Atheism and all the things it’s not
On his recent visit to Britain, Pope Benedict XVI brought with him a stark warning; As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the Twentieth Century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of … Read more
Against religion?
Emma Goldman, writing Anarchism: what it really stands for, pointed out that there were three main strands of hierarchy that anarchists opposed. “Religion, the dominion of the human mind; Property, the dominion of human needs; and Government, the dominion of human conduct, represent the stronghold of man’s enslavement and all the horrors it entails.” In … Read more
Dissecting political and militant Islam
According to the fevered rantings of Islamist fanatics and far-right demagogues alike, the West faces the grave threat of “Islamisation.” This seemingly made-up word means, essentially, the conversion of any given society over to an Islamic one based upon Shariah law. Melanie Philips, a far-right religious fundamentalist who writes for the Daily Mail, explains the … Read more
The question of Islam
Since 9/11, Islam – specifically militant and political Islam – has been the focus of an an extraordinary degree of attention and scrutiny, for reasons that should not need elaborating upon. Within the narrow “mainstream” of the political spectrum, there are two set positions on the issue. The conservative or hawkish position holds that Islamic … Read more
