

05/25 – Zoroastrian – Jashn e Khordad – Celebrating Water –
Details –https://centerforpluralism.com/zoroastrianism-khordad-sal/

05/26 – Islam – Ramadan Month Begins –
Details – https://centerforpluralism.com/is-ramadan-different-from-american-muslims/

05/29 – Baha’i – Ascension of Baha’u’llah
Details – https://centerforpluralism.com/bahai-the-ascension-of-bahaullah/

05/30 – Jewish – Shavuot
Details – https://centerforpluralism.com/judaism-shavout-the-feast-of-the-weeks/

If your festival is not on the list, it is because, there is none this month or possibly we missed it. Please send an email to [email protected]  – Thanks

CFP- WORKSHOPS |  https://centerforpluralism.com/workshops/

Understanding the Essence of each religion
We have postponed the workshop on Jainism this month and will announce the reschedule. IN the month of June, please join us to learn about Judaism

CFP EVENT | MEMORIAL DAY

Please join us at the Arlington National Cemetery at 2:00 PM on Monday to pay tribute to our veterans. Memorial Cemetery by the Unknown Soldier and pay our respect.  Please join us.  https://centerforpluralism.com/memorial-day-2017/


CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY AND CENTER FOR PLURALISM

I am compelled to write this note as I have received multiple calls and emails asking about our relationship with the Church of Scientology. For nearly one year after I moved to Washington DC, I called on every place of worship and organization to hold workshops on understanding the essence of each religion. No one wanted to touch it as we have included Atheism and Wicca traditions along with 10 other faiths. In fact there is a Christian man on facebook who has taken up maligning me – he thinks a Muslim should not promote Atheism. We are not promoting any religion, we are simply understanding every religion, so we do not have misunderstandings between fellow Americans regardless of their faith or no faith.

Center for Pluralism is about Pluralism in religion, politics, culture and society. We are about facilitating Americans living a full life in the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. The only way we can bring security to every American is subscribing to the idea of one nation as we do in our pledge, and believing that by knowing each other increases the chances of mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill. If we want a cohesive America where no American needs to live in tension or fear of the other, we need to know each other, when we do that, conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

We conducted two sets of workshops in Dallas, and did Radio show for two years and ran 52 hours of discourse on each tradition and invested 100 hours each on Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. I was appalled with the opposition to Atheism in Washington, DC.

The Church of Scientology’s mission is education and peace for humanity, and Mrs. Sue Taylor, the National Director for the Church of Scientology agreed to host the workshops. It is a beautiful facility and we have conducted 6 workshops thus far, and 7 more to go.

Unfortunately every big religious organization has a few men and women who are selfish and don’t care about the institutions they work for. As a Pluralist, I keep track of all religions and traditions from Baha’i to Zoroastrianism and every one in between since 1996. Each group without exception is sprinkled with a few selfish guys that are an embarrassment to their establishment.  Church of Scientology is no exception and as Americans, we have to the falsities slapped on every religious tradition.  I am not going to give up on our mission to promote understanding between Americans, all Americans. Let’s not be biased against any tradition for the acts of a few individuals. As a Muslim, I know I cannot cast the first stone.

Take a look at their creed, it is as good as any faith’s creed.

THE CREED OF THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY

The Creed of the Church of Scientology was written by L. Ron Hubbard shortly after the Church was formed in Los Angeles on February 18, 1954. After Mr. Hubbard issued this creed from his office in Phoenix, Arizona, the Church of Scientology adopted it as its creed because it succinctly states what Scientologists believe.

They believe

  1. That all men of whatever race, color or creed were created with equal rights.
  2. That all men have inalienable rights to their own religious practices and their performance.
  3. That all men have inalienable rights to their own lives.
  4. That all men have inalienable rights to their sanity.
  5. That all men have inalienable rights to their own defense.
  6. That all men have inalienable rights to conceive, choose, assist or support their own organizations, churches and governments.
  7. That all men have inalienable rights to think freely, to talk freely, to write freely their own opinions and to counter or utter or write upon the opinions of others.
  8. That all men have inalienable rights to the creation of their own kind.
  9. That the souls of men have the rights of men.
  10. That the study of the Mind and the healing of mentally caused ills should not be alienated from religion or condoned in nonreligious fields.
  11. And that no agency less than God has the power to suspend or set aside these rights, overtly or covertly.

And the Church believes

  • That Man is basically good.
  • That he is seeking to Survive.
  • That his survival depends upon himself and upon his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the Universe.

I appreciate your concerns and your love for our work and our work is precisely that – to learn about each other to remove misunderstandings.

WITH GRATITUDE

I want to thank the following individuals for rolling up their sleeve and enhancing the attached CFP brochure.  I am still waiting for Ambassador Sada Cumber and Farooq Wazir Ali’s input.

A few notable men and women who have contributed to this over and over again are:

  1. Bob Crane, Chairman of the Board, Holistic Education Center
  2. Charles Haynes, Vice-President, Newseum and Religious Freedom Center
  3. John Lennon, formerly with the Department of State
  4. Mohammad Suleman, former President, North Texas Islamic Center
  5. Sam Madden, Volunteer CFP and formerly with Brinks Home Security in Dallas
  6. Professor Jamshed Uppal
  7. Sue Taylor, Church of Scientology
  8. Syed Amir, Attorney and Activist
  9. Professor Poras Balsara, Zoroastrian Priest
  10. Mohammad Imran, Activist

And the following individuals have reviewed as well.

