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A fearless Christian cleric makes a series of extraordinary and enormously important observations. "Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali: Radical Islam is filling void left by collapse of Christianity in UK," by Martin Beckford for the Telegraph, May 29 (thanks to all who sent this in):
The decline of Christian values is destroying Britishness and has created a "moral vacuum" which radical Islam is filling, one of the Church of England's leading bishops has warned.The Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, claimed the "social and sexual" revolution of the 1960s had led to a steep decline in the influence of Christianity over society which church leaders had failed to resist.
He said that in its place, Britain had become gripped by the doctrine of "endless self-indulgence" which had led to the destruction of family life, rising levels of drug abuse and drunkenness and mindless violence on the streets.
The bishop warns that the modern politicians' catchphrases of respect and tolerance will not be strong enough to prevent this collapse of traditional virtues, and said radical Islam is now moving in to fill the void created by the decline of Christianity.
His claims, in an article published in the new political magazine Standpoint, come just days after he accused the Church of England of failing in its duty to convert British Muslims to Christianity.
Dr Nazir-Ali claims in the new article that Britain, previously a "rabble of mutually hostile tribes", would never have become a global empire without the arrival of Christianity.
But he said the Church's influence began to wane during the 1960s, and quotes an academic who blames the loss of "faith and piety among women" for the steep decline in Christian worship.
He says Marxist students encouraged a "social and sexual revolution" to which liberal theologians and Church leaders "all but capitulated".
"It is this situation that has created the moral and spiritual vacuum in which we now find ourselves. While the Christian consensus was dissolved, nothing else, except perhaps endless self-indulgence, was put in its place."
The bishop, who faced death threats earlier this year when he said some parts of Britain had become "no-go areas" for non-Muslims, said Marxism has been exposed as a nonsense but went on: "We are now confronted by another equally serious ideology, that of radical Islamism, which also claims to be comprehensive in scope."
Asking what weapons are available to fight this new "ideological battle", the bishop said the values trumpeted by modern politicians such as "respect, tolerance and good behaviour" are "hardly adequate for the task before us".
"The consequences of the loss of this discourse are there for all to see: the destruction of the family because of the alleged parity of different forms of life together; the loss of a father figure, especially for boys, because the role of fathers is deemed otiose; the abuse of substances (including alcohol); the loss of respect for the human person leading to horrendous and mindless attacks on people."
The bishop added that Christian hospitality has been replaced by the "newfangled and insecurely founded" doctrine of multiculturalism, which has led to immigrants creating "segregated communities and parallel lives".
He said many values respected by society, such as the dignity of human life, equality and freedom, are based on Christian ones. But he warned that without their Christian backbone they cannot exist for ever, and that new belief systems may be based on different values.
"Radical Islamism, for example, will emphasise the solidarity of the umma (worldwide community of the Muslim faithful) against the freedom of the individual.
"Instead of the Christian virtues of humility, service and sacrifice, there may be honour, piety and the importance of 'saving face'."
In an implicit criticism of the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent claim that the adoption of some parts of Islamic law is unavoidable, Dr Nazir-Ali said: "Recognising its jurisdiction in terms of public law is fraught with difficulties precisely because it arises from a different set of assumptions from the tradition of law here."...
Posted by Robert at May 29, 2008 7:16 AM
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Is England waking up?
Is the spirit of Churchill alive?
Will the faded flower of England rise and bloom again?
Will the people of England read the Qur'an and say "Wait a minute, gov'ner!"
Will Downing Street restrict immigration from terrorist states?
Will the British Bulldog lock its jaws on the jihad and not let go?
Silence = Death
Posted by: tanstaafl![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 29, 2008 8:24 AM
NAZIR ALI: "It is this situation that has created the moral and spiritual vacuum in which we now find ourselves. While the Christian consensus was dissolved, nothing else, except perhaps endless self-indulgence, was put in its place."
And as a result, Europe has grown "tired" and is eager to cede its civilizational patrimony over to immigrants who are not.
Posted by: Cornelius at May 29, 2008 8:38 AM
"Instead of the Christian virtues of humility, service and sacrifice, there may be honour, piety and the importance of 'saving face'."
