"Art is a doorway to God"

On Monday, back from Madrid where His Holiness celebrated World Youth Day surrounded by a multitude of young people, Pope Benedict XVI told a meeting of his former students in Castel Gandolfo that "Cradle Catholics have not done enough to show people that God exists and can bring true fulfilment to everyone". He added, "It also is up to Christians to make God known to the world and older generations may not have done their best."


Graphic explanations can be viewed here giving reasons for the decline of the Irish Catholic Church and here where in France, secularism has added to the church's problems. The decline of the Church of England is shown graphically here. Today, individualism as opposed to collective responsibility has resulted in anarchy. In the secular world Michael Gove has outlined his vision of what needs to be done in an attempt to deal with the problem. But what of religion? In a recent article in the Mail Online, A N Wilson wrote of the Legacy of a society that believes in nothing. Schools have played a significant part in the decline of Christianity and this must be redressed. Regard for self over others has resulted in no benefit to society, quite the contrary.


In an age where authority clearly means nothing to many young people, the old authoritarianism of the church must appear anachronistic but viewed, not just from a religious standpoint, the Ten Commandments provided the basis of an ordered life in this country and beyond. How one sees God may vary and this may be part of the problem. If God is love, the religious authoritarianism which told people what to believe or fear the consequences may have convinced the ignorant but does not wash with Christians today.


The answer of the Church of England, and of the Church in Wales, is to abandon mysticism and depart from the tradition of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church to define themselves as politically correct social workers in vestments. However, they continue the Anglican tradition expressed in music and in art. Enter many Anglican churches today, including Westminster Abbey, and you will find icons on the walls. Although used by many as religious pictures rather than Holy Icons to be venerated as doors to heaven, nevertheless they represent an important link with Orthodox Christianity. Links which must be strengthened if Christianity in this country is to avoid the descent into secularism witnessed in France.

For his part Pope Benedict has explained how to find God in art. “Art is like an open doorway to the infinite, toward a beauty and truth that go beyond everyday reality”, he said. Raphael's The Disputation over the Blessed Sacrament (The Triumph of Religion) is an excellent example of this. The beauty of the Earth surrounds us and as Christians we should unite to spread that message if we are to avoid subjugation. What binds us is far greater than anything that divides us. For some Anglicans in the Church of England, and perhaps in Wales, the Ordinariate is an answer to Christ's prayer for unity. If we can achieve it in the West, unity with the Orthodox church may follow.Then older generations really will have done their best to 'make God known to the world'.

'Michael Gove's "other reason" for opposing a mosque'

One of yesterday' blog entries on Political Scrapbook posed the question, "What are your other reasons [for opposing a mosque] Mr Gove? In this long running battle over building a mosque in Camberly there have been claims that the mosque would pose a security threat because it overlooks the parade ground used by every new officer in the British Army. Even if that were not the case, the idea is as tactless as the notion of building a Muslim Centre in the shadow of Ground Zero. How could anyone possibly countenance the idea of building a mosque with minarets overlooking the parade ground blasting out "Allahu Akbar!" after Muslim protests against British troops? 


For centuries Christian churches and other sites have been converted by Islamic invaders into mosques. Today there are many stories of churches being destroyed in Muslim countries, often with worshippers still inside them yet the dhimmis in our midst aid cultural jihad by supporting every Muslim request and complaint, endorsing the building of ever more mosques in this country. 


If anyone wants reasons for resisting the Islamisation of Britain look here, here, here, here, here, here and here, read from the front line here or closer to home here. 

Question Time - Evasion or ignorance?

"Was it right for Jack Straw to say that Pakistani men saw young white women as easy meat?" A perfectly reasonable question from Asim Khan (apologies if the spelling is incorrect) on a topical issue proper to BBC Question Time but the panel completely missed the point referring to crime, race, colour, ethnic group, culture, multiculturalism, ethnic minority, class and gender. The only time religion was mentioned was a smear of the Catholic church in a comment from the floor. A girl in the audience claimed that instead of blacks, young Pakistani men were now the victims of stop-and-search. The oppression of women was mentioned only in the context of feminism, not religion.

The question and responses were a gift to those who regard searching questions as Islamophobia. Michael Gove actually suggested that those outside a particular community were ill equipped to comment. None of the Asian community men in the audience did so. Was the panel's response based on political correctness, ignorance of Islam's aim of world domination or fear of raising the problem? The more forthright make no bones about world domination under Islam and Sharia law. Some ex-Muslims have had the courage to address the problem on pain of death for their apostasy. Others simply sweep the problem under the carpet in the apparent belief that those without a religion are exempt. Perhaps oblivious to the persecution of Christians they fail to appreciate that they defend a religious ideology that does not tolerate independence.