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If you think that God grants and justifies human rights, does God endorse the right to freedom of religion?

Question by Pull My Finger: If you think that God grants and justifies human rights, does God endorse the right to freedom of religion?
Or if you subscribe to the theory that human rights come from God, would you then have to believe that freedom of religion is the one right you DON’T have, since most religions teach that their god considers the practice of other religions an abominable practice?

Best answer:

Answer by Lance
I have to say, on the face of things, let’s say from the Bible, that God’s record on human rights is not very good. He seems at best very capricious, and toys with people, testing them arbitrarily, punishing innocent and guilty alike; at the very worst, he seems to emulate quite accurately a modern day totalitarian dictator. Ancient Israel reminds me a lot of Soviet Russia or North Korea in terms of a Mr. Big ruling by fear and reward.

Give your answer to this question below!

Posted on November 10, 2011 by , 2 comments

Nice Citizenship And Freedom photos

A few nice Citizenship and Freedom images I found:

Mississauga Santa Claus Parade , November 30, 2008 / Habitat For Humanity
Citizenship and Freedom
Image by bill barber
I’m still officially down for a bit, but I posted these for my extended families and friends. I don’t really expect comments since I won’t be commenting on yours for a bit.

From my set entitled "Mississauga Santa Claus Parade 2008"
farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/3075199413_9773a5e13b_s.jpg
In my collection "Places"
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760074…
In my photostream
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/

Taken from Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_for_Humanity
Habitat For Humanity International (HFHI) (generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or simply Habitat) is an international, ecumenical Christian, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building "simple, decent, and affordable" housing. Homes are built using volunteer labor and are sold at no profit. In locations outside the United States, Habitat for Humanity charges interest to protect against inflation. This policy has been in place since 1986.

The organization was founded in 1976 in Americus, Ga., by Millard and Linda Fuller, whose vision grew out of their experiences at Koinonia Farm. The international operational headquarters are located in Americus, with the administrative headquarters located in Atlanta, Ga. Staff members at all locations serve to support and promote the activities of local, independent Habitat for Humanity groups, which initiate and manage construction, mortgages and homeowner selection worldwide.

In 1996, U.S. President Bill Clinton awarded Fuller the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, calling Habitat for Humanity “…the most successful continuous community service project in the history of the United States.”[1] By 2004 Habitat had built 50,000 houses in the U.S. and over 175,100 around the world, with Habitat groups working in over 100 countries. Although headquartered in the United States, two thirds of Habitat construction takes place in other countries. In 2005 Habitat built its 200,000th house, bringing the number of people sheltered in Habitat houses worldwide to one million. On November 13-14, Habitat for Humanity will build its 3000,000th house in Collier County, FL.[2]

On 4 August 2005, Habitat announced the selection of a new Chief Executive Officer for the organization, former president of stores of Musicland and executive pastor of the Edina, Minnesota Christ Presbyterian Church, Jonathan Reckford.[3]

In the fall of 2007, alternative rock bands Switchfoot and Relient K went on the Appetite For Construction Tour, partnering with Habitat while raising awareness for the organization and donating a dollar per ticket sold. The tour was highly successful, raising over 0,000 for donation to the cause. [4]

According to the official website,

Homeowner families are chosen according to their need; their ability to repay the no-profit, affordable mortgage; and their willingness to work in partnership with Habitat. Habitat for Humanity does not discriminate according to race, religion or ethnic group.

Independent, local affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International are allowed to interpret these guidelines as is deemed most appropriate for the location of the affiliate.

Homeowners are usually expected to put approximately 500 hours of "sweat equity" into their own or other project homes, although this amount may vary by location, the number of wage-earning adults in each family, and the recipients health issues.

