PowerLine notes The Claremont Institute's interesting and insightful review of several books on our civilization's current state of decay in Suicide of the West:
...There is a crisis of meaning and purpose in Western European societies...They are almost entirely post-religious, but they have found no form of transcendence to replace religion, and none is on the horizon. An awareness of belonging, or of contributing to, a collectivity or endeavor of world-importance is no longer possible for them (the European Union is the creation of bureaucrats, by bureaucrats, for bureaucrats). Modern Europeans believe in very little, except in as comfortable and safe a life as possible.Islam is on the horizon. Actually, its next door and down the street and in Parliament. It's dating your sister.
Such emphasis on pleasure is described by Scripture as characteristic of the godless ("their god is their stomach"). Those who have enjoyed so much affluence for so long (this includes us in America) must realize that comfort and pleasure are not our reason for being. Faith in Christ expressing itself in love is that to which the Creator of Man calls us.
That faith once made Europe great; its widespread rejection is tragic, not only because of its eternal consequences and the loss of past temporal glory, but because of the wholesale doom to come at the hands of Allah.
Indeed, health and safety have altogether replaced faith, hope, and charity as the cardinal desiderata. It is scarcely any wonder that, when faced by people who, quite mistakenly and with a combination of staggering ignorance and arrogance, believe themselves to be in possession of a truth that justifies almost any atrocity committed, if not by them, exactly, then by those whom they have indoctrinated, modern Western Europeans do not know how to react. They have either forgotten what it is to believe in anything, to such an extent that they cannot really believe that anyone else believes in anything, either; or their memories of belief are of belief in something so horrible—Communism, for example, or Nazism—that they no longer believe that they have the right to pass judgment on anything. This is not a strong position from which to fight people who, by their own admission, hate you and are bent upon your destruction, brought about preferably at your own expense. First, you can't take them seriously; second, you suspect they might in any case be right. European multiculturalism is self-hatred writ large..."Not "almost" any atrocity. Any atrocity. When warring against the Infidel and Apostate, nothing is too evil or inhuman for the hordes of Allah. (Just ask Manuel Palaeologus. Ask the innocent and helpless men, women (including nuns), and children violated and slaughtered during the desecration of the Hagia Sofia and the fall of Constantinople.)
As for multiculturalism, respect for others is commanded by Christ; so is doing good toward, praying for, and loving our enemies. This does not mean that we are required (or even allowed) to aid evil by rejecting truth and exalting a lie.
Following are some disturbing words about Tony Blair. Considering his cooperation in establishing Shari'ah in the UK, how should President Bush's constant, inexplicable apologies for Islam be understood?
To their credit, President Bush and Prime Minister Blair have sent our militaries to destroy those actually carrying out jihad; regrettably, they have done nothing to address the widespread support for Allah's War Against Humanity among the world's Large Majority of Moderates, or the ideology that inspires it.
(It is impossible to win the hearts and minds of those whose god commands your conversion, submission, or death, who are taught that they are entitled to your wealth and person, the denial of which is an insult to their entire being, their entire worldview.)
In fact, when the situation (and our survival) call(s) for our leaders to tell the plain, obvious truth about Islam and its murderous ideology, they twist themselves and their listeners into all sorts of intellectual and semantic contortions. They have been courageous; they need the last bit of courage to admit publicly (and often) what Allah, Mohammed, and everyone else familiar with Islam's authoritative texts and history know: the source and sustenance of Islamic terrorism are the command of its god and the example of its false prophet.
Phillips draws our attention to the paradoxical nature of Britain's Prime Minister, who appears so resolute in foreign, and so utterly spineless in domestic, policy. While he is not in any straightforward way an opportunist, and genuinely if delusively believes himself to be a man of principle, the fact is that going to war with Mr. Bush was the only means by which he could achieve personal world importance. Given America's overwhelming military might, he did not risk military defeat; but he was vulnerable at home because several vital parliamentary seats, traditionally Labour-voting, were strongly Muslim. And therefore he did not scruple to allow his party to make use of scarcely concealed anti-Semitic images during an election in which his chief opponent was Jewish; permitted his wife to appear in court to defend the supposed right of Muslim schoolchildren to go to school completely covered, in the full knowledge of what this really meant; and corruptly permitted the extension of postal voting to Muslim constituencies, thereby in effect disenfranchising Muslim women. Phillips makes clear the many ways in which Mr. Blair's government has been complicit with Islamism, and I doubt she will be receiving many invitations to Downing Street as a reward for her efforts."Islamism." I recently heard a very popular, self-described "center-right," "evangelical" commentator actually use the term "Islamist-fascism." Both terms are redundant and used to make a false distinction between faithful Muslims who kill for Allah and faithful Muslims who haven't killed for Allah...yet but still support fighting against, subduing and humiliating, and killing Infidel and Apostate to make the world Islam.
"-ism " is defined variously as:
-a distinctive doctrine, system, or theory;What is Islam if none of the above? Obviously, the suffix is completely unnecessary, the adding of which is intended to convey (falsely) a distinction between Islam and the ideology of the jihadists.
-a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school;
-a doctrine, philosophy, or school of thought;
-a theory developed by an individual (e.g. Mohammedanism);
-a political movement (e.g. Shari'ah and the caliphate);
-a process or practice (e.g. terrorism);
-a prejudice or bias (e.g. dhimmitude); and
-a religion.
As for "Islamist fascism," Muslims historically have fought to establish its reign over all humanity. Qur'an and Sunnah clearly show this to be the will of Allah and his apostle:
"...fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them..." (Qur’an 9:5),When will our leadership admit these facts? How long will the West tolerate the Religion of Death's intimidation and murder within its own borders?
"Fight...the People of the Book [Jews and Christians], until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued" (Qur'an 9:29),
"...fight them on until...there prevail...faith in Allah altogether and everywhere..." (Qur'an 8:38, 39),
"...fight the unbelievers who gird you about, and let them find firmness in you..." (Qur'an 9:123),
"Fighting is prescribed for you..." (Qur'an 2:216), and,
"Allah's Apostle said: 'I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Apostle...'" (Bukhari Volume 1, Book 2, Number 24).