nttp://www.tnecnariottepost.com
®I)e Cljarlotte
THURSDAY MARCH 4, 2004
8B
RELIGION
“'“1
Love and
betrayal
Matt. 26: 3-15, 20-25
Then the chief priest and
the elders of the people
assembled in the palace of
the high priest, whose name
was Caiaphas, and they plot
ted to arrest Jesus in some
sly way and kill hi. “But not
drrring the Feast,” they said,
“or there may be a riot among
the people.”
While Jesus was in
Bethany in the home of a
man known as Simon the
Leper, a woman came to him
with an alabaster jar of very
expensive perfume, which
she poured on his head as he
was reclining at the table.
WTien the disciples saw
this, they were indignant.
“Whey this waste?” they
asked. “This perfume could
have sold at a high price and
the money given to the poor.”
Aware of this, Jesus said to
them, “Why are you bothering
this woman? She has done a
beautiful thing to me. The
poor you will always have
with you, but you will not
always have me. When she
poured this perfume on my
body, she did it to prepare me
for burial. I tell you the truth,
where this gospel is preached
throughout the world, what
she has done wiU also be told,
in memory of her.”
Then one of the twelve-the
one called Judas Iscariot-
went to the chief priests and
asked, ‘What are you willing'
to give me if I hand him over
to you?” So they coimted out
for him thirty silver coins.
When evening came, Jesus
was reclining at the table
with the Twelve. And while
they were eating, he said, “I
tell you the triith, one of you
will betray me.”
They were veiy sad and
began to say to him one after
the other, Surely not I, Lord?”
Jesus replied, “the one who
has dipped his hand into the
bowl with me -will betray me.
The Son of Man vrill go just
as it is vnitten about him.
But woe to that man who
betrays the Son of Man! It
would be better for him if he
had not been bom.”
Then Judas, the one who
would betray him, said,
“Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus
answered, “Yes, it is you.”
Farrakhan cries out
for justice, reparations
Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan delivered his annual Savior’s Day address.
By Artellia Burch
artelliaburch@lhecharlottepost.com
The Nation of Islam capped Black
History Month with its Savior’s Day
program last Sunday.
Hundreds of followers, politicians
and community leaders filed into
First Ward Recreational Center to
listen to Nation of Islam leader
Louis Farrakhan deliver the
keynote speech “Reparations: What
America and Europe Owes and
What Allah (God) Promises” via
sateUite.
At the beginning of his sermon
Farrakhan appeared a tad emotion
al when he told the crowd “There’s
something burning vtithin me.
There are some things I’m com
pelled to say. So may the words of
my mouth and the mediation of my
heart be acceptable in the eyes of
Allah.”
The bulk of Farrakhan’s speech
dealt with reparations. He said that
if America is not willing to look at
what happened to black people as a
people there will never be a chance
for good relations between black and
whites. “If there is not truth
between us tliere can never be love
and justice between us.”
Farrakhan ‘also dealt the spiritual
side of reparations. He said (jod is
just and He is going to deal with
America If it doesn’t make a mends
to the people of the transatlantic
slave trade.
“The scripture teaches us that God
warns Abraham that his people will
be a stranger in a foreign land...” he
said. “And that his seed would be
put in bondage but the nation that
judges your seed I wdl judge and
your seed will come out with great
substance. “If America isn’t willing
to deal with what happened to our
ancestors then America is going to
have to deal with an angry God.
“The Honorable Elijah Muham
mad taught us when we lie down
justice lies dovm with us.”
Fanakhan, who has often been
called anti-semitic, says he is not
filled with hate but has some serious
questions for Christian, Jewish and
Islamic scholars. “Have you ever
asked yourself why don’t these
Please see NATION/6B
Online network helps link like-minded Muslims
By Deborah Kong
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO - Part of
her hoped she’d find her soul
mate when she joined
Naseeb, a new online Muslim
community. But getting a
marriage proposal just three
months later while on a snow
boarding trip in Pennsylvania
was way beyond Saara
Sheikh’s expectations.
Raised by conservative,
Pakistani Muslim parents.
Sheikh knew dating was out.
StiH, she rebelled at the idea
of a traditional arranged mar
riage, skipping out on meet
ings her parents set up with
potential spouses.
“They’ve been trying to hook
me up since I was, like, 20,”
said Sheikh, a 25-year-old
Franklin Lakes, New Jersey,
mental health professional. “I
told my mom I would want to
find somebody on my own.
The arranged thing would be
very hard for me.”
Naseeb seemed like a good
compromise. Sometimes
called the MusMm version of
Friendster, the site allows
people to'network with friends
of friends.
like the company, which is
based in San Jose, CaHfomia,
but has engineering opera
tions in Lahore, Pakistan,
many of Naseeb’s users are a
blend of East and West, com
fortable with technology yet
tied to tradition. In Naseeb,
they’ve found a culturally sen
sitive middle ground that lies
somewhere between dating,
which experts say is discour
aged by Islamic law, and the
old-fashioned practice of mar
riages brokered by parents.
In the Muslim communily
arranged marriages vary by
ethnicity they are more com
mon among South Asians and
some Arabs than American
blacks. Such practices,
brought from immigrants’
home countries, typically
Please see ON-LINE/5B
Pope
weighs
in on
Haiti
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
VATICAN CITY - Pope John
Paul II called on Haitians Sun
day to be courageous and hum
ble in taking decisions needed
for the good of Haiti in a strong
appeal made shortly before
news broke that the nation’s
president had left the country
after four weeks of rebeUion.
