035 – A Discussion with Frank Parmir of Muslims for Progressive Values on Perennial Islam, LGBT Rights
I am going to be discussing with my friend Frank Parmir of Muslims for Progressive Values on his attempt to establish an LGBT friendly mosque and how he sees god, the universe, religion, and truth from a perennial perspective.
Follow Frank here on Facebook
YouTube version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/bDxyu5hS26c
Here are the timestamps for this podcast:
0:00 Introductions
1:40 How Frank found Islam and ended up converting to Islam?
11:50 The self-actualization of the universe, How Frank ascribes characteristics like intelligence
14:00 Revelations. The difference between revelatory thoughts and ordinary thoughts. Ego.
19:00 Eastern religions are less egoic. Ego aids in survival but is it still relevant in modern times?
29:20 Waiting for God to be good to us. Is he always going to be good for you?
32:56 Why should there be pain? Isn’t that contradictory to the idea of Jannah?
36:35 Advising people who are suffering from severe ailments e.g cancer
40:10 Is suffering a given or are there ways to escape suffering?
44:00 Why Islam? How Frank reconciles his views on ego and reality with the Quran.
47:30 How much of Muhammad’s work was a product of epilepsy? Seizures and how they are related to “spiritual experiences”
53:50 Frank’s anecdote of spiritual experience. Experiencing oneness with the universe when the ego is overcome.
58:40 Channel announcements
59:20 Frank’s experiences trying to establish an LGBTQ+ friendly mosque in Ohio.
1:11:40 Free will and determinism.
1:13:40 Frank’s final remarks (Poem)
1:14:25 Frank’s page on perennials
1:14:50 Abdullah’s final remarks
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