BBoy

(1)You infer that I didn't read the Archbishop's words. Au contraire, I did read them and I also read a transcript of what His Eminence shared with the BBC.

(2) You claim that 'Jonathan.... spends a lot of time raking muck and carrying water for Likud party political narratives'. I think you, like a few others, may have confused me with a prolific writer on foreign affairs who shares my name, but alas doesn't share my profession or the topics I discuss.

Yes, Boaz, Yindin, keep religion and State completely separate. Williams is a complete idiot for even suggesting that, for some (not even just his own 'flock'), religion should rule over secular law. Are we to all go back to the Ottoman milet system where religious leaders dictated to 'their' flock' (under total Ottoman control, of course) according to their interpretation of religious law even in secular issues ?

Keep church and state totally separate. It's shameful that we should even have to consider this issue in the present time of diversity and exchange of ideas and experiences. We don't live in some sort of cookie-cutter world, and never have.

I dont think the Arch B actually called us to " embrace of sharia law to the bosom of the English legal system"

The trouble we face is that sharia law (and here I sound like those wingnuts I roundly condemn as latter day Korannic and Sharia scholars) is not only at odds with contemporary western views on women and children in partick you laar - but the type of law promullgated is the medieval interpretation. By those scalliwags hell bent on jihad

The old fella of the church - from my interpretation at least -suggested an accommdation of elements of sharia law - I mean we still have ritual spearings in parts of Australia dont we? - and a jolly good thing too - there are aboriginal courts in variuos jurisdictions around the country - same thing - accommodation.

Some people seem to think/want that Islam will some how change from what it is into something we will like - that is unlikely.

So as muslims, due to their great fecundity, progressivley out number the rest of us what do those who abhor all that is Islam propose should be done?

No one has yet to tell me what might be a way forward - except to say there is no redeeming qualities in any thing Islam and they should simply stop believing what they believe and doing what they do.

I returned recently to where I lived in Londons East End for a number of years, and had my social prinicples challenged by the change.

The local population after ten years, had gone from a Cockney, Jewish, Bengal and passing travellers community, to what appeared a strict Islam community.

The great majority of women wore hajibs head to toe and many where veiled, the men head covered socialised on the street to their own, this in a neighbourhood that was socially cohesive and interactive when I lived there.

Yet my experience was that community and social interaction had gone, I once tried to say hello to a veiled person in the street, and was ignored.

When any religion closes communication between fellow human beings, we have diluted human feelings and respect for each other.

Without identifying and showing common respect and communication for each person in our community, we have no community.

My social principles are still steadfast, though it is sad that we have people, who do not respect that they are in a different culture, and recognise accordingly.

England and Europe are in deep trouble and if the American Left has its way, we are soon to follow. Multi-culturism and polically correctness are surrender, if a nation doesn't care to protect its heritage and culture, it is done. That seems to be the path we and Europe are taking, but the left has always collapsed before, and I am confident it will collapse again. The Leftist phylosophy is not sustainable, there is no there, there. Just vote Republican, all the time, every time and turn back the Lefties, there is no future for America if we follow in the foot steps of Europe, an almost, and maybe soon to be, a failed continent. Europe will rise again, maybe, but it is a daunting task when you don't have at least 2.1 babies per couple, and no country in Europe has a native population birth rate close to that. Some European countries already have a death rate that surpasses the birth rate, thats why they let the moslems invade, to keep the current generation content in their welfare state, a condition that will collapse sooner then our Social Security system.

DeepDarkOpps

Unfortunately I am not surprised by the Archbishop of Canterbury speaking in favour of sharia law.

It didn't make much news here but in the USA (where else?) in the middle of last year emerged a story of an Episcopalian 'priest' (mind you, the New Testament says that there is only one priest) had converted to Islam, and was still being employed in her job as a 'priest' after declaring her conversion to Islam.

See

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003751274_redding17m.html

a quote from that story:

"Shortly after noon on Fridays, the Rev. Ann Holmes Redding ties on a black headscarf, preparing to pray with her Muslim group on First Hill.

On Sunday mornings, Redding puts on the white collar of an Episcopal priest.

She does both, she says, because she's Christian and Muslim."

This story really shows how ruined the 'liberal' side of the Anglican community has become and how little it adheres to its 'constitution' contained in the 39 Articles, to its doctrinal basis as spoken in the Nicene creed.

This declaration by the Archbishop of Canterbury, when members of his own flock in Nigeria are increasing suffering under Sharia, strengthens my agreement in Sydney Bishops not attending Lambeth.

Perhaps the good Archbiship should remember what happens to people who convert to Christianity in countries under Sharia law.