Atheists can break out the champagne: there really are some wacky religious people out there. One of them seems to be Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury. In a recent speech Williams ruffled a lot of feathers--it is not Anglican custom to ruffle a lot of feathers--when he said it "seems unavoidable" that Muslim holy law or sharia is coming to Britain. Not only that, but our bearded, bespectacled cleric even thought that this would be a good thing because it would foster social cohesion.
While conceding that "nobody in their right mind would want to see in this country" some of the "extreme punishments" and "attitudes toward women" that prevail in certain Muslim countries, Williams called for a "constructive accommodation with some aspects of Muslim law." So: no chopping off limbs and no honor killings. Williams argued, however, that other issues such as marital disputes and financial matters could be handled not by the British legal system but by Muslim sharia courts. All of this would have the beneficial result, in Williams' view, of meeting the distinctive needs of Muslims. Williams argued that Muslims should not have to choose between "the stark alternatives of cultural loyalty or state loyalty."
Now if this sounds absurd to you, and a little dangerous to boot, ask yourself: where have I heard this before? What we are getting from Williams is not religious craziness but liberal craziness, not theological error but multicultural reductio ad absurdum. The multicultural premise is that classical liberal rules that apply equally to everyone nevertheless discriminate against racial and cultural minorities that don't want to play by those rules. Consequently equality of rights for individuals must give way to equality of consideration for groups. Otherwise minorities will feel disenfranchised even in a society where there is equal treatment for individuals under the law. This is what Williams means when he says that Muslims should not have to sacrifice cultural loyalty in order to be loyal to Britain.
So what is our woolly-headed archbishop suggesting: office breaks for Muslims to pray five times a day? Jihadist history month? Overlooking the occasional polygamous marriage in the Muslim community? No one really knows because Williams didn't really say. And when several people expressed shock at Williams' words and called for his resignation, Williams finally acknowledged that he had spoken "clumsily" and with a "misleading choice of words." Even so, he added that while he did not favor creating "parallel jurisdictions" for sharia and secular courts, he thought that "additional choices" could be opened to Muslims. On what precisely those choices might be, Williams maintained a Sphinx-like silence.
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Anglican Archbishop Embraces Sharia Law
Posted Feb 15th 2008 1:09AM by Dinesh D'Souza
Filed under: Islam, Christianity, Bizarre, Atheism
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Reader Comments ( Page 7 of 25)
91. Sharia law in Britain?Not too good.
The Archbishop better spend some time in a sharia country.And see how it operates.
And please,Islam is not copycat christianity.They do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God.Likewise,they believe in preaching at the edge of a sword.
Christians,on the other hand,preach the gospel peacefully.At least most of the time.
And let's drop the Old-testament shows how vicious God is routine.You not only insult Christians,you insult Jews too.
And anyway,would you wanna live in a society that sacrificed it's kids for rain to fall.That's ancient cannanite society and it was for sins like these that they were punished by God.
aniekan thomas at 3:01PM on Feb 15th 2008
92. There is NO salvation to give.
Mokele-Mobembe at 3:01PM on Feb 15th 2008
93. You were born an atheist, you chose to be a heretic.
a born atheist at 3:03PM on Feb 15th 2008
94. "The proof is here in his own words Guy.
There is NO salvation offered by any other God but by the christian GOD." Observant
Observant,
Stop being silly. There is no Christian God. You are putting a label on Him. There is only God. Simple
Aneikan,
I love reading your words, but today you're off just a bit. Islam is most certainly a copy cat off of the Bible. They made some variations and changes of course to suit themselves, but their stories are from the Bible.
I'm surprised you don't see that. Story of Noah's ark is in there and they state that a physical Jesus was here on earth. Calling him the Son of God would defeat their purpose.
Same goes for Catholicism. Can it get any more corrupt than the Catholic Church? Maybe you don't know the facts, but I do.
Any man made religion is for power and control.
Islam saw how great the Religions were doing with their variations from the Bible, that they wanted a piece of the action.
It's supremely obvious.
Botts at 3:08PM on Feb 15th 2008
95. Hi Observant,
I only have 2 things to say in response.
#1. None of us - NO ONE - knows another man's heart. Regardless of what someone says, we do not have a window to their soul. This works both ways. Just because Jerry comments on a belief he held in the past does not mean he does not have a relationship with God. And vice versa just because some prominent televangelist claims to have God's ear does not mean he HAS a relationship with God. And furthermore what Jerry said in the past might not be true for the present. A more pertinent question would be, not what did he believe then but what does he believe now?
#2. I too have been disillusioned by a "denominational/doctrinal" Christianity in the past rather than the Christianity of the Bible. Sometimes you have to get outside the realm of denomination, doctrine, and theology (all man-made institutions and works) and get back to the truth of the Word of God.
Guy at 3:10PM on Feb 15th 2008
96. Observant:
So you say.
What proof do you have that your way is the only way? Besides using your "bible" as proof, that is.
Linda at 3:14PM on Feb 15th 2008
97. 93. You were born an atheist, you chose to be a heretic.
a born atheist at 3:03PM on Feb 15th 2008
---------------------------
Prove it.
Observant at 3:18PM on Feb 15th 2008
98. 92. There is NO salvation to give.
Mokele-Mobembe at 3:01PM on Feb 15th 2008
---------------------------------------
Why don't you click your heels together three times and say, their is no salvation, there is no salvation,there is no salvation.
Observant at 3:22PM on Feb 15th 2008
99. I'm not sure how DD equates atheists and liberals for wanting sharia law. Also, people seem to forget that christianity was brought to many people on the tip of a sword, bullets, and smallpox infected blankets. Just ask any Native American. J
Judy at 3:25PM on Feb 15th 2008
100. Botts, I believe you have hit upon the crux of the matter:
In world religions it has been, and continues to be, about Power. Yours, and Guy's and Jerry's personal relationship with your "god" has no power over others. It is yours and yours alone.
It is the sociological and political influence of religion that holds sway over governments and money and land and who knows what.
As I have said before, a person's belief is their own, not to be trodden upon by others.
As Botts has said, his belief has nothing to do with religion (as an institution).
Makes sense to me.
When I first got sober, I went to AA. It was a "higher power" for me, and for many reasons helped me to get sober. When people started telling me how to run my program, I stopped going, for the most part.
People teach by example, not by telling others what to do.
Linda at 3:25PM on Feb 15th 2008
101. Observant,
I don't, because I'm not in a fantasy land. The Wizard of Oz wasn't a documentary, want proof?
Mokele-Mobembe at 3:27PM on Feb 15th 2008
102. Observant: still waiting for your response to #96.
Linda at 3:27PM on Feb 15th 2008
103. Observant: still waiting for your response to #89.
Mokele-Mobembe at 3:28PM on Feb 15th 2008
104. "Christians,on the other hand,preach the gospel peacefully."
I haven't had such a good belly laugh, since...oh, when the Branch Davidians shot at the ATF. Yea, Christianity has a peaceful history. They didn't kill each other because they disagreed or anything.
AndrewV at 3:29PM on Feb 15th 2008
105. I'm not sure how DD links atheists and liberals with wanting sharia law. For those who think that christianity is peaceful and is spread peacefull, christians forced christianity on others by the sword, bullet, smallpox infected blankets, extermination. Just ask any Native American. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are NOT the only religions in the world. They are the MOST violent.
J
Judy at 3:30PM on Feb 15th 2008