Mortgage payments from homeowners are deposited into a locally-administered "Fund for Humanity," the proceeds of which go toward future construction. In an effort to discourage predatory lenders from targeting Habitat homeowner families, mortgage agreements allow the Habitat for Humanity affiliate the right of first refusal. Should a homeowner family decide to sell their home during the period of their mortgage, the affiliate may buy it back at a price at least equal to the equity that the homeowner has paid into the mortgage.[5]

Habitat homeowners in the United States pay no interest on their no-profit mortgages. Habitat for Humanity organizations outside the United States adjust the no-profit loans to compensate for the inflation rate in their area, with the goal that "the repayments from one house should ideally build another house of the same design."[6]

Habitat builds simple houses with locally appropriate materials. This could mean concrete block homes in Third World nations or poured concrete-walled homes in hurricane-prone regions of the United States. Chapters of Habitat in more developed countries are strongly encouraged to donate ten percent of the money they raise for local housing to the national group for the purpose of building Third World homes. For instance, Habitat New Zealand’s tithe helps to support an equal number of housing outcomes abroad, predominantly in the Pacific region.

Habitat relies on volunteer labor in order to construct simple and affordable homes for its partner families, as well as to build community and civil society in the areas in which it works. Most volunteers are unskilled prior to first working with Habitat, although some professional or retired tradesmen or contractors may donate their services. Many churches and other houses of worship (synagogues, temples, mosques etc.) sponsor houses and provide a large amount of the volunteers from their congregations. Some corporations and businesses who value good corporate citizenship provide financial support to the projects and/or donate materials for use in construction. Many politicians and celebrities have volunteered with Habitat, reflecting its profile as a highly regarded non-profit.

Habitat for Humanity International develops special programs to support local Habitat organizations. These programs are designed to engage specific groups for annual projects or on an ongoing basis.

Habitat has initiated a special program to help restore housing to the areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The effort is focused on getting the local affiliates in these areas back on their feet and prepared to build for their communities. It has also become a catalyst for other organizations, corporations and the government to provide help and support in rebuilding these areas, and has received considerable national media attention.

The program pre-builds housing components in nearby less-affected locations such as Jackson, Mississippi, allowing much of the construction to be accomplished while basic infrastructure is being restored. Pre-constructed components can then be shipped to the affected areas and built at a faster rate. Within two months of the time of the disaster, construction had begun on houses in the Louisiana cities of Covington and Slidell, near New Orleans.

Operation Home Delivery is Habitat for Humanity International’s hurricane rebuilding program, Harry Connick Jr., and Branford Marsalis are honorary chairs, and one of the many projects along the Gulf Coast, is the Musicians’ Village at New Orleans Habitat for Humanity.[7]

Habitat for Humanity runs a year-round alternative break program known as Collegiate Challenge for student groups age 16 and up.[8] Although summer, fall, and winter break trips are available, most participants go during their spring break. Collegiate Challenge volunteers travel to affiliates throughout the United States and participate in week-long building activities at their host’s work sites. More than 14,500 volunteers took part in Collegiate Challenge in 2008, making it one of the world’s largest alternative break programs. Since its inception in 1989, more than 150,000 students have participated in Collegiate Challenge.

As suggested by the name, Habitat for Humanity International places a strong emphasis on building outside the United States. Its international character dates back even before its formal inception, as founder Millard Fuller received considerable inspiration while on a three-year trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) during which he and his family sought to apply Koinonia principles outside the limits of the small Georgia farm.

Volunteers today can build with Habitat affiliates throughout the world on Global Village Trips.[9] After having gone through training, trip leaders organize travel plans with the support of the Americus-headquartered Global Village Department, first formally established in 1988. Participants from all over are then able to register for trips to their destination of choice. Teams generally number between eight and fifteen, with trips usually last between nine to fourteen days.

When people of different faiths and cultures come together to build a house, individuals learn from and find new respect for one another. Coming together for the common goal of building a house with a neighbor in need has proven to be a successful way for bringing healing to divided communities and creating a sense of cross cultural unity.

