Thursday, February 14, 2008

The Christian Ramadan ?

In one of the most famous scenes in Literature, Cervantes' character, Don Quixote attacks windmills that he believes to be ferocious giants.
In Holland , the country best known for windmills, there are some who do not see the "ferocious giant" in their midst....believing the giant to be a harmless windmill.
That ferocious giant is Islam.
Recognizing that many people in Holland (as well as through out the West) are unfamiliar with Lent, some Dutch Catholics have begun referring to the Lenten fast as the "Christian Ramadan”. They believe that, in doing so, less observant Christians may become more aware of the spirituality, sobriety and the aspects of self denial that are a part Lent. We're more familiar with Ramadan, they believe.
Although the article I read does not mention him, this has the proverbial fingerprints of Dutch Bishop "Tiny" Muskens all over it.Bishop Muskens, if you recall, once suggested that Dutch Catholics should pray to Allah . Allah, he said, is simply the Arabic word for God and both Muslims and Christians already do that in the Middle East as well as in Indonesia where Muskens once worked as a missionary.
In looks as if it is only a matter of time, until Islam becomes the dominant religion in Europe. The Europeans, for the most part, have turned their backs on their Christian heritage and traditional Western values and culture.
One wonders, when that day arrives, will the Muslims begin destroying the great Catholic cathedrals in Europe the way the Taliban destroyed the ancient Buddhist sculptures in Afghanistan?

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