The pontiff made no direct
reference to President Jean-
Bertrand Aristide, who is a for
mer priest. Even as the rebel
lion grew bloodier, Aristide had
been insisting he would stay in
office until his term expires in
2006.
U.S. and Haitian officials
said early Sunday tiiat Aris
tide had departed his nation,
where four weeks of rebellion
have seen more than 100 peo
ple killed.
The White House on Satur
day had called on Aristide to
“re-examine” his position but
didn’t call for him to step down.
‘Worrisome and painful
news reaches us fi:x)m Haiti,”
John Paul said in remarks
added at the last minute to his
traditional Sunday speech to
pilgrims and tourists in St.
Peter’s Square. He spoke
about a half-hour before The
Associated Press reported Aris
tide’s departure.
“In the face of such a situa
tion, I feel the duty to invite aU
Haitians to have the courage
and the humility to take those
decisions which are required
for the good of the country,” the
pontiff said.
“While I encourage the diplo
matic efforts of the internation
al community, and ask for gen
erous commitments by
humanitarian organizations, I
send a special blessing to the
beloved Haitian people,” the
pope concluded.
The U.S. Embassy in Haiti,
which had rebuffed Aristide’s
pleas to send a small peace
keeping force, had urged him
to tell his followers to stop
“spreading terror and attack
ing civilians and the general
population” in his name.
Earlier in the crisis, U.S. Sec
retary of State Cohn Powell
and French Foreign Minister
Dominique de VOlepin sug
gested Aristide cede power for
Please see HAnTS/6B
Nelson & Purpose strut their stuff ‘Live In Baltimore’
Ratings
Classic;
Excellent;
Good
Fair is.
Why?
No stars-A
Jonathan Nelson
& Purpose
Live In Baltimore:
Everything You Are
Jonathan Nelson,
Producer
Those of you who are look
ing for the next big thing in
gospel should find a copy of
“Everything You Are,” a live
recording by Jonathan &
Purpose.
Who is Jonathan Nelson?
He’s a marvelous writer, awe
some arranger and a top-
notch director. Imagine a bit
of Richard Smallwood, Don
ald Lawrence, Kirk Carr and
Kirk Franklin in a single
body. Yet this kid has his own
style that makes this materi
al, well, sing.
Nelson’s group is something
special in its own right. This
is a talented group. Each is
polished, but have just
enough rough edge to give an
innocent quality.
There is a wealth of quality
songs on this project, most of
which Nelson wrote or co
wrote. These are songs that
come from a deep spiritual
yearning, a passion for the
love of Christ. One song,
“Manifest,” may be familiar
to some. It’s featured on T.D.
Jakes’ latest project. Purpose
gives the 300-voice Potter’s
House choir a run for its
money on the song. This is a
“sanging” bunch of folks.
But the best choir and solo
performance comes on
“Change Will Come.” The
sweetness that Chrystal
Rucker sings with is incredi
ble. Her approach is saintly,
but she growls when needed
and soars when necessary.
Rucker’s delivery makes you
f^l the message. It’s a stun
ning performance that rivals
anything I’ve heard this year.
The choir’s backing vocals
are angelic. The choir never
overpowers, just compli
ments. This song is awesome!
The most amazing fact
about this CD is that it’s not
on a major label. That has to
be because no major label has
heard this recording.
This is an independent pro
ject that can be purchased at
www.jnandpurpose.com or at
N Time Music, a gospel music
store on Albemarle Road.
Run, don’t walk, to get this
CD.
Church News
Christian Women of Ele
gance is sponsoring a 100
word essay contest on “Why
Your Mother Shoxild Be Con
sidered The Greatest Mom of
Charlotte.” The writers’ age
categories are ages'5-9,10-17
and 18 and older. AU essays
should be mailed or faxed to:
Christian Women of Ele
gance, 242 Water Oak Drive,
PineViUe, 281344 or fax to
(704) 889-1209. The winners
wiU present the awards to
their mothers at the Gospel
Day In The Park- “A Day lb
Celebrate Women” to be held
May 1 at Independence Park
located at 300 Hawthorne
Lane. For more information
caU 704-493-2536.
March 5-6
A gospel comedy show will
be held at Dr. U.I. McCall
Activity Center at 1200
North Irby Street at Old Wil
son High Auditorium in Flo
rence, SC at 8 pm.
March 14
St. PhUlip Missionary- Bap
tist Church will celebrate its
9th Anniversaiy of Rev. Larry
Daniel. The Rev. Timothy
Graham of Tabernacle Bap
tist Church -wiU deliver the
sermon at 2:30 pm.
March 22 & 23
Liberty Baptist Church at
3000 Sam WUson Road wiU
hold its revival meeting. Both
services wiU be held at 7 pm.
March 24
The Blessed Businesses
Ministry of St. Paul Mission
ary Baptist Church at 1401
North AUen Street wiU hold
its Networking Breakfast at
7:30 am. This month’s topic
will cover “How to Locate
Your Cirrrent or Futirre Birsi-
rfess for Maximum Success.”