There are many projects that go hand in hand with the house building projects that allow these homes to supply their own electricity through the use of solar. US companies such as Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) have partnered with Habitat for Humanity to provide complete solar grids for a few homes.[10] There are also other solar projects, mostly in the US, like one in San Francisco,[11] as well as normal citizens that are trying to make a difference by raising funds to get more of these solar homes built.[12]

During Home Builders Blitz 2008, more than 1,000 building industry professionals in 110 Habitat for Humanity affiliates built 263 new homes across the United States. This was the second national Home Builders Blitz program, which was begun on the local level in 2002 in Raleigh, N.C. Since then, the professional homebuilders industry has supported Habitat by building more than 800 homes.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter became involved with Habitat for Humanity in 1984 and has since become its most high-profile proponent. He has been involved in fund-raising and publicity as well as actual homebuilding, taking part in the annual Jimmy Carter Work Project "blitz build".[13]

In 2008 Habitat for Humanity celebrated the 25th annual building project with the Carters and renamed it to include Mrs. Carter. The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project focused on supporting the Gulf Coast community seeking to rebuild after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Despite periodic downpours, volunteers got most of the work done during one week in June to finish building and fixing 60 houses and frame 48 more.[14]

Originating in 1991 with a Charlotte, North Carolina home built entirely by a crew of female volunteers, Habitat’s Women Build program encourages women to make a difference by building homes and communities. Women Build projects provide an environment in which women can feel comfortable learning construction skills they might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn. Globally, more than 1,200 homes have been completed by Women Build volunteers. [15]

Habitat ReStores are retail outlets that re-sell new and used building and household materials donated by large companies, job sites, and individuals. For some Habitat affiliates, like Habitat for Humanity Toronto, the ReStores generate sufficient revenue to cover all administrative costs. This means that every dollar donated to the organization goes directly to home building, and not to pay for overhead such as administrative costs.[16]

The video for rock band Bon Jovi’s song "Who Says You Can’t Go Home" features Habitat for Humanity volunteers as well as the band building homes as part of Habitat for Humanity in Philadelphia, close to Bon Jovi’s native New Jersey. It reflects Jon Bon Jovi’s dedication to the organization and highlights the importance of community unity, faith, and involvement.

The Habitat Bike Challenge began in 1995 as a product of Yale University’s Antony Brydon’s desire to spend a summer biking across the United States while raising money for Habitat. Along the way from coast to coast, riders raise money by explaining Habitat’s mission and even building along with Habitat affiliates in the towns they stop. Riders must raise a certain amount before the trip and spend nearly three months of their summer spreading the word about Habitat and getting communities involved. Bike and Build grew out of the Habitat Bike Challenge in 2002. Over five seasons, Bike & Build has contributed ,144,231 to housing groups to fund projects planned and executed by young adults; this includes 1,327 donated from the summer of 2007.[2]

Although Habitat for Humanity enjoys high name recognition and regard as a non-profit, it has also been the subject of criticism. An article in the Weekly Standard [17] magazine questioned the cost-effectiveness of Habitat building projects. It is difficult to estimate effectiveness, as total volunteer hours on-site and aggregated homeowner financial data are not available.

However, Habitat houses in the United States are more affordable for low-income families than commercially built houses because volunteers help build the homes, which are sold at no profit. [18] In many countries, purchasing a Habitat house costs even less per month than renting substandard housing.[19]

Families are required to show an ability to pay for their home in addition to the need for housing. With these requirements, homeless and low income families may fail to qualify for a Habitat home. Most American Habitat affiliates perform credit checks and criminal record checks on applicants before partnering with them for the construction of a home. Some critics therefore allege that Habitat misrepresents the nature of its work by partnering with families that might be considered nearly "middle-income."[20] To address this, many Habitat affiliates in the United States partner only with families that fall below the government-set "poverty line" for their area. The current poverty rate is measured according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines.[21]

The credit and income requirements help assure that Habitat applicants are able to maintain their houses. Foreclosures on Habitat houses have been very low: 2%, according to official figures. The homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments are used to build more Habitat homes.[22]

Habitat’s founder, Millard Fuller, and his wife were dismissed by the Habitat board of directors on January 31, 2005, citing “a pattern of ongoing public comments and communications by the Fullers that have been divisive and disruptive to the organization’s work”[23] after Fuller was accused of "suggestive comments and inappropriate touching" toward a female employee during a ride to the Atlanta airport in 2003. Some Fuller supporters claim that the firing was due to a change in corporate culture.[24]

Before Fuller’s termination, attempts were made by former President Jimmy Carter to broker an agreement that would allow Fuller to retire with his ,000 salary intact; when Fuller was found to have violated the non-disclosure portion of this agreement, he was subsequently fired.

