a clusterfuck of hate - TheCall

[doggie]

Man this is just a joke right? it would make Jesus weep. Almost wish someone would launch a couple of cruise missiles over this mess of hate.

DETROIT (AP) - An area with one of the largest Muslim communities in the United States is bracing itself for a 24-hour prayer rally by a group that counts Islam among the ills facing the nation.

The gathering in Detroit at Ford Field, the stadium where the Detroit Lions play, starts Friday evening and is designed to tackle issues such as the economy, racial strife, same-sex relationships and abortion. But the decade-old organization known as TheCall has said Detroit is a "microcosm of our national crisis" in all areas, including "the rising tide of the Islamic movement."

Leaders of TheCall believe a satanic spirit is shaping all parts of U.S. society, and it must be challenged through intensive Christian prayer and fasting. Such a demonic spirit has taken hold of specific areas, Detroit among them, organizers say. In the months ahead of their rallies, teams of local organizers often travel their communities performing a ritual called "divorcing Baal," the name of a demon spirit, to drive out the devil from each location.

"Our concern is that we are literally being demonized by the organizers of this group," said Dawud Walid, executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations' Michigan chapter, which last week urged local mosques and Islamic schools to increase security. "And given the recent history of other groups that have come into Michigan ... we're concerned about this prayer vigil stoking up the flames of divisiveness in the community."

TheCall is the latest and largest of several groups or individuals to come to the Detroit area with a message that stirred up many of its estimated 150,000 to 200,000 Muslims. Recent visitors have included Florida pastor Terry Jones; members of the Westboro Baptist Church; and the Acts 17 Apologetics, missionaries who were arrested for disorderly conduct last year at Dearborn's Arab International Festival but were later acquitted.

As with many other Christian groups, TheCall and its adherents believe Jesus is the only path to salvation. While they consider all other religions false, they have a specific focus on Islam, largely in response to the Sept. 11 attacks, terrorism overseas and fear that Islam, which is also a proselytizing faith, will spread faster than Christianity.

TheCall is modeled partly on the Promise Keepers, the men's stadium prayer movement that was led in the 1990s by former University of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney. TheCall's first major rally was in September 2000 on the national Mall in Washington, drawing tens of thousands of young people to pray for a Christian revival in America. Co-founder Lou Engle has organized similar rallies in several cities, including a 2008 event at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium two days before Election Day to generate support for Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California.

Theologically, Engle is part of a stream of Pentecostalism that is independent of any denomination and is intensely focused on the end times. Within these churches, some leaders are elevated to the position of apostle, or hearing directly from God.

Muslims aren't the only ones concerned about Friday's event. A coalition of Detroit clergy plans to march to the football stadium Friday and hold their own rally.

"We do not agree with the spread of a message of hate, but a message of peace and a message of love," the Rev. Charles Williams II, pastor of Historic King Solomon Church in Detroit, said Wednesday. "We love our Muslim brothers. We love those who are homosexual and we are not scared ... to stand up when the time calls for us to."

Engle declined interview requests from The Associated Press, and one of his representatives referred calls to Apostle Ellis Smith of Detroit's Jubilee City Church. Smith, who appeared with Engle and other Detroit-area clergy in promotional videos filmed at Ford Field, considers himself a point-person for TheCall in Detroit.

Smith told the AP that fears of the event taking on an anti-Muslim tone are overblown. He said attendees won't be "praying against Muslims," but rather "against terrorism that has its roots in Islam."

"We're dealing with extremism," he said. "We're against extremism when it comes to Christians."

Still, in a pre-event sermon he delivered Oct. 9 at a suburban church, Smith called Islam a "false," ''lame" and "perverse" religion. He said it was allowed to take root in Detroit because of the city's strong religious base. That's why TheCall event is "pivotal," he said.

"That's why I believe it's by divine appointment: Detroit is the most religious city in America," Smith said in the sermon, adding later, "What I'm saying to you is Detroit had to happen because we have to break these barriers that have hindered in so many ways."

The sermon was archived on the online sermon library Sermon.net.

Smith on Thursday said he was offering his personal perspective that Islam is "a false religion, as many others are."

He said the main focus of Friday's gathering is "loving God, loving God's people."

Dawn Bethany, 43, said she is attending with about 70 others from Lansing's Epicenter of Worship, where she is the church's administrator. Bethany said she believes the event will be a "monumental spiritual experience," and "the negativity is a distraction from seeing who God is." God, she said, "is love."

