Great Minds: The LikeMindedness of Two Religions Part II
                                          By: Quill Wordsmith
                             Wordsmith@eXcapethematriX.com 

Dennis Freeman: I think a lot on both sides. I see more with Christianity that they are competing against other religious faiths. Those that do that competition are those who misunderstood what the whole message of Christ is about. They compete to get you to be in their religious club or team so to speak instead of helping one to grow. If they would understand God as The Creator they would not have to be afraid of dialogue with one of Islam, Buddhism, or even Jehovah's Witness. I have been planning on setting up some forums so to speak, with deity Christians as well Jehovah's Witness and Islam as well. I am so excited about Rabbi Zacharias and his "Just Think" series because it's what people need. Take some time to ask questions to things you don't know. People just need to have an open mind. Get understanding - - that's more of the idea of what I'm getting from the bible. Even the little of what I've studied in Islam, it goes further than the obvious.  

Farajii Muhammed: It's unfortunate that there is a lot of competition. I don't know what the spirit behind it is. Whether it's filling the seats or are you really inviting people to the truth and to be a part of a spiritual resurrection. In Islam we are taught through the holy Koran that numbers are never the determining factors of success. If you look at the story behind the two books, God has always been on the side of those who haven't had large numbers, but his spirit was there. But it's something in modern day America whether your talking to the pastor or the minister "I got a 28, 000 congregation" but when you have these big churches and those who are apart of the congregation don't know you or you them, that's a problem. When you have spiritual conventions and the people walk out the same way they walked in with no thought about "I'm going to change my life or someone else's life" - - that's really blasphemous. Look at the spiritual leader today who's not teaching the people what needs to be taught, yet they have these large congregations. When people grow into the truth of what they believe in, they're going to see directly through their leader: as a liar. 

You can't lie to people as a minister, because the people will find out the truth and then kill the minister for lying to the people. Young people have low tolerance and low patience. I got young people looking at me (nonchalant stance). Young people were brought into the world to give out a whole new state of mind and a whole new world!  

(Pounds fist) 

DF: It's really like that in the mosque?  

"Satan is real in 2007. Entertainment, politics, education, police" 

FM: Brother it's suffering, that's why we're trying to get towards young people. Satan has the minds of our young people in our music, culture, and expression. But the masses of young people are in the streets. Our work is beyond the four walls. Our work is in the streets. We would have a greater impact by reaching people on Pennsylvania Avenue then we would standing and waiting at the church for someone to walk through the door. In all of this competition, NO ONE is talking to young people. Elders can become an impediment. When you have those old thinking, old minds who never pass on the torch. We may not have the eloquence of speech or represent in the way we dress but that's not a reason to keep us at bay. Now again, going back to Jesus - "suffer the little children." He always used, what I thought was interesting, he always used the parable of becoming a child. Not saying you and I can go back to 7 years old, but there are certain qualities that you should have like humility, open mindedness, wanting to learn new things. In the eyesight of God, we're children. It takes 75 years to learn how to live. I'm 28. Dude I’m like a damn fetus! So I know I'm not a grown man right now. The competition piece - - it's really all about us not going after young people. I don't work with slow old thinking, non- I don't wanna rock the boat type cats. 

Satan is real in 2007. With Entertainment, politics, education, police. He's real. So what am I going to fight you for (Lays hand on Dennis shoulder.) 

DF: It makes me think of our idea of people opposing for Civil Rights. That's never right (Jena 6) but I do have this to say. MLK continued to say “always carry through”, he always had people backing him up that he had to say that we are still supposed to be non violent. Black folks done lost our since of home training, teaching to do right, hold your ground. be patient. As you said, Satan is in everything. B.E.T is nothing new. It’s constantly entertaining black people - teaching us sexual pleasure by any means. To make money any way we must by any means. To be racially prejudiced by any means. If you're dirty laundry is out there, be real. Black people should stand up and express what's RIGHT no matter what. As far as church goes, church doesn't have enough thinking going on for someone to even consider standing up to leave. We're so busy thinking about chicken dinner, fish fries, and Cadillac’s. 

If you see my Russell sweat suit on and my flip flops: It’s for the sake of being true. It's not about anything except spiritual resurrection. If it's going to pass away, why do I have to keep bringing it up talking about it. 

"Those of us who have beautiful minds with a great future, God will watch over us." 

FM: My parents never instilled the theory that you have to keep up with the Jones’s. When I see my brothers and sisters suffering from that mentality it's horrible. I dont' care what type of shirt you have on in the mosque. We need young folk and people who have character and morality. It's just that we need to stop focusing on the external and focus on the internal. Do you want to covet your man's girl? We need individuals and soldiers who are not afraid to step out on what they believe in; to speak truth in power. What would it look like? It don't even have to be huge. If 50 Muslims and 50 Christians were to come together to say enough is enough. We're going to walk these streets. There are over 600,000 blacks in Baltimore. But if we come out of our minds - we can stand up and say, let's stop the gang warfare, and the violence. We just need 50 from the Islamic community and 50 from the Christian community. The spiritual leadership is lacking in the city 

DF: There was an opportunity for me to put my podium out in the street and use my voice to entertain as well as exhort through singing and bring in (as the bait) the understanding of what's really going on. It's not by coincidence that we're meeting today; this community activation, the movement process - known as a pillar, a leader more than just around the state of Maryland. You gave me confirmation on so many things.

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FM: When you come across a brother or sister who's conscious in this time, you do everything you can to make sure it's not tainted, you protect it. Look how wonderful you think. Look at how God is shaping you. But I already feel it as a kinship, as a brotherhood; what is God really doing for us. I had to come to a point that I couldn't deny it. I can't get out of this work that I'm doing and go to corporate America. I don't think where I'm going to get money from, because my faith is in God. I ask God every morning to at least have me TRY to do His will. Those of us who have beautiful minds with a great future, God will watch over us.