In response to his dismissal from the project he founded, Fuller has established The Fuller Center for Housing.

In January 2008 a dispute arose between the parent organization and an unspecified number of local Habitat for Humanity affiliate organizations over the terms of their cooperation agreement. These local affiliates contended that the agreement gave the international organization too much power over the assets and operations of the local chapters. One of the affiliates, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio, reached an agreement with HFHI in July 2008 to “continue working together in their efforts to make affordable housing possible.”[25]

Ulster Covenant mural
Citizenship and Freedom
Image by kyz
The Ulster Covenant… half a million Ulster people can’t be wrong!

Pictured: Edward Carson, the first person to sign the Covenant.

BEING CONVINCED in our consciences that Home Rule would be disastrous to the material well-being of Ulster as well as of the whole of Ireland, subversive of our civil and religious freedom, destructive of our citizenship, and perilous to the unity of the Empire, we, whose names are underwritten, men of Ulster, loyal subjects of His Gracious Majesty King George V, humbly relying on the God whom our fathers in days of stress and trial confidently trusted, do hereby pledge ourselves in solemn Covenant, throughout this our time of threatened calamity, to stand by one another in defending, for ourselves and our children, our cherished position of equal citizenship in the United Kingdom, and in using all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland. And in the event of such a Parliament being forced upon us, we further solemnly and mutually pledge ourselves to refuse to recognize its authority. In sure confidence that God will defend the right, we hereto subscribe our names. And further, we individually declare that we have not already signed this Covenant.

Statue of Liberty Celebration_02
Citizenship and Freedom
Image by West Point Public Affairs
Lady Liberty came to America 125 years ago and millions followed in search of the freedom she came to represent. The West Point Band and Cadet Glee Club helped celebrate the anniversary of the Statue of Liberty dedication on Oct. 28, joining hundreds of invited guests in the festivities.
Among the day’s highlights, 125 recent immigrants from 46 countries swore the oath of American citizenship. Following the performances by the West Point Band and Cadet Glee Club, actress Sigourney Weaver recited the poem, “The New Colossus” written by Emma Lazarus. Webcams perched on the statue’s torch captured the countdown as its lights switched on. The celebration capped off with a fireworks display. Photo by Mike Strasser, West Point Public Affairs

Posted on November 7, 2011 by , Reply

Cool Freedom Of Religion images

Check out these Freedom of Religion images:

John Carmichael
Freedom of Religion
Image by The Norwegian
“Rev.” John Carmichael – President of the Church of Scientology in New York
gothamist.com/2007/08/14/rev_john_carmic.php – immediately after his attempt to recruit me to Scientology in New York 10th March 2008.

I told him not to question my intelligence…

I demonstrated against the Church of Scientology (CoS) in New York on the 10th of March, so it may seem a little strange to learn that I actually went to visit one of the CoS branches here in London over the weekend. What lead up to that was the tragic suicide of a Norwegian girl in Nice, France a few weeks ago, a few hours after taking the CoS’s “personality-test”. www.oca.scientology.org/ Her family claims it was due to the in part horrible test-results she got. The CoS response was something along the lines of "nobody else has done that, so why would she?", amid claims that she had long been suffering different mental issues, and that the church had only had a very short conversation with her…

Let’s just say I got curious, and wanted to find out a bit more than all the stuff you can read online will tell you. (http://www.xenu.net/)

Not that I was “curious” in the searching-sense. I am not (that) stupid.

While the questions themselves seemed a little silly (and _real_ psychologists condemn it as “a rubbish test of personality that will not give you any real answers”) I found the exercise rather entertaining. It said to print the survey-results out and bring them along to my local “church”, and they would give me the verdict. However “Tekmology” again proved incompatible with “religion”, so I ended up having to do the test again upon arrival…

The “score” wasn’t particularly shocking (I had, after all answered truthfully to all the questions, I even (stupidly?) used my real name and address…). What I found amazing was the classic sales-pitch I got when he went through it with me after.

