THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS: We Christians need to shape up apparently. Enough of this turning the other cheek, lovey-dovey self-sacrifice and expecting the meek to inherit the earth. We need a bit of moral fibre, ideological backbone and standing astride a broken piano sporting ammo belts and singing Rock of Ages would be nice too. We need some lead in the pencil and fire in the belly.
That seems to be the message from a couple of huge figures in the European Church this morning. According to Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Christians have been “too soft” and have let others “walk over them” to avoid upsetting other faiths. And Miloslav Vlk, Archbishop of Prague, says that “Europeans systematically empty the Christian content of their lives.”
Carey’s comments came after an all-party group of parliamentarians warned that failing to limit immigration could put “social harmony” at risk. Vlk is more explicit: “Unless Christians wake up, life may be Islamised.” He blames secularism rather than Muslims and I agree with that, though I believe that the so-called “threat” of Islamification is way over-stated and a knicker-wetting bogeyman invented by not very bright nationalists. How do we put some lead in the Christian pencil? >>> George Pitcher | Thursday, January 07, 2010
