Thursday, May 29, 2008
America alone: News from the Anglican Communion
The official newspaper of the Church of England is predicting that England will be a Muslim state within a generation:
If recent reports of trends in religious observance prove to be correct, then in some 30 years the mosque will be able to claim that, religiously speaking, the UK is an Islamic nation, and therefore needs a share in any religious establishment to reflect this. The progress of conservative Islam in the UK has been amazing, and it has come at a time of prolonged decline in church attendance that seems likely to continue.
This progress has been enthusiastically assisted by this government in particular with its hard-line multi-cultural dogma and willingness to concede to virtually every demand made by Muslims. Perhaps most importantly the government has chosen to allow hard-liners to act as representing all Muslims, and more liberal Muslims have almost completely failed to produce any leadership voices to compete, leading many Britons to wonder if there are indeed many liberal Muslims at all, surely a mistake.
At all levels of national life Islam has gained state funding, protection from any criticism, and the insertion of advisors and experts in government departs national and local. A Muslim Home Office adviser, for example, was responsible for Baroness Scotland’s aborting of the legislation against honour killings, arguing that informal methods would be better. In the police we hear of girls under police protection having the addresses of their safe houses disclosed to their parents by Muslim officers who think they are doing their religious duty.
Of course, those of you who took our advice and read Melanie Phillips' book Londonistan
have been aware of this issue for a long time.I am not a very religious person. Nor do I disrespect religious people. In that sense, I am a multiculturalist myself. But I do know this: Liberal religions do not survive. It is long past time for the Church of England and other Western faiths to remember that the essence of faith is believing that those who do not believe as you do are wrong.
5 Comments:
By 
Mike, at
Thu May 29, 10:48:00 AM:
TH -
This seems to be unsupported in the real world.
Jews have survived for thousands of years believing that Judaism is right for them, but less-stringent rules apply to others. For example, Jews believe that idolators (more opposed religiously to Judaism than monotheists like Muslims) who do good deeds have a share in the world to come.
There is something untenable about liberal religions, but I don't think your finger is quite on it.
It isn't so much that everyone else is wrong (which leads to oppression and conflicts with many American values), but maybe having moral confidence that what you are doing/believe is right.
By 
, at
Thu May 29, 10:59:00 AM:
You said: "I am a multiculturalist myself."
That way leads to Balkanization. We know how well that works out.
There needs to be a core set of values that guides a culture. The western intellectual elite abandoned western cultural values a long time ago now. Since they also inhabit the universities they've spread their infection to the general population. We aren't as far along as the UK and Canada (see Mark Steyn's comments http://fallbackbelmont.blogspot.com/2008/05/see-you-in-court.html) but the fact that there are "hate crime" statutes on the books in the US says that we too are commiting cultural suicide.
We need to take back the education system if we are to turn back this trend.
By , at
Thu May 29, 11:50:00 AM:
One thing that makes Islam attractive is the clear demarcation between what you can/should do and what you can't.
Most (all that I know) Christian denominations are like liberals, they will do whatever is necessary to be loved and demonstrate that they are superior. The Episcopals are the very worst (well,maybe the Unitarians). They will change to adapt to any new fad. Want to appoint a goat as bishop? No prob.
Every pillar of Western/American culture is under attack. Religion is only one of them.
By D.E. Cloutier, at
Thu May 29, 02:04:00 PM:
George: "We need to take back the education system if we are to turn back this trend."
Yep. Most Republicans focused on the Supreme Court and forgot the schools.
By randian, at
Thu May 29, 04:50:00 PM:
It isn't enough to believe Muslims are wrong. You must also say "they can't do what they want". Too many people say "it's their culture, let them do what they want", while believing in their hearts what they do is wrong.