It’s called FUDGE – first you sow Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, and then you give your “victim” Great Expectations.

Seeing as I knew what he was trying to do I wasn’t falling for it, and despite my reassurances that whatever the test revealed didn’t actually make my life a living hell (his clear implication), he kept asking the same inane questions again and again (he was clearly new). I told him I didn’t have enough money to pay for the £10 book that would redeem my life from the utter catastrophe it currently is (drug-dealers tend to give you the first dose cheap/free to get you hooked…and his ineptitude stopped me from feeling pity for him), but realising he wasn’t going to make a sale, he decided to go for broke, and asked me if I wanted to see a film…

A very bad mistake…

Up until this time I hadn’t found Scientology very offensive at all, it seemed more like an aggressive book-club rather than a maniacal cult. Stupid? Yes. Preying on the weak and vulnerable? Most definitely. But then they don’t differ too much from the other cults out there. However small or large those cults are…

To sum the film up (sorry, yes, I’m aware this is starting to look more like a novel than a comment…but…).

Young man plays American football and gets badly tackled.
Young man ends up paralysed in hospital.
Young man is seen to by completely incompetent psychiatrists (for a spinal injury?!?) and is (gleefully) told he will never walk again.
Young man tells his wife to be that she should find someone else to marry, as he will not be a good husband for her *violins playing*
Psychiatrists decides they will operate on young man’s brain (for a _spinal_ injury in the lower back?!?!?). Not to cure said young man, mind you “as that would put us out of a job”.
Young wife-to-be brings the book “Dianetics” along.
Young man reads book and starts not only walking, but jumping around!

Needless to say it wasn’t *exactly* a documentary…

I was offended at how it portrayed the medical profession (I have not been treated with anything but respect, and have had nothing but good experiences with doctors, and though I’m aware there are stupid doctors out there, I hold them in rather a higher esteem than the people behind this movie. I also believe the brain has immense power, and that you can probably go a long way to healing yourself (placebo-effect, anyone?), but this film was an affront to humanity.

What counfounds me is how anyone can fall for the pathetic lies of this book-shop-that-calls-itself-a-church…

Go figure.

This is my personal opinion, I’m not telling you what to think. Feel free to check it out for yourself, though I would strongly recommend you do something more useful with your time. Like play pocket-tennis. c",)

If you are "searching", go here: www.venganza.org/

Freethinkers title contest …
Freedom of Religion
Image by –Tico–
This is a photo I took in a Roman Catholic church in Bretagne, north France. The cobwebs struck me as a sign of the reduced importance that religion holds in Europe now. However, the idea that religions are sacred and should be exempt from satire is ever more present with the immigration to Europe of communities with different religions, especially Islam.

In the process of losing my Christian faith, on this issue I have now embraced the position as expressed by H.L. Mencken:

" … even a superstitious man has certain inalienable rights. He has a right to harbor and indulge his imbecilities as long as he pleases, provided only he does not try to inflict them upon other men by force. He has a right to argue for them as eloquently as he can, in season and out of season. He has a right to teach them to his children. But certainly he has no right to be protected against the free criticism of those who do not hold them. He has no right to demand that they be treated as sacred. He has no right to preach them without challenge."

I want to test how many people are open to this idea on Flickr. If you agree with me and you can think of a satirical title for this photo, please post your suggestion below.
The contest is open-ended and therefore I will not choose a winner. For the sake of freedom of speech and creativity your effort is greatly appreciated. Some good suggestions also from the members in this group.

If you think this is wholly inappropriate, please make your argument!

Peace!

circle of cool
Freedom of Religion
Image by weegeebored
There’s a thing Eddie Izzard used to go on about:

How being cool & being a berk are right next to each other on a big circle and it’s very easy to suddenly find yourself doing one when you meant to be the other.

Fine line between genius & madness, and all that.

