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Toward A
Radical Spirituality
By Marvin
X, project director
The University of Poetry
A Project of the Black Arts Movement Radical spirituality transcends traditional
orthodox religiosity, with its byproducts of dogmatism,
sectarianism, racism, gender discrimination, and general narrow
mindedness, including archaic and juvenile mythological notions.
Radical spirituality embraces the concept of God/man/man/God, also
the idea of consciously being in harmony with the universe or
flowing with the flow. A radically spiritual person is
progressive, socially conscious and active, thus someone who is
committed to eradicating poverty, ignorance and disease from the
planet, committed to world peace, love and understanding.
A radically spiritual person is not caught in a religious box, but
is able to connect with all the peoples of the world striving for
righteousness and human dignity, no matter what faith, whether
Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu or Communist.
Most importantly, a person subscribing to radical spirituality
seeks knowledge of the Divine in himself and without, not limiting
himself to said holy books, but sees holiness in all things, for
all things embrace God and reflect God. The negative is but a
reflection of the positive as darkness reflects the absence of
light.
The recent election reflects a need for spirituality in the
radical community, not religiosity, but spirituality, and the
community must let its light shine as a bright sun for all
mankind, not as a private matter. Clearly, no matter how
hypocritical the opposition, they had no fear in letting their
light shine, even if their light was in truth darkness of the most
hypocritical kind. We see, in their ignorance, the people will go
for anything, like a man who quite mistakenly finds himself with a
transvestite, he continues the act because it appears to be the
real thing, and even when he discovers it is not what he assumed,
he continues because it feels as good as the real deal.
So even though the American people had clear
evidence George Bush was a liar and murderer, the more he lied and
murdered, the better his ratings in the polls. His actions got
good to the deaf, dumb and blind Americans, who defied the peoples
of the world that were clearly against the preemptive war in Iraq
that with each passing moment smells of Vietnam, looks like
Vietnam, tastes like Vietnam, therefore....
But we know the people have been hoodwinked and
bamboozled, therefore, it is the mission of the truly spiritually
conscious to step to the front of the line and represent, not hide
in the closet and let the masquerade continue. Stop crying
crocodile tears and get busy projecting a new spiritual vision. We
have been told to seek yea first the kingdom of God and all
things, yea, even political and economic things will be added unto
yea.
Rather than simply and solely condemn the Christians, Muslims,
Hindus and other religious people for retrograde ideas, we must go
to their houses of worship and embrace them in the spirit of the
prophet who said, "Let us reason together." But do so
also in the spirit of Mao who taught, "Cure the sickness to
save the patient, don't doctor the patient to death." If we
use the highest form of diplomacy, we may find friends and
brothers rather than enemies. For as we discovered with the Vice
President's gay daughter, there are gays and lesbians in all
communities that are denied until it is revealed they are one of
our own, then we are compelled to embrace them.
We know with an absolute certainty the Church
is full of gays from the pulpit to the choir to the deacon board
to the usher board to the congregation, so one day the church will
submit to gay marriage. And we know the Church and other religious
communities are hypocritical about abortion because we are aware
of girls eleven, twelve and thirteen who are pregnant yet in the
church, many having abortions while in the church, so let us cast
away illusions and denials; yea, let us face the truth so we can
be healed of all demons in our midst, yea, within our souls.
Even though we may be against abortion,
including Muslims, for the prophet said "Do not kill your
children for fear of poverty," but we know it may be
necessary to give our children a chance to rise out of poverty.
Children having children is not the road to progress, even if we
agree with Mother Teresa who said, "Abortion is the first
murder, after which all other murders are possible." We
suggest the manhood training rite of the Gikuyu people of Kenya
(See Jomo Kenyatta's ethnography Facing Mt. Kenya) wherein
the young men are taught not to ejaculate in the young
girls.
We think men who are
against abortion should not ejaculate in women they know might
kill their seed, because after the seed is planted in the woman's
womb, it is indeed her body and her right to do as she pleases.
The man abrogated his right upon ejaculation. After that point the
ball, rather the seed, is in the woman's court and we must respect
her right to her body.
The above ideas are not dogma and are open to discussion. We
know such issues are of the most serious nature, involving
spiritual matters, as well as matters of the heart, body and
soul. For this reason, we are planning a Radical Spirituality
Conference. All persons of good will are invited. Again, let us
reason together, for our future is at hand, the future of our
children and our nation.
The Radical Spirituality Conference will be held at Recovery
Theatre, 133 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco, CA.
The following is a
Tentative Program Outline.
Interested persons may contact me at: mrvnx@aol.com
or call me at 510-472-9589.
THE
UNIVERSITY OF POETRY
Presents
A Celebration of Radical Spirituality
Honoring Howard
Thurman
Dr. Julia Hare, the
Most Dynamic Black Woman In America
Mistress of
Ceremonies
Speakers and Topics
Overview by Marvin X, author Toward Radical
Spirituality
Keynote Address by Ray Taliafero of KGO Radio
"Spirituality or Religiosity, Healing the Divide"
Rev. Cecil Williams of Glide Memorial Methodist Church
"Spirituality and Social Activism: The Glide Model"
Rev. Dorsey O. Blake of the Church for the Fellowship of
All People
"The Spirit Man Howard Thurman"
Nisa Islam, former National Captain of NOI
"Living in the House of Elijah"
Rev. Elouise Oliver of the East Bay Church of Religious
Science
"The Science of God/Man/Man/God"
Rev. J. Alfred Smith, Sr., Allen Temple Baptist Church,
“Jesus Was Against Religion”
Dr. Nathan Hare, "Spirituality and Mental Health"
Father Louie Vitale, St. Boniface Church
"Liberation Theology in the City"
Imam Shuaib, Oakland
"Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Three prophets, One Truth"
Luisa Teish, Yoruba Priestess "Why Traditional African
Religion"
Sam Hamod, poet, professor, former director of the
Islamic Center, Washington, DC
"Spirituality, Terrorism and Imperialism"
Imam Al Amin of Masjid Warithdin,
"Spirituality And Violence In the Hood and in the Home"
"Hip Hop and Spirituality"
a panel discussion with
Paris, J T The Bigga Figga, Suleiman Ali
Moderated by Ptah Allah-El, Hug A Thug Book Club, founder
Followed by Open Mike Poetry Night
Workshops on the book Toward Radical Spirituality,
by Marvin X
Workshop Topics:
Land
Sovereignty
Ancestors
Love
Death
Prison
Domestic Violence
Street Violence
Sectarianism
Reconciliation
Entertainment: Marvin X, Harpist Destiny, Violinist
Tarika Lewis, Choreographer Rayetta Rayzetta, and special guest
Elliott Bey, keyboard master and director of Recovery
Theatre/East, Philadelphia.
Contact Marvin X @ 11132 Nelson Bar Road, Cherokee CA 95965.
San Francisco 94102
* * * *
*
The starting point for Muslim American literature is Marvin X.
--Mohja Kahf, Professor of
English and Islamic Studies, University of Arkansas
The most important African American Muslim poet in
the United States.
--Julius E. Thompson, African American Review
His early collection of poems, Fly To Allah,
¦represented the first solid literary expression of the Black
Muslim ideology since the establishment of the Nation of Islam in
1930.
--Lorenzo Thomas, Professor of English,
University of Houston, Texas
Interested persons may contact me at Recovery Theatre or
email me at: mrvnx@aol.com or call me
at 510-472-9589 * * * * *
update 21 June 2008 |
