Some Interesting Links . . .

Wow . . .  Sharia law in the UK?  We knew it was coming, but not this soon.  It is now an inevitability says the Archbishop of Canterbury, who, by the way, calls this a good thing.  Unbelievable!   Click here: Adoption of Islamic Sharia law in Britain is 'unavoidable', says Archbishop of Canterbury| News | This is London

Meanwhile, the Roman church is having a hard time recruiting priests and nuns.  That's hard to believe since you get free meals and room and board.  Click here: BBC NEWS | Europe | Catholic nuns and monks decline

And then there was one--doughboy that is.  You'd think there would be more of a mention of this in the media, but sadly, World War I, and the American contribution to the allied victory, seems virtually forgotten.   Click here: FOXNews.com - One of Two Known U.S. WWI Vets Dead at 108 - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

Wondering what to give up for Lent?  How about lowering your carbon footprint?   Don't think I will.   Click here: 40 Days of Carbon Fasting | Liveblog | Christianity Today

After getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar (or with his pants down, or whatever you want to say about it), Ted Haggard was eager to enter a "restoration process."  Now he's had enough and is dropping out.   Click here: Headlines: SUNRISE: Haggard exits restoration process early | haggard, life, new - Gazette.com

Finally, remember that Left Behind end-times video game?  Thankfully, it didn't sell.  Now you can get it as a free download.   Click here: Left Behind: Eternal Forces now free (Hurry! First 1m only!) - Joystiq

Comments

[Walt]

What are your thoughts on shari'ah coming to Britain, pastor? What should the native British do?

[Kim Riddlebarger]

Walt:

The cross always trumps the crescent! Instead of speaking of the inevitability of it all (and even tacitly endorsing it), the Archbishop should be calling his church to a massive campaign to evangelize the Muslims and then providing his people with the training as to how to do so.

There should also be a concerted effort to pray for the conversion of Muslims, and that Christians would somehow be an effective witness to them.

But no such thing will come from Archbishop Williams' lips. That perhaps is the real tragedy here. He'll just sell a few more Cathedrals so they can become Mosques.

[Walt]

The Church of England is without any leadership whatsoever, aside from Nazir Ali. In fact, I can't find any evidence of much Christian faith in Britain at all, aside from the cultural aspect.

It appears to me that the native English, at the very least, are facing their own extinction, or at least the prospect of leading a continually harried existence like the Israelis, Serbs, or Jews worldwide. I was wondering if you could comment on that. I'm not sure there is any actual church left there to do any evangelism, aside from guys like Jay Smith.

[Zrim]

Looks like the "grace as magic" fairy dust didn't take on Ted. The restoration fallacy is a form of propserity gospel for those who can't stand the idea of actually having to be subject to the same humanity as the rest of us.

[Walt]

He's lucky he didn't get HIV.

[Penguin Power]

Huh? "Restoration fallacy"? What does that mean? What do you propose that churches do with pastors who fall, ZRIM?

And, also, what could be bad about reducing one's negative impact on the environment? Since Christ created the world and calls us to steward it, that sounds like a good thing, not something to be easily dismissed?

[Walt]

What he means is that the restoration process doesn't magically wipe away tendencies and sins in our lives. The mortification of sin is purely a sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, just like justification. You can't magically wipe away sinful desires through a human process.

[Zrim]

Penguin,

In addition to what Walt says, I propose they do what they would do with any other believer who falls: exercise church discipline. I know that is hopelessly outdated, by I for one have had my fill of pussyfooted therapy based upon the same worldly principles as propserity gospel: you don't have to poor or gay, you can be exempt from the same rules everyone else has to play by. Whatever. Somebody withold the bread and wine and I'll be happy.

[Colin]

Walt,

'It appears to me that the native English, at the very least, are facing their own extinction'

We went round the houses on this one before I remember ...

Kim,

I don't think we quite have Sharia law just yet ... although, I will check after I have typed this.

I will agree with you though that the UK church is in a bad way spiritually, but to be honest Islam is the least of our problems. Where it thrives, in the Pakistani and Bangladeshi neighbourhoods of our cities, evangelical Christians generally moved out years ago. They may not have been there in the last 100 or so years, given our lack of outreach to the white working class who lived there before the Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.

You want a more concerning fact - there is not an explicitly reformed church in my city limits (the second largest in the UK), there are a few pastors who are sympathetic (5 - 10 ? - optimistic ). So we are a small sect in a sea of word faith (thankyou for TBN) and closing churches ...

Colin

[Philip Walker]

To echo Colin's comments, the situation in the UK is difficult. Not only in whichever city is Colin's (are you in Birmingham?), but throughout England, there are very few confessionally Reformed churches; if you want Calvinism, you generally have to settle with Calvinistic Baptists or perhaps certain kinds of Anglican. Do-able, but not always easy. Scotland, Wales and N Ireland all have Presbyterian bodies in greater strength, although even there, confessionalism is slowly dying. A great many evangelicals seem to want confessional doctrine without confessional documents.

The question about Islamic courts (now here's a thought: isn't this a political, left-hand kingdom issue?) has to be understood in our own context: we already have legally-established Bet Din for orthodox Jews. The Archbish was, I think, proposing nothing more than an analogous system for Muslims.

[Colin]

Philip,

Yes, I am in Birmingham ..

And I agree with you about the Archbishop's comments - Interestingly, I think after the reaction to them in all our media today, he may have set back this cause for those who want it ...


Colin

[Walt]

<blockquote>The question about Islamic courts (now here's a thought: isn't this a political, left-hand kingdom issue?) has to be understood in our own context: we already have legally-established Bet Din for orthodox Jews. The Archbish was, I think, proposing nothing more than an analogous system for Muslims.
</blockquote>

The huge difference is that Islam is a military and political system as well, and shari'ah demands that every non-believer submit by paying a tax, amongst many other horrid things. The Jews don't have a plan of military subjugation or extermination of indigenous peoples of other countries as far as I know. I think it's pretty much a city of man issue at this point as well, given the state of the church you described.

[Phil Walker]

Walt: absolutely, it depends greatly on what exactly the Grand Poobah had in mind. I *think* it was simply arbitration and a bit of after-the-fact Shari'ah compliance a la Bet Din, which perhaps oughtn't be a problem. My main worry is not so much for the surrounding population, which will never be subject in the UK to a Shari'ah court, as for the safety of the many Muslim women who will.