Anyway, I have to confess, when I first clapped eyes on Wolfie Smith here, I had him immediately assigned to the berk side of the line.

I mean, jesus wept, he’s got Frodo Baggins’s leather pixie-pouch and a ‘scuse me yes I’m not hallucinating, WOLF’S TAIL! hanging off his arse.

WOLF’S TAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not to mention some weird litlle babydreads at the back of his barnet, giving him an unnecessarily additional air of Mulletedness.

If you force-fed me DiMethylTryptamine for a year, I don’t think I’d come up with doing anything as unforgivably ludicrous as this. Not in public. Certainly not in the middle of bloody Peckham at any rate.

But then, and I must be getting soft-headed in my dotage, it struck me that mostly I didn’t like the guy because he was young, doing an art course down the road, and gets to enjoy the company of pretty art student girls in dayglo outfits.

I was thoroughly jealous, in fact.

And, it further occurred to me: looked at in a fairer, kinder, less likely to stain the world with hideous bad vibes of putrefying bad karma & bitterness, sort of a way: the young feller me lad there is actually cool as ruddy heck, has really colossal balls, levels of chutzpah I could never dream of, and bloody good luck to him, what a dude.

Although the mullet-esque-ness he is indulging in is still a little hard for maye refayned sinsibilities to daygist, dontchaknow?

So, overall, you go for it Wolf Lad. Good on ya, cat.

For my part, I’m thinking of enrolling at Art College.

Only joking, art is the religion of the people who take masses of opium.

Posted on November 2, 2011 by , Reply

Lauderdale County, AL School Under Fire From Freedom From Religion

Video Rating: 0 / 5

Posted on October 29, 2011 by , Reply

Q&A: Was freedom of religion a Constitutional lie?

Question by freedom fighter: Was freedom of religion a Constitutional lie?
I ask this because many people are harassed daily for their religious beliefs especially if it’s feared. if you’re american you’re SUPPOSED to have freedom to choose religion without being persecuted,harassed,or whatever. Mormons,Muslims,Amish. anyone who looks,dresses,or believes differently,yet know says a thing to nuns or priests who wear religious clothing. so where is is this freedom?
thanks all,never looked at it that way but it sure sucks that people can’t be civil and are always fearful of what they DON’T understand instead of taking the time to learn.

Best answer:

Answer by Teekno
You don’t understand what freedom of religion is.

The freedom isn’t a guarantee against harassment, or that people will like your choice of religion. It’s simply a guarantee that the government won’t take action against you based on your religious beliefs.

Give your answer to this question below!

Posted on October 21, 2011 by , 5 comments

Why is freedom of religion necessary for a functioning democracy?

Question by nikki: Why is freedom of religion necessary for a functioning democracy?
*use modern example to prove your point.

I just need some help with my presentation. this is only of of the questions i have to present about freedom of religion and i was having a hard time with it. so if you could help me out, i would really appreciate it.
please and thankyou<3 Best answer:

Answer by Toadly Ossum
It seems to be accepted that 85% of the population needs to be in compliance with a law in order for it to be effective. A lower level of compliance ties up too many enforcement resources to be effective.

For any society, there must be a common moral character to encourage compliance. Among different religions, there are still common moral themes upon which most can agree to establish a law. Where only one religion prevails, or none, government becomes a theocracy, establishing laws based upon the teachings of the elite few.

Whether or not there is really morality to those laws is impossible to establish since there are no other moral precepts to compare them to. By permitting several religions, morality for laws can be drawn from most of them, tolerance of the differences among them, and only the least acceptable of those need to be prohibited.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Posted on October 12, 2011 by , 1 comment

When Jaafar and his wife knew the meaning of freedom

The Graduates of Muhammad School, (1) Jaafar

 

Jaafar was Muhammad’s cousin

Jaafar was the son of Abu Talib (the uncle of the prophet Muhammad).

Abu Talib was a poor man and had to support a big family; that is why Jaafar was raised by his uncle, Abbas.

 

When he became a young man, Jaafar left his uncle Abbas and got married to Asmaa.  

