Response to email rec'd

You see... this is exactly what I am talking about. When you say; "I do believe that god is with all people but closest to the Muslim people." This for me is the embodiment of one who is not willing to step beyond artificial grounds. Grounds set forth under artificial terms.

I think that you misunderstood, my father married a Muslim although he himself is not. But I believe that that union is actually the result of two people who can reach beyond artificial and man (or woman) made restrictions and beliefs. Mohommad, Abraham, Isaac & Ishmael were all men were they not?

I wonder if when you meet your God and I meet mine if he, she or it will prefer you to me? According to your faith (which you've converted to) it is so! Is this not the same as George Bush saying (although I'm paraphrasing here) that his God told him to go to war with Iraq and that it was right? I know that the illustration may not be immediately clear. Let me please refer you to the following; http://sdmupwords.blogspot.com/2007/07/pope-and-slippery-slope.html

This is something I wrote just the other day.

I am willing to accept that Mohammad was a Prophet, yet I take umbrage with the statement that he is to be the last.

As you will see from what I wrote. I am a prophet, as potentially are you. So does this mean that Mohammad was wrong or merely overstated? And what ramifications are there from that statement? War, strife, discontent? etc?

Before attacking what I'm saying examine yourself deep within your soul. The God of Judaism, Christianity and Islam is the same God and yet each religion says that their God will prefer one over the other. If that is the case then I am not sure that I want to believe in that God. Do you follow what I am saying here?

My God which by no means is better or worse than any other God accepts all people equally. Treats all people equally. Will receive all people equally that accept that they are but one in a much wider scheme.

SD Mac

Response to a friend request from American Muslim on MySpace

As-Salamu Alaykum, Shalom Aleichem, Peace Unto You,

I am not a religious man. I was however raised in the spirit of tolerance. I was raised both Catholic and Jewish and my father then married a Muslim after my parents divorce.

I believe that religion has been used as a pretext for much of that which is wrong in the world. I strongly believe that each of the monotheists state that their God is right and all others is wrong. This is a belief which will ultimately cause (and has already) great strife in the world.

I categorically state that we are all but players on this world stage. Further that none of us have met God, be God a man, woman or it, none of us know.

I say to many that I am a Rabu (Rasta Buddhist).

I too am curious how you came to find me? As you can see from my profile I am trying to effect positive change in the world by operating outside the normal confines (or boxes) of all religion, corporate culture and charitable causes.

How did you come to find me and in what spirit is it that you would like to be friends?

Do you believe as I do that we can imbue children with the ability to think outside of the box that for so long has caused so much strife on this planet?

Do you believe as I do that we can channel the purity and innocence of childrens thoughts to effect positive change?

Do you believe as I do that someday we will be called to account by something greater than ourselves?

Do you believe that our reward is in the way that we live our lives here in this moment, at this time and in this place?

As a Jew who is now converting to Islam have you considered the possibility that all religion may not have the final answer that so many search for?

As a human being living on this planet, one of seven billion constituents, all interrelated, what is your responsibility?

I am a friend of all on this planet who are concerned with righting iniquity, recognizing our shortfalls and trying to correct them.

Do you feel the same?

I ask all this not to be a thorn or righteous, I ask this to determine what your true self is and whether we are on the same path.

I look forward to hearing your response. Best regards,

SD Mac

The Pope and a Slippery Slope

Today is a weird day for me,
The birthday of my mother,
The death of a man, who taught me greatly in a very personal way,
To the family of Ed Mirvish I send my deepest condolences and I thank them for his influence and theirs,
Please celebrate his life,
And now the Pope saying that Protestants are less than Church goers.

This Pope is undoing the great work that was accomplished by the church in the last 30 years. I stand opposed to what he is saying today and I believe that the latest instruments of the Roman Catholic Church are heading down a slippery slope designed to cause a further deep struggle between monotheists.

I have always had a problem with any religion that preaches that its God is right and the rest wrong. That it may be written by the last prophet. I am a prophet. You are a prophet. Bob Marley was a prophet, Gandhi, etc, etc, etc.

But why? To what end? What is the benefit?

To this I say the following;

The Catholic Church is more an instrument of political power today than it is a religious organization. More a bank than a religious organization. More an art museum than a religious organization.

The moves by this Pope have set the church back to a different time. And it is one which is destined to begin a dangerous dialogue.

Please bear in mind that this is the same Church that has a document purportedly written by the hand of Christ that says (paraphrasing here); "Where ever you turn rock I am there, where ever you split timber I am there" and this church says that this is blasphemous.

I left the Catholic Church long ago. I am a spiritual man, a man that believes that there is something in this universe that is far beyond me. I believe that the practice of making oneself better brings one closer to God. Whether God is male or female, animal or it, neither I nor anyone else today knows. But I do know this; we are now headed down a very slippery slope.

To any and all that read this; acknowledge that we are not alone. Acknowledge that there is something greater than you and I. Acknowledge that there is a way to live our life where that living is the reward of its own.

Please think about this…

SDM