--- In [email protected], Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Jul 13, 2005, at 6:32 PM, akasha_108 wrote: > > > A western christian telling a muslim that they have "embraced a false theology and a god" does not solve ANYTHING. Just as white civil rights workers in the early 60's were bright and educated students who, if they wished, could be productive and prosperous members of suburban America. But they were shocked and dismayed at the state of civil rights in the south, were pissed off, and risked careers, life and limb to do something about it. Why is it so hard to imagine idealistic muslims doing the same. > > But it does highlight one particular point that is deliberately avoided due to political correctness and absolutely avoided by all politicians and that is that the basis of this IS religious.
Actually, a lot of the horror of southern segretation in the US south, which came to a head in the early to mid 60's, was spearheaded by the religious, had its basis in RELIGION. A lot of the freedom riders were church pastors, or church members sent by their congregations, or church youth groups. In 1964, I loosely attended a social group sponsored by a local (pretty cool) church. The youth pastor - probably in his mid 20's at the time -- went into the south on the freedon rides and came back with riveting, inspiring, yet ghastly stories. For a 14 year old, it was a shaping moment. Dr. King was clearly a religious leader in his essence. His speeches were ladden with religious wissom and references. So many civil rights leaders came form the church. On a personal note, a few years later in 66, 67, again christian church leader's resistance to the war was eye-opening, inspiring and dogma ripping for me as a 16, 17 year old -- having alr eady had a lot of dogma ripped away form the civil rights movement. Though I was never, and have never been a strong member of any christian church, I have a strong fond, inspiring remberance of church involvment of the two monumental social struggles of my youth: civil rights and the viet-nam war. The vison of jesus as a social revolutionary, with a strong set of spiritual tools, was never stronger or more inspiring. I still feel blessed to have known or crossed paths with some of those "religious zealots" -- actually very mellow people -- whose christian faith drove them to place their lives on the line to change the civil rights, racial, political, geo-polital, militaristic landscape of the 60's. Their efforts help changed the world, well at least the US, and set new foundations that are so taken for granted now that the courage they mustered against the darkness imbedded in various social structures of that age are lost to many. To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