Jaafar and Asmaa were among the very first persons to embrace Islam, and as a result they both suffered greatly at the hands of the Quraish.

 

Quraish was the tribe to which the prophet Muhammad belonged. Quraish was the dominant tribe of Mecca upon the appearance of Islam; however, it was the tribe that led the initial antagonism to the spread of Islam among the Arabs.

 

The Quraish restricted the Muslims’ movements and freedom. Day by day, the pressure that Quraish put on the Muslims has worsened until they could not bear it anymore.

 

That is why Jaafar went to the Prophet Muhammad and took his permission to immigrate to Ethiopia along with a small group of Muslims.

This was one of the Religious asylums in Islamic History

At this time, the Negus, the Emperor of Ethiopia, was a very just Christian King. The Ethiopian people used to love and respect him very much. The custom of the people to show their respect to the Negus was to prostrate themselves to him.

 

Jaafar and Asmaa settled down in this new land under the protection of the Negus, and for the first time since they had become Muslims they knew the meaning of freedom and could worship Allah without any hindrances.

 

However, Quraish would not let them enjoy freedom and peace for long; soon they sent some pagan Arabs in order to negotiate with Negus and get all the immigrated Muslims back to Mecca.

The pagan Quraish took a lot of presents to the Negus, which pleased him very much, and they prostrated themselves to the Negus and then they told him that there is a group of evil wicked men moving about freely in his country and asked him to capture them before they cause any harm to his kingship as they did in Quraish.

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But the Negus refused to do that until he calls them and questions them regarding the pleas of Quraish.

So the Negus asked the group of Muslims, to come and meet him.

The Muslims came on and chose Jaafar to be their spokesman.

The Muslims stood in front of the Negus and they did not prostrate themselves unto him.

The Quraish said: O Negus, they do not prostrate themselves unto you.

The bishops around the Negus ordered the Muslims to prostrate!

Jaafar said: we do not prostrate ourselves to anyone but to Allah.

 

The Negus, who was impressed by this brave Jaafar, asked: your people say that you are evil and made trouble in your tribe Quraish.

Jaafar replied: this is not the case; they came on here to take us back because we changed our religion and embraced a new one.

 

The Negus asked: “what is this religion that has cut you off from your people, and made you in no need of our forefather’s religion”..?

 

Jaafar summarized the teachings of Muhammad to explain their situation; he said:

 

“O King! We were living in ignorance, idolatry and immorality.

We honored no relative and assisted no neighbor.

The strong among us exploited the weak.

Then God sent us a prophet, one of our own people whose descent, conduct and good faith and morality we are all well acquainted.

He called us to the unity of God, and taught us not to associate any other being with him. He forbade us the worship of idols which we and our fathers used to worship.

He commanded us always to speak the truth, to remain true to our trust, to love the relatives and to be good neighbors.

He commanded us to honor our promises, to be kind to our relations, to cease all forbidden acts, to abstain from bloodshed and to avoid obstinacies and false witness.

He forbade us to slander the virtuous women or consume the property of the orphans.

He ordered us to fly from vices and to abstain from the evil, to offer prayers, to give alms and to keep the fast in the month of Ramadan.

We believed in him; we followed him.

Our people, however, persecuted us and sought to bring us back to idolatry and their other abominations.

As they made life intolerable for us in Mecca, we chose your country and came here to live under your protection in peace.”

 

The Negus was eager to know more about what Jaafar said, and so he asked Jaafar to read him a part from what Muhammad brought concerning Allah.

Jaafar recited for him the first portion of Surah of Maryam (Saint Mary- Chapter 19 of the Quran) which narrates the story of Jesus and his mother Mary.

Upon hearing that Surah, the Negus was moved and the bishops around him began to weep.

The Negus said that he will never harm them and will not give them to Quraish.

However, two of Quraish emissaries did not stop at that, they went again to the Negus, who was Christian, and told him that the Muslims say that Jesus is a slave, and asked him to call them and ask them what they think of Jesus.

The Negus called the Muslims and asked them, what do you say about Jesus?

Jaafar answered him saying, “Our Prophet Muhammad says that Jesus is Allah’s prophet.”

