www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall The Challenge of Islam

A Report from Bishop Lazar (OCA)

Friday, May 29, 2009

As some of you know, a groups of us were recently in Damascus and attended a conference at the Islamic Institute. David Goa, Fr Philip Erickson, a small group of other people and I were there. While I had to leave early, before the last series at the conference, in order to participate in a number of conferences in Romania, the Islamisation of Europe was discussed during conferences in Romania.

Since returning home, I have continued researching the matter in order to make it the subject for some of my presentations in the autumn at a number of universities and Orthodox parishes down East in America.

There are three salient facts that are abundantly clear, and that we should be aware of. Hopefully they might change some of our attitudes about what we are doing in the Orthodox Church, and especially in the OCA.

1. Within 20 years, Europe will be a collection of Islamic states.

2. Within 10-15 years, active Moslems are likely to outnumber active Christians in Canada.

3. Islam is preparing for a serious-minded and well financed missionary activity in the West.

The demographics are radically on the side of Islam. They do not have to convert even one person in order to be able to dominate Europe. People in Western cultures are reproducing at a rate below 1.5; Moslems living in the West are reproducing at a rate of 4-6, even 8. Christians have abortions, Moslems do not. Christians have small families: on average, 1 or 2 children; Moslems have large families, on average 6 to 8 children. Moslems maintain their traditions, most Christians do not. Commitment and attendance at Mosques outstrips that of Christian commitment and attendance in Church.

Meanwhile, Orthodox Christians exhaust a great deal of energy in petty infighting; many hierarchs, particularly in Eastern Europe, have almost no personal contact with their flocks. Many hierarchs and clergy are arrogant and condescending toward the faithful. No one in the Islamic world is talking about abolishing or shortening Ramadan, but many in the Orthodox world are talking about abolishing some fasting periods, shortening others. Moslems maintain the appearance of their faith, while many Orthodox clergy are embarrassed or ashamed to be seen in public looking like Orthodox clergy. Moslems maintain the tradition of stopping to pray at the given times several times a day, while Orthodox Christians are seeking to reduce the already scant time we spend in the Divine Services. One could go on with such comparisons, but the point has to do with commitment, discipline and self-control.

Faith can only be challenge by faith; commitment can only be faced with commitment. We, as Orthodox Christians cannot offer anything that will counter a committed Islamic missionary effort while we are occupied with petty self-interest, with "defending MY turf" against other Orthodox clergy. On the international level, the efforts of some to re-create a shadowy form of the Byzantine Empire is quite destructive. The divided state of the Orthodox Church today, world-wide, and the internecine power struggles undermine and weaken the Orthodox Christian witness. Self-interested fear of each other on the local level can only make the problems we face more systemic and pervasive. Moreover, they are a betrayal of the Gospel and of the faith.

I simply ask that all make themselves more aware of this challenge and that we struggle, primarily with our own selves, to overcome our own pettiness and find a greater unity of spirit and purpose. Instead of having a delusion of "competition," we should be sharing the resources that each has to offer, and strengthening the committment of our selves and the faithful. Everyone has some ability to offer, and we need to be willing to share our "self" with all for the sake of the Gospel and in order to face, with a unity of love for Christ, the challenges that are so rapidly arising before us.

In Christ,

Archbishop Lazar, Ret., Orthodox Church in America
and abbott of All Saints Monastery (New Ostrog), British Columbia, Canada

Archbishop Lazar seems to be channeling his fellow Canadian, Mark Steyn. This statement, however:

"The demographics are radically on the side of Islam."

needs to be qualified: Muslims who move to Europe, Canada or the U.S. quickly revert to the same total fertility rate as non-Muslims; i.e., they begin to assimilate. Also note that with few exceptions, the fertility rate of Muslim countries has fallen drastically over the past decade, though it is still higher than the replacement rate.

The answer to the problem of Islamic infiltration of Europeand the West, then, is three-fold:

1. Controlling further Islamic integration into Europe.
2. Assimilation of Muslim minorities into the general population
3. Firmly asserting the primacy of Western values in Western society--which means no truckling to demands for a separate, Sharia-based law for Muslims, affirmation of the right of free expression, affirmation of the right of freedom of religion (including the right to convert from Islam to something else.

As a concomitant of the third point, the Churches must become more assertive in preaching the Gospel, and must stop pandering to Muslim opinion. Christianity and Islam are not reconcilable; Muslims know that, but many Christian leaders seem to think they can cut a deal, in much the same way that many Christian leaders thought they could cut a deal with the Communists during the Cold War era.

Stuart, I agree with your ideas of how to curb Islamic Infiltration in Europe, unfortunately there is a disconnect with what should be and what MOST likely will happen. Kenneth Stein wrote an essay dealing with this issue, its worth a look.
(LA VANGUARDIA 25 July 2002 "Consequences of Mass Arab Immigration to Europe" Kenneth W. Stein)
The gist of the essay is that Europe is projected to need immigrants well into the future (lack of population growth)

The grim reality is that Europe is facing declining white European population and a growing arab population and if Europe remains a democracy then majority rules.

Wow, I never thought that I would see the day that I would actually agree with something written by the archbishop. Wonders never cease!

Alexandr

In the interest of charity, I am willing to refer to Lev Puhalo/ Ron Haler as "Retired OCA Archbishop Lazar" Or "Former Milan Synod/KP/Free Serbian Archbishop Lazar, but not simply as "Archbishop Lazar". As he was defrocked by a canonical Synod of the Orthodox Church, and actions of those outside of it not-withstanding, it would be disobedient and disrespectful towards my hierarchs and Synod on my part to disregard their decision. And as far as I am aware, that defrockment and laization has never been revoked or amended.

Alexandr