The Archbishop of Canterbury has demanded that the Government sit up and take notice of the Church of England, after a report disclosed how Christianity is being ignored at the expense of Islam.
Dr Rowan Williams said the landmark study painted a “depressing” picture of how the state misunderstands the important contribution played by the clergy and churchgoers to the economy and society.
The report, commissioned by the Church but written by academics from the Von Hügel Institute at Cambridge University, found that central and local government just pay “lip service” to Christians but “focus intently” on Muslims because of the threat of extremism.
Ahhhh….the smell of coffee. The CofE has stopped snoring. What next?
“What next?”
Possibly the caliphate of England with its seat at Canturbury?
Perhaps the CoE is ignored because, for example, its leader calls for the implementation of Sharia law in Britain.
Archangelica, let’s hope he takes it strong and black……with no sugar!
With Williams as the point man for Christianity in Britain, I am sure that something will happen.
its like the weakling in the playground shouting at the bully from afar…when the state turns its head- those who love the house of Lords and their palaces will shrink away and we will hear no more about it………
[blockquote] “The report recommends that the Government appoint a minister for religion, social cohesion and voluntary action to make the most of what churches and charities can offer.” [/blockquote]
Can someone please explain what would accomplish.
It rather makes one wonder what might happen if Archbishop Williams actually got all those nominal Anglicans back into the pews.
ACB finds his personal ox gored, his own palace up for lease. What an interesting change of view.
ABC finds his personal ox gored, his own palace up for lease. What an interesting change of view.
So, what do you think of multiculturalism now, Dr. Williams?
In the mid-70’s I was in high school and recall reading a copy of “Cathedral Age”, the “National” cathedral begging magazine. It included a gushing article on a bizarre ecumenical service there. Breathlessly the author described the drama of hearing the Muslim calll to prayer sung from the pulpit. It is the one-line Muslim creed. Even then I wonderd just why this was being done in *my* church. I’m sure it’s easy enough to find the article. It seemed to me that this was what happened when a city or country *fell*. It seemed to me they might want to re-consecrate the cathedral after this. I have a hunch it seemed to the Muslims present “You know, this is going to be alot easier than we thought…”
What is Rowan complaining about. Isn’t he the one advocating that Sharia be accepted and set up as part of the civil code of the UK? I guess it comes back to haunt him now. If there was an Archbishop of Canterbury, there would be no need for a commision such as Rowan calls for. He should be doing that job himself since the Church of England is a part of the State and he allegedly is the head of that church. Wake up Rowan, you have utterl.y failed your god, your church, and your country. Resign now and go back to your hallowed halls of academia where hopefully you will do no more damage.
The problem is not the government, it’s the message!!!!!
Who in their right mind is going to support a religion that believes in nothing one moment and then everything the next? If you want to lead you have to have a message with meaning. What would you choose, the religion that firmly believes in its message or the one that thinks it may have a message but if you don’t like it just find another one you do like.
A word of explanation. The Von Hugel Institute based at St Edmund’s College, which was a historically Catholic college at Cambridge until it was given away by the bishops to become more or less like any other Cambridge college, with the proviso that its chapel and chaplain would be Catholic. There is still, in a very loose way therefore, a Catholic affiliation. This makes it all the more astonishing to me that this report (which is good) ends up recommending a minister of religion (which is bad). Bad idea because part of the problem of the Church of England is its established status, which means that it is widely seen as a pious department of state, unable to define what it believes because it has to be a broad church accessible to anybody of any belief. Now the proposal for a minister of religion comes from exactly this kind of thinking, which envisages a cosy state-church relationship. Surely though we want a vigorous Christian Church which is able to say what it believes and why the gospel is good for society as well as each person’s soul. Interesting that the most effective and outspoken bishops now in England are Archbishop Sentamu and Bishop Nazir-Ali who come from outside England. Apologies: I swore that I would never comment on Anglican issues and I just have. Think of it as a comment on English society today.
#14 Terry Tee
I rather wish you would comment more; on Anglican issues as well as others. It is always enlightening and thoughtful.
One has a sense of the CofE rather floundering around with reports like this. If they can’t define what they are about, why should the government give them a crutch.
Blame everyone, except ourselves. But then we all know that everything is the fault of the government.
Even when he gets excited he ends up getting it wrong. God have mercy!
“Blame everyone, except ourselves. But then we all know that everything is the fault of the government.”
Well, Rowan Williams was chosen by the UK govt.
If the Church is embarrassed by preaching the “good news” is it any wonder that something will fill the void. If there isn’t any “good news” how will anyone be attracted to the Church?
What exactly, would be the purpose of Evangelism?
I hope and pray that he does stand firm in defense of the faith, but I didn’t have the heart to read the whole thing this time because the article starts off with this statement: “The archbishops said: “On the one hand –“
Crocodile tears.