 

The Negus gave back the gifts to Quraish and refused to deliver up the refugees so the pagan Arabs left oppressed and frustrated and the Quraish returned to Mecca discomforted.

 

Jaafar and Asmaa spent about ten years in Ethiopia, which became a second home for them. There, Asmaa gave birth to three children.

Finally, Jaafar and his family together with a group of Muslims left Ethiopia and went to Al-Madina.

On their arrival, the Prophet Muhammad was very happy to see them.

Muslims in general and especially the poor among them were as happy with the return of Jaafar as the Prophet Muhammad was. And quickly Jaafar became a well known as a person who was much concerned with the welfare of the poor.

It is said that there was a great resemblance between Jaafar and the Prophet Muhammad, both in his appearance and ethics.  Muhammad called him, “The father of the poor”, because he used to help and support the poor with all he has of money.

Safaa Abdel-Aziz

Co-Chief Editor, October Weekly magazine, Cairo, Egypt.

Member of the Egyptian Society of Save Children.

Member of the Egyptian Society of Tourism

Article from articlesbase.com

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Posted on October 11, 2011 by , Reply

Jay Sekulow emphasize on Religious Freedom and Constitutional Rights

There is evidence that the following of a religion even in the historical era differentiates people and country from one another. We, as humans, adhere to specific sets of rules and guidelines formed by the prophets of a religion. People offer prayers to align their deeds for a good cause. The citizens of every nation are imbued with the constitutional right to speak and preach their religion without any restriction and discrimination. One humble leader, who dedicated all his efforts in defending such rights is Jay Sekulow.

On September 11, 2001, hundreds of Americans & Non-Americans lost their lives and or the lives of their loved ones in a heinous act of terrorism that shattered The United States of America. According to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) and Mr. Sekulow, this day will also be known as a time when every American stood together, unified and resilient for their losses. Thousands of people gather every year at Ground Zero to offer prayers of peace and solace for the souls of their loved ones.

Jay Sekulow, in respect to constitutional freedom and religious liberty, has argued several cases and the most important was that of the school students who wanted to have a Bible club in their school. In The Supreme Court, he handled and defended the case resulting in successful grant of permission to form a club. Mr. Sekulow and ACLJ were well aware of the issues related to religious freedom in Europe that can also adversely affect the United States to some extent. To protect and safeguard the interest of the people, they established their office in France as the European Court of Human Rights in order to resolve the cases of people in Europe immediately.

Jay Sekulow knows that a way to thrust aside the differences and discrimination prevailing in this society is by educating people about their constitutional rights and freedom. In realm of this awareness, Mr. Sekulow is available a presenter in a weekly radio show and accepts guests’ requests from various TV programs. Jay Sekulow is Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), one of the most prestigious law firms in the country.

He is an accomplished Supreme Court advocate, renowned expert on religious liberty, and a respected broadcaster. Jay Sekulow is an attorney with a passion for protecting religious liberty – freedom – democracy.

Article from articlesbase.com

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Posted on October 9, 2011 by , Reply

is it legal for an american to move to cuba and still have the freedom to leave?

Question by kechonome: is it legal for an american to move to cuba and still have the freedom to leave?
lets say an american moves to cuba and gets citizenship. eventualy after some years he misses america and wants to move back. can he? also i heard that cuba is friendly with canada. is it different for canadians in cuba than americans?

Best answer:

Answer by lowbrasskicksass
i don’t believe so. but i could be wrong. and yes it is different for canadians in cuba.

What do you think? Answer below!

Posted on October 8, 2011 by , 8 comments

Q&A: Is monogamous restriction impeding the freedom of religion?

Question by jmax: Is monogamous restriction impeding the freedom of religion?
The Mormons had “plural” marriages when starting out, however, the main stream church then rescinded this aspect when pressured by the U.S. government. Now, some are arguing that a monogamous restriction is impeding their freedom of religion What do you think?

Best answer:

Answer by Scooby Snacks
You asked in the wrong category.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Posted on October 3, 2011 by , 2 comments
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