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Ramabriga · Guest

Islam is real threat to church, says Synod member
By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent in Jerusalem
Last updated: 12:49 AM BST 28/06/2008

Divisions in the Church of England over homosexuality and women bishops are nothing compared
with the threat it faces from Islam, a prominent member of its governing body has warned.

More than 1,000 conservative Anglicans have been meeting in Jerusalem this week to develop a
new movement within the worldwide Communion, in order to combat liberals who they say are
departing from the Bible's teaching by supporting gay clergy.

Next week the General Synod, the Church of England's parliament, gathers in York to discuss the
introduction of women bishops without provisions for those who oppose the historic move, which
could see dozens of conservative clergy leave the church and claim millions in compensation.

But Alison Ruoff, an evangelical lay member of the Synod and a former magistrate who is at the
Gafcon summit in Jerusalem, told The Daily Telegraph that the church needs to get past these
divisions and concentrate on fighting the rise of Islam in Britain.

She says that under an Archbishop of Canterbury who said it is inevitable that elements of
Sharia will be introduced in the UK, the church has not done enough to put its message across.

And she believes the Government, out of politically correct sensitivity, is not preventing the
growth of Muslim communities which do not integrate with those around them.

Mrs Ruoff, who earlier this year called for a halt to mosque building in Britain, said: "The
problems of homosexuality and women bishops which face the Church of England are minor compared
with the threat to the church and the nation from Islam.

"The church is sleepwalking into an Islamic state. Hopefully we can unite against it.

"The leaders of the church have lost their confidence in the Gospel. We have got an Archbishop
of Canterbury who doesn't stand up for Christianity but wants a degree of Sharia law.

"The church should be getting out with the Christian message.

"Our Government is allowing it to happen out of political correctness, but it should be
protecting our values and heritage."

She added that many people share her fears but do not like to speak out about it in case they
are criticised.

"People are genuinely worried. There's a general concern in the nation about its building
blocks being rapidly eroded.

"But we are very afraid of the law and of being persecuted. The police in many respects are
standing up for Islam rather than Christianity."

Mrs Ruoff believes the problem with the growth of Islam in Britain is that some communities do
not integrate, and that some immigrant imams do not learn English, leading to segregation.

She fears that if these communities introduce Islamic law, all non-Muslims and women will be
treated as second-class citizens by them.

Gafcon leaders are still working on a statement which will determine the structure of their new
movement, which is more likely to be an organization for traditional Anglicans worldwide rather
than an outside rival.

However Mrs Ruoff believes a complete split is justified as liberals, particularly in America,
have departed so far from the traditional teaching of the Bible and church rules by
consecrating