___

[Childless]

They can pray and fast all they want. I will still believe that everyone is entitled to worship the way they see fit (or not worship at all). I will still believe that if marriage is a right in this country, it should be a right for everyone. I will still believe it's a woman's right to choose what she does with her body. I will still believe that adults have the right to watch, read, or listen to whatever they choose. I will still believe that parents have the right to raise their children in any manner they wish. I will still think government social programs are a good idea. I will still believe in the separation of church and state. I will still think that every citizen in this country, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation, has the right to vote and the right to hold a government office.

So, while they are entitled to waste as much time as they want, that's what it will be, a waste, because my opinions and beliefs are not going to change.

[gustava]

Ugly, ugly.

[doggie]

if they want to find evil all they need to do is look in the mirror.

[debrand]

Leaders of TheCall believe a satanic spirit is shaping all parts of U.S. society, and it must be challenged through intensive Christian prayer and fasting. Such a demonic spirit has taken hold of specific areas, Detroit among them, organizers say. In the months ahead of their rallies, teams of local organizers often travel their communities performing a ritual called "divorcing Baal," the name of a demon spirit, to drive out the devil from each location.

What a waste of time. I have nothing against religious people praying for the welfare of our country but there are reasons that our country is in the mess that it is. Are they also calling for coporations and politicians to be accountable for any of our problems?

[Chrystal-J]

Last time there was an "anti-Muslim" protest in Detroit, it was set up by out-of-state agitators and counter protested by out-of-state agitators. I wish they'd all stay where-ever the hell they came from and leave Detroit alone.

[doggie]

Last time there was an "anti-Muslim" protest in Detroit, it was set up by out-of-state agitators and counter protested by out-of-state agitators. I wish they'd all stay where-ever the hell they came from and leave Detroit alone.

like in the middle of the Atlantic on a sinking ship?

[longskirtlotsakids]

These guys remind me of the Puritans for some reason. Oh yeah... they operate under insanely interpreted laws and get off on punishing women for everything.

" A Demonic Spirit" shaping American society? Whatever. While they quake in their boots over the thought of men touching weiners and women terminating pregnancies, I breathe a sigh of relief that those scary things are protected by law.

How sad a life you must live when everything is so scary,

[Chrystal-J]

like in the middle of the Atlantic on a sinking ship?

I have no idea what that's supposed to mean, but the last time they had something like this the muslims I know either didn't know about the protest or didn't care. In the meantime, the traffic's clogged and the police are all down at the protest instead of patrolling the neighborhoods so crime runs out of control.

[Burris]

The following quote, from the Devils of Loudun, is written onto the interior flap of my Bible:

Theologians, I repeat, have carefully guarded against Manichaean dualism; but at all times, all too many Christians have behaved as though the devil were a First Principle, on the same footing as God. They have paid more attention to evil and the problem of its eradications than to good and the methods by which individual goodness may be deepened, and the sum of goodness increased. The effects which follow too constant and intense a concentration upon evil are always disastrous. Those who crusade, not for God, in themselves, but against the devil in others, never succeed in making the world better, but leave it either as it was, or sometimes even perceptibly worse than it was, before the crusade begin. By thinking primarily of evil we tend, however excellent our intentions, to create occasions for evil to manifest itself.

[BravaAmica]

Wow, what a bunch of fuckwits.

[Angri-la]

The following quote, from the Devils of Loudun, is written onto the interior flap of my Bible:

...and just when I think I cannot be anymore of a Burris fan, you go and post this....

[changemanagement]

Yeah, I was alerted to this back in August

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2641

My BIL and SIL announced they had registered for this on FB.

I went out on a limb and denounced "The Call" on my FB account.

I don't talk to them, so I don't know if they are still attending. I should get my husband to call his brother and see...

[Wolfie]

A college "friend" is one of these sorts. (he would ask me out once a year and I always found a way to wiggle out- I'm SO glad.) I'm still trying to figure out what the outrage was over the 15 cent per Christmas tree fee that the industry was going to charge, then Obama said that there wasn't enough time to get it organized this year. Apparently since Obama was involved, one of the "friends" of this friend said it was evidence that Obama was a Muslim.

And yeah, I know, so what if he was a Muslim, I don't really care.

[Vex]

I strongly believe that you get what you give, so they must be some pretty fucking miserable people.

[Nomorearrows]

I read the article about this prayer event on http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/13/thecall-detroit-mixes-mes_n_1090983.html

It's really disturbing,

One stupid quote from the article:" you got to pray all night long because it's when the Muslims sleep"

No duh. That's when Muslims sleep? I thought Muslims were owls!!

btw, I'm Muslim (born and raised in America) and I have no desire to convert anyone or have anyone convert me. Why can't we just all tolerate each other and live in peace?