Bishop Nazir-Ali has aptly identified the crux of the problem: The Christian values he attests to are internally fostered, a matter of personal conscience while the Moslem values he presents are externally demonstrated and regulated, a matter of public observation and comment. The psychologies that go with these virtues are, unsurprisingly, very different as well; a matter of personal conscience versus pride. Defusing the Islamic problem hinges upon this fundamental difference in psychology.
Posted by: Chatillon at May 29, 2008 8:48 AM
Bishop Nazir-Ali should be on the nomination list for International Anti-Dhimmi of the year. He has been quite brave and outspoken.
He has also identified a solution.
Posted by: JSobieski at May 29, 2008 8:51 AM
One can only hope that Bishop Nazir-Ali will be listened to by his superiors and not be slapped down. How ironic that a Christian with an Arabic name has to be the conscience of the CoE. What a shame to see Britain, which was once such a great engine of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, reduced to such impotence. But that is one of the consequences of believing in a Jesus who is just a woman with a beard.
Posted by: Theseus at May 29, 2008 8:59 AM
The Spirit of England is alive, well, and living in an immigrant from Pakistan.
Posted by: Kepha at May 29, 2008 9:07 AM
The "social and sexual" revolution of the 1960s had led to a steep decline in the influence of Christianity over society which church leaders had failed to resist.
But he said the Church's influence began to wane during the 1960s, and quotes an academic who blames the loss of "faith and piety among women" for the steep decline in Christian worship.
He says Marxist students encouraged a "social and sexual revolution" to which liberal theologians and Church leaders "all but capitulated".
I've always thought of the 60s "revolution" to be a complete embarrassment to the generation. Nothing but a bunch of spoiled brats biting the hand that feeds them. The problem is, these hippies continue to defend their actions as if they accomplished something positive. To top it off, these are the people now controlling politics and business today.
Can anyone recommend a book that supports this notion?
Posted by: Abrog8 at May 29, 2008 9:13 AM
Abrog8:
Can anyone recommend a book that supports this notion?
Yes. It is the Bible. Specifically the part about always learning and never able arrive at a knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:1-7) and Romans 1:18-23.
Posted by: Theseus at May 29, 2008 9:47 AM
The bishop warns that the modern politicians' catchphrases of respect and tolerance will not be strong enough to prevent this collapse of traditional virtues, and said radical Islam is now moving in to fill the void created by the decline of Christianity.
It’s not that Islam is filling any void among the britts it’s mass immigration of Muslims that take religion serious that have brought Islam to Britain and EU.
The problem is that modern wishy-washy politicians don’t seems to understand the seriousness of religion, after a century of more or less secular society they seems to believe it’s sort of lifestyle like you choose to where a special kind of suite and drive a special variety of car. The concept of religion in the west have been so washed out that not even men like Blair and Bush who claim to be deeply religious men make statements like all religions is worth of respect and inherently good and blurt about interfaith. Interfaith is nonsense, how much room is there when the different parties think the other party is going to burn in hell.
Serious religion is not about lifestyle, its about the very nature and state of the world we live in. it’s about a “real” omnipotent being making the rules. That is something totally different from choosing a lifestyle.
at May 29, 2008 10:02 AM
Dear Dominic, help your Church and all non-muslims! (main page link)
Posted by: CGW at May 29, 2008 10:21 AM
Can anyone recommend a book that supports this notion?
Try Destructive Generation by David Horowitz and Peter Collier.
at May 29, 2008 11:04 AM
Rev Michael Nazir-Ali is a voice in the wilderness. Talk about a man of courage and faith.
He is undoubtly a man who's role is to give warning (possible final warning) to the Church of England and to England in general. Very similiar to Pope Benedict and very telling that they both speak, in thier own way and role, to the dark cloud that is coming over Europe.
He won't be winning any popularity contests in England with this "inconvenient truth".
Posted by: adobe at May 29, 2008 11:08 AM
Abrog8, a British writer has written about this extensively, though, the Bible is eloquent enough to transcend all cultures and languages: But you might find Theodore Dalrymple's book: Our Culture- What's Left of it: The Mandarins and the Masses and enlightening read.
