Quoting from an e-mail from an English reader:
Even I, an ardent believer in secularism in its original form, and a sceptical, watery Christian, find the hatred, bigotry and all-round ignorance of people my age towards Christianity trying and depressing. I avoid the subject of religion at dinner parties unless the people are old fashioned upper-class, rural gentry types, the only people who don't despise Christianity. Among the metropolitan middle-class, who rule England, Christianity is viewed like vegetarianism in Spain -- a mental illness.
Still, if they want their grand-daughters to wear a burka, assuming any child they do have manages to avoid being aborted, then they're going about it the right way.
That came to mind when reading Mark Steyn's post about Muslim demographics in Europe and the UK, based on research showing ... well, here's the story from the Daily Telegraph:
Last year, five per cent of the total population of the 27 EU countries was Muslim. But rising levels of immigration from Muslim countries and low birth rates among Europe's indigenous population mean that, by 2050, the figure will be 20 per cent, according to forecasts.Data gathered from various sources indicate that Britain, Spain and Holland will have an even higher proportion of Muslims in a shorter amount of time.
Steyn comments, in part:
For what it's worth, I'll bet the EU will be a lot more than one-fifth Muslim by 2050. As for those countries the Telegraph puts in the fast lane, a Netherlands or a United Kingdom that becomes 30 percent Muslim will not just be more "diverse" but in ways both profound and trivial no longer Dutch or British.It's happening. You can argue about the speed, but not about the destination.
I don't think it's possible to argue credibly that it's not happening. What you can argue about is a) what's it's likely effect to be, and b) what, if anything, can be done to stop it? To say that it's not going to have any real effect on the law and public character of European nations is simply absurd. How could it not? The question is, are the likely effects something that Europeans are prepared to live with? And if not, what are they prepared to do about it? That is the far more difficult question, because what are those governments going to do, start expelling Muslim citizens on the basis of their religion? Is that really where they want to go? I cannot believe that it is, or should be. But what, then?
I'm beginning to understand why a senior and well-respected British journalist once told me that he believed he would see a religious war in his native land before he dies. This is a politically moderate, even-tempered fellow; he was simply saying that he did not see how British society was going to go easily down this inevitable path. As my English correspondent quoted above indicates, the alienation of European intellectuals, cultural elites and educated middle-class persons from their ancestral religion and its traditions is only greasing the skids. To paraphrase T.S. Eliot, if you will not have the faith of your fathers, prepare to pay your respects to Islam or the British National Party.
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Good post, Turmarion.
England and Holland left the Faith 500 years ago. The devil always turns on his own. The Catholic Church will sing Dies Irae over the corpse of poor old England.
There are many things Europe gets wrong that America got right. We too have a growing number of Muslim immigrants, but somehow, we seem to absorb them. The don't give up Islam, but they do embrace American culture and values. Of course there are individual exceptions, just as there were Germans who remained loyal to the Vaterland, but they are exceptions, not the rule, even in areas where Muslims predominate. We are defined by the many nations who have come here. Europe, to the extent that it is defined by ethnic nationality, will have problems with immigration of anyone of a different ethnicity. Ditto for religion. The European old guard hung onto state religions long after the people deserted. In America, government kept its hands off, and faith flourished, free from the "profane hand of the civil magistrate." So, that is what Europe needs to learn, not how to become racially exclusive little nations once again, but how to incorporate new peoples. The so-called "voting blocs" in America are a myth. You don't find 90% of Hispanics, or Muslims, voting one way or the other. In 2000, a majority of American Muslims supported GWB -- the "moral issues" appealed to them. Pretty soon you will find that African Americans become a much less homogenous voting block, as the pressures that made them homogenous continue to dissipate. And remember, Europe's immigrants are coming from nations Europe milked for decades through its colonial empires -- they are only "following the money" that was extracted from their native lands.
Re: England and Holland left the Faith 500 years ago.
Nations do not have faiths or join churches-- individuals do. And you can find a fair number of Catholics in both England and the Netherlands to this day.
I think it's rather funny (albeit disturbing) to read undertones of explicit racism and bigotry coming from some of these posts. First of all, you're reading an article written by a Christian, yet not truly acting like one. @ Andrew: I highly doubt Muslims living in England WANT to be considered Danes, Scots, Germans and French in the manner in which you are talking about. Furthermore, are today's Danes, Scots et. al even 100% Danish, or Scottish? Intermarriage is frequent and unless you marry your brothers and sisters, you are going to get mixed blood.
I have noticed an interesting happenstance in mindsets between Americans and the English. Growing up in England, I was unfortunately targeted because I was not white. My parents were adamant that I attend Private Church schools; some 'Christian' teachers did nothing at all to hide their evident racism and perceived superiority. Moving to America, I realised that Americans are much more accepting and thus do not live in this constant state of gloom and depression because they don't let their hangups dominate their lives. It's just my opinion, but I notice the differences in attitudes between the English and Americans. Traveling in the Tube, you hardly see an Englishman (as defined per Andrew's standards) smiling and happy. They are a blimey grumpy lot! In America, it's hard not to run into upbeat and bubbly people. America is a go-getter nation, everyone is interested in bettering him/herself, not poring over how one feels like he/she is drowning in a vat of Muslim, or Hindu, or Buddhist.
England is nothing special...I am glad I left. Coming back around to the Christian thing...one speculates whether Christ himself would feel so threatened by the presence of Muslims in his stead. And Christ would DEFINITELY "NEVER NEVER NEVER" be considered English. Something to think about...
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