Barry's blunder

Another irate email from a friend in the Church in Wales reminds me of the Grand Mufti tales that used to appear in the Llandaffchester Chronicles.

Well insulated from lesser mortals in his palace on the Green, the publicity hungry Archbishop has used the 9/11 anniversary to promote his idea of mutual understanding between Muslims and Christians issuing a joint statement with the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Wales, Saleem Kidwai. The Archbishop is not alone in his delusion that Islam will embrace Christianity if he panders to Muslim demands. Others have committed the same blunder. Ironically he appears to have more dialogue with Muslims than with the 'traditionalists' in his own church despite his supposed position as a visible sign of unity [see Para 3.1.3 of the link]!

Reading about him in his Wikipediaentry the Secretary General, Saleem Kidwai, is a pillar of society but far less impressive are the warnings highlighted here. Of course Muslims want to live in peace and harmony with Christians who form a majority but that is not the case in countries where Christians are a minority and will not be here if the position is reversed. I have been told that Muslims in the Archbishop's diocese are spreading a story that Jesus was a Muslim while others claim that Jesus prophesied Muhammad in the Bible. A response to these absurd suggestions can be foundhere.

As the influence of the Anglican church declines in England and in Wales its bishops are more intent on fostering Islam than preaching Christianity. According to the latest Church in Wales press release their Archbishop "will turn to the Welsh writer R S Thomas to sort out the current problems in the Anglican church in a lecture next week. [He] will suggest Thomas’ poetry has much to teach the church today about the nature of faith as it struggles to resolve tensions over the ordination of women bishops and gay people." One could add, tensions he and his liberal friends have created. Let's be honest, if listeners want to hear the Christian message they would be better off listening in to Fr Zakaria Botros.