Posted by: Jewel Atkins at May 29, 2008 11:14 AM
If you are a clergyman, and lukewarm in your faith, or in your faith in the efficacy and social usefulness of a certain kind of faith, and think of Christianity merely as one more, possibly the biggest, NGO. then it is time, I'm afraid, for you to leave your comfortable existence, and find another line of work. It will be hard; being a clergyman, if you don't take the weight of the world too seriously but consider it all just an adjunct of social work, involves no heavy lifting.
But there are those, such as Bishop Nazir-Ali, who see things quite differently. And there have been others to be consulted. There are the great divines, to give us a bit of that old-time religion. Not fire-and-brimstone Mathers, perhaps (there's that little problem with the witches), but John Donne, Jeremy Taylor (and please don't assure me he wrote "Assisted Living and Assisted Dying"), and such non-divine, but human forms divine, as John Milton, who should, of course, be living at this hour.
Yes, ye clergymen of little faith, in your sweaty gym clothes still asking Jesus if he is running with you, or piously passing on the latest anti-Israel screed from one of those groups now wholly submissive to the Islamintern International (and what is Irene Khan doing these days?), begone. Scrammez-vous. You've had your moment, and "The Mackerel Plaza" was very funny, and it's also amusing to laughingly count on the fingers of one hand the number of faculty members at Harvard Divinity School, or Yale, or Andover Theological, or -- say, do they still turn out those dour Presbyterians at Princeton? -- who actually believe in Christianity.
And how is your favorite female Congregationalist minister these days, or the Presbyterian who proves to be putty in the hands of Naim Ateek, or (your favorite progressive with-it minister's name right here)? Are they all still putting their shoulders to the wheel to help "free Palestine" or have they moved on (dot org) to something else?
No, it's time for a wholesome (and of course sweetly voluntary) epuration, with many going off to fresh fields of self-congratulatory moral endeavor. And we, their long-suffering congregants, can go off to pastors new.
Well, well. I suspected that if an appeal was made early enough -- see the second paragraph -- the one suggesting that John Milton "shouldst be living at this hour" he'd make it a point to put in an appearance later on. I see that I was right.
at May 29, 2008 11:27 AM
Inspired by an atheist, that's what I am.
Posted by: Jewel Atkins at May 29, 2008 11:45 AM
This week (May 26) we mark the death in 604 AD of the FIRST archbishop of Canterbury, St. Augustine of Canterbury whose feast for some odd reason is celebrated two days later on May 28th in the Roman Rite liturgical calendar.
He would be an excellent intercessor Saint whose prayers before God's throne to invoke. Britain was converted once, it can be again.
Posted by: bevc at May 29, 2008 12:15 PM
"Very similar to Pope Benedict".
Not really. Nazir-Ali is far braver and more outspoken than Benedict, who is equivocal in his approach to Islam and doing his best not to offend Muslims. Nazir-Ali is less compromised and fearful of consequences. He is placing himself on the front line and is far more explicit in his criticism of Islam than Benedict is.
Posted by: johndoe at May 29, 2008 12:43 PM
I think, when it finally dawns on the intelligentsia, that some religions of peace will kill you in the name of their peaceful religion, they will quit making equivocations between the peaceful but not equal religions. Opting out of either may not be an option.
Posted by: Jewel Atkins at May 29, 2008 1:11 PM
The Muzzies have been saying this for years ... for any who would listen. Matter of fact they use similar arguments to justify the eventual destruction of our society. Good to see someone is speaking publically about it. Perhaps things will turn around.
Posted by: ethoman at May 29, 2008 1:18 PM
"Radical Islamism, for example, will emphasise the solidarity of the umma (worldwide community of the Muslim faithful) against the freedom of the individual.
He must also add against the dignity of the individual. Muslims are fodder for the Umma. Just as Marxists were fodder for the Party.
Islam is like Marxism, but with a god's sanction for endless slaughter. And with a divine promise of sharing in the divine booty!
Given what happened to the Marxists, I have more fear for poor Muslims duped by the Mullahs/Imams that I do for Western society. We will defeat Islam, since it is unstable and unable to produce the wealth and peace it promises.
