Monday, March 14, 2011

Thank God for King's Hearings!!

Starting with the testimony of the High Sheriff of L.A. County the other day, it is becoming apparent that a lot of information the Lamestream media WILL NOT COVER is making it's way to the population as never before. To anybody who has been watching instead of complaining, it is becoming abundantly clear that the Muslim community HAS, and IS, doing things to STOP the infiltration of radicals into their Mosques and fellowships. Those of us who have been working for years should vote a hearty thank you to King for doing this, as it cannot be said the information being gathered is made up of whole cloth or wishful thinking! Or even worse self serving lies as we all are so often accused of!!

One way or another, WE WILL BE HEARD!! Rev. Bruce

Monday, February 21, 2011

The Events in The Middle East...What Does It All Mean

Most of us have watched the events unfold over the last seven or eight weeks in the Middle East, beginning with the demonstrations in Egypt which focused most Americans in on the events and then leading to seven different countries and the protests there for “democracy”. It seems the beginning was in Tunisia, then moved to, briefly, Kuwait, Jordan, then to Egypt, Yemen, Algeria, Libya, The United Arab Emirates and now even small demonstrations are being seen in Iran.

Many of us that have done work in various phases of interfaith efforts and other venues of bridge building between peoples have seen two sides to this coin. The hopeful side that wants real democracy and the other side that wants Sharia law installed in a government that perforce becomes a theocracy, which could mean another Iran.

Of course there will be differences all through the mix as well. The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is repeatedly sited as a moderating force, but they were NOT the ones who started the demonstrations in Egypt and are relative late comers to the show. But because they have an organised structure it may be easy for them to rise to the top of negotiations and setting up whatever government is to follow.

Supposedly they call themselves moderates, and have at least spoken that way. But, the other branches of the Brotherhood, in other countries, are not moderate and have elemants of Hamas and Hizbollah and others that are downright terrorist organizations. That naturally concerns people everywhere. Especially in the western world. And of course Israel.

In Egypt there have been very heartening examples of the people giving succor and support one to another regardless of religion or politics and that is a great hope lifter. In many instances they have shouted, ” Christian or Muslim, we are EGYPTIANS FIRST! This brings great hope that the people’s will to enter the twenty first century alongside the western secular governments that assure freedom of what ever someone believes, and that it can be practiced in safety and security. I myself believe that is the hope of most people no matter where they live or in what country they reside.

With freedom comes responsibility to one another, as few realise who have never had true freedom before, but it is a hard learned lesson that has been brought to the people as an example in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hard won indeed as so many want to hold power over those who are different and subjugate them anew.

It is my fondest wish that we will see the honest brokering with the people and their militaries and current and future leaders for shared power and responsibility in the countries as they shake off the bonds of Monarchies and dictatorships that have endured for, in some cases, 1400 years!

Let us all pray for these people and the countries they live in that they can find peace, liberty, and true equality in these perilous times.

Rev. Bruce Holzrichter Sr. Pastor, Tree of The Mustard Seed Ministries and Co-founder..The People of Abraham, Christians, Muslims and Jews.

Be Well Friends

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

It is TIME!!

With all the changes occuring in the world around us, the time has come to begin a membership drive for The People of Abraham, Christians, Muslims and Jews.
The group was begun in 2007 with the goal of bringing people together to discuss and form ways of accepting one another not as people of different beliefs who could not co-exist together, but as religious people who worshipped God understanding that God has a name and to some He is God, to others He is I AM, yet to others still, He is ALLAH, the one God.

It is with this in mind that many have come to read and learn from our example. The principle of mutual respect has grown in many instances into one of genuine love for people who are different but still are people with all the same goals that HUMANS have.

The first is to live free to worship in their own way. The second is to be safe in their persons and families. The third is to be accepted as our fellow citizens of the United States and the world, and not some nefarious OTHER to be afraid of, to see in suspicion or as a threat to the status quo.

Most of these people, be they Muslim, Christian, or Jew, simply want to be left alone to live and prosper. Raise their families, educate their children and pass peacefully into a future secure in these same ways, for those children.

Many of our friends have seen my writing and that of Robert Salaam the other co-founder of The People of Abraham and see what we have attempted and are accomplishing on a fairly small scale.

With this history I have contacted several friends who are members and asked them point blank, "Is it time to ask all of our friends and acquaintences into the fold?" Or will many of them be put off because I am a Christian Minister and be suspicious of that, and me, to ask this way. In each and every case they assured me I would be accepted because of my track record and that one of the best things EVER would be to swell the ranks of The People of Abraham to meet and deal with the changes occuring around us in the world today.

To provide a voice with a track record of what we believe, and practice, and to show that it does WORK! In spite of all the warnings and fear we have encountered.... IT DOES WORK!

I am posting this today, Tuesday February 8th. on the Blog for T.P.O.A. at http://peopleofabraham.blogspot.com **** My blog; Life religion family at...http://tawodi.wordpress.com **** And the face book location of T.P.O.A.

I am also going to take the risk of asking all of our members to send a message to all of their friends on their lists for them to do the same. Join us and swell the ranks of T.P.O.A. as membership increases, we can be a stronger voice for peace and interfaith relations around the world. There are organizations with whom we are linked around the world now, for a short time our blog was rated one of the top five thousand in the world! I want that again... and more!

Those who do join us, need not fear they will be dragooned into doing anything they don't agree with, or of taking controversial stances for one faction or another, simply work for, and wish for, peace for all human beings everywhere and the right to live in that state of peace. There are among us people who write for a living and lecture on many things that support our goals such as uplifting the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam and the Sufi's as well. Both peace ful and very able to co-exist in the secular world today. That of course does NOT exclude Shiite and Sunni many of whom are American citizens and have been for generations! I do NOT give a pass to sects of Chrisrtianity that are not tolerant of other belief systems and faiths, if they spew hate they are called out for it! I myself really need not worry about my reputation, it is all over the net what, and who, I am and what I believe, and work for.

So join us! You will find the group at the face book location and signing up is easy and absolutely free anything you do to help us grow. Even just adding your name to those of us who pray for peaceful co-existence will be welcome indeed!!