  1. Sami Jadallah, President Arab Peace Corps
  2. Victor Begg, Columnist and activist in Florida
  3. Gerry Serotta, Interfaith Council of Metro Washington
  4. Maqbool Siraj, Islamic Voice, Bangalore
  5. Matt Began, Buddhist Leader
  6. Chris Matthews, The Church of Latter Day Saints
  7. Brian Grim, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation
  8. Pastor Bob Roberts – Southern Baptist Church, Keller, Texas
  9. Pastor Rick Love – International Peace-Catalyst
  10. Pastor Jim Eaton, Mosaic Church
  11. OS Modgil, volunteer CFP
  12. Dr. Harbans Lal, Sikh community Leader
  13. Fatima Argun, Board Member CFP
  14. Dr. Karen Hollie-Thibodeaux, Board Member CFP and Pastor Lifeway Church
  15. Sushil Jain, Jain society
  16. Dr. Frank Islam, Philanthropist
  17. Walter Ruby, Foundation for Ethnic Understanding

Each one of them has contributed in enhancing the brochure and each one is interested in seeing this organization flourish.

CFP – MUSLIM SEGMENT

EVERYTHING YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT RAMADAN IS HERE

Everything thing you always wanted to know about Ramadan and more. Yes, more! It is a comprehensive website on Ramadan – check out some emotional “Ramadan commercials” Messages from the leaders etc.  In the “Most Read articles” segment you will learn all about Ramadan.
http://www.RamadanNews.com

FACE IT, AMERICAN ISLAM IS NOT THE SAME AS ISLAM ELSEWHERE

Thank God for America, the land of free and the brave, and we the American Muslims are free and a brave people and will dare any one with debates and discussions as we have our own version of Islam that we practice and that is the Islam of harmony, coexistence and cohesiveness that Prophet Muhammad had delivered. Is Ramadan different for different Muslims? What does Ramadan for American Muslims mean? The title of the essay sounds very divisive, but it is not. Indeed, it is an acknowledgement of the reality that Islam as practiced in America is not the same as practiced elsewhere on the earth.

Full article – https://centerforpluralism.com/is-ramadan-different-from-american-muslims/

CFP – JEWISH SEGMENT

Every fortnight, we will bring news about the public policies and actions that affect Jewish life in the United States and what we can do as Americans Together. We are seeking a volunteer to write short notes.


CFP – CHRISTIAN SEGMENT

Every fortnight, we will bring news about the public policies and actions that affect Christian life in the United States and what we can do as Americans Together. We are seeking a volunteer to write short notes.

 CFP – HINDU SEGMENT

Every fortnight, we will bring news about the public policies and actions that affect Hindu life in the United States and what we can do as Americans Together. We are seeking a volunteer to write short notes.

 CFP – SIKH SEGMENT

Every fortnight, we will bring news about the public policies and actions that affect Sikh life in the United States and what we can do as Americans Together. We are seeking a volunteer to write short notes.

CFP – LGBT SEGMENT

Every fortnight, we will bring news about the public policies and actions that affect LGBT community life in the United States and what we can do as Americans Together. We are seeking a volunteer to write short notes.

CFP – OTHER

Every fortnight, we will bring news about the public policies and actions that affect your community life in the United States and what we can do as Americans Together. We are seeking a volunteer to write short notes

CFP – POLITICAL SEGMENT

Every fortnight, we will bring news about the public policies and actions that affect every American life in the United States and what we can do as Americans Together. We are seeking a volunteer to write short notes.

OUR PROGRAMS AND ACTIONS

  1. Pluralism News:  Go to the Tab Pluralism News  or click  PluralismNews.com 
  1. Our Calendar : https://centerforpluralism.com/calendar/
  2. Festivals: https://centerforpluralism.com/festivals/
  3. Workshops: https://centerforpluralism.com/workshops
  4. Conferences: https://centerforpluralism.com/conferences/
  5. Seminars: https://centerforpluralism.com/seminars/
  6. Wisdom Series:  https://centerforpluralism.com/wisdom-series/

PLEASE DONATE

Meanwhile, please make a generous donation – your name will be listed for supporting our efforts in building a cohesive America. You can donate at. https://www.paypal.me/AmericansTogether

This weekly bulletin comes to you from the Center for Pluralism. The Center for Pluralism is about building a cohesive America, where no American has to live in anxiety, discomfort or fear of another American.  By learning to respect the “otherness” of others and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of us, we pave the way to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill. Then we all can live our lives and not worry about another’s religion, race, sexual orientation or ethnicity. We are all Americans.

Brochure is attached for review

Thank you

Dr. Mike Ghouse
Dr. Karen Hollie-Thibodeaux
Fatima Argun
Sam Madden

Dr. Mike Ghouse is President and Executive Director of the Center for Pluralism committed to building a cohesive America where no American has to live in tension, apprehension or fear of the other. He is a pluralist, thinker, writer, activist, motivational speaker and a news maker. He offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in sixty-five links at www.MikeGhouse.net