Once Islam move to offensive nuclear warfare, most in the West will then understand that Islam does not respect the universal right to human dignity. Yet, It saddens me to think that many more misguided Muslims will vainly die than Westerners in humanities most recent global war against tyranny. We see this in Iraq, where inter-Muslim violence is beyond anything we've seen since the Germans and Japanese in WWII.
Posted by: James Martel at May 29, 2008 2:11 PM
OT re: Mark Steyn
http://covenantzone.blogspot.com/2008/05/we-are-all-mark-steyn-call-for-slogans.html
More at Covenant Zone. Check it out if you care about keeping our Freedom of Speech.
Posted by: CGW at May 29, 2008 4:50 PM
Wishful thinking, you can't turn the clock back. That being said, the good Bishop is as usual pontificating and fretting about loss of power. Most people hold broadly Christian values, that's why the dross of the Third World are here in the first place, and tolerated fairly well I might add.
To combat Islam, what we need is not Christianity, and its message of hatred, intolerance and ridiculous worshipping of the sky fairy, what we need is to hold true to our values, freedom, tolerance and individual conscience.
If we stop diluting or country with poorly socialised thugs and moonbats from the slums of the world and hold true to our purpose we will prevail.
But grovelling on our bellies everytime and asian says something, no matter how ridiculous is not the way to move forward.
Being tolerant of backwardness, is to go backwards. To ourselves we must be true; if we are true, we need not fail.
at May 29, 2008 5:33 PM
If islam isn't stopped in UK this is what they will expect from their valuable muslim guests.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/11/iraq
at May 29, 2008 11:00 PM
Ian
if you think that Christianity's core message is hatred, you are seriously mistaken. How, pray, do you account for 1 Corinthians 13?
Furthermore, please do not insult Michael Nazir-Ali with your stereotypical assumption (learned from Nietzsche, perhaps?) that ALL clerics, etc, are ipso facto driven by nothing other than the Will To Power.
I have met this bishop, and conversed with him.
My impression? - Silk and steel. A gentle, generous, loving and steadfast human being.
Are *you* receiving regular death threats from Muslims to yourself and your family, as he is? If you are not, then please do not throw stones at him.
The word 'bishop' comes from the Greek 'epi-skopos', literally, 'overseer'. Shepherd. That's why they carry the crozier - it's the shepherd's crook.
Bishop Michael takes his shepherd's duties seriously.
So, I may add, does another 'asian' bishop, Patrick Sookhdeo, who at last count had written three hard-hitting no-punches-pulled books about the Jihad, putting his finger fair and square on the fact that Islam is a geopolitical cult - his latest book is called 'Power, Faith and Territory'.
Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at May 30, 2008 5:03 AM
Not really. Nazir-Ali is far braver and more outspoken than Benedict
Really? Thats a unique perspective. Far braver?? More outspoken???
You missed the point of my post, which was not to compare bravery. They are both brave in this PC environment.
However, since you felt the need to go there, Pope Benedict reaches a larger audience and speaks to Catholics around the world. His words carry more weight, that is not a knock on the Bishop, I admire him greatly, just a fact.
...who is equivocal in his approach to Islam and doing his best not to offend Muslims.
Note Pope Benedicts opposition to Turkey entering the E.U. Note the Popes baptism of Magdi Allam during Easter. Note the Popes visit to the 9/11 memorial.
See what he does.... His actions speak louder than any words he could say.
Pope Benedict has brought up the issue of Christians in muslim countries many times, especially those in Iraq. This weighs heavily on his mind, and to aviod a mass slaughter he does choose his words carefully. Obviously you disagree with that approach, but unlike you, he has to consider the effect of his words throughout the world....
Lastly, Pope Benedict has to deal with the hostile anti-Catholic press of Europe and America. They will & have twisted his words in any way that suits them. My former Bishop does not speak to the press because everytime he did they would misquote or print his words out of context. The Pope does not have that luxury. He chooses his words and is nuanced, but his message is clear.
Both are couregous and should be RESPECTED for the roles they play against islam.....
Posted by: adobe at May 30, 2008 7:36 AM
Hugh, your comments suggest that the only Christian clergy you respect are those whom the MSM would tag as "fundamentalist".
You say you're an atheist, but are you sure you are just nudging just a little bit back towards the faith?
Posted by: Kepha at May 30, 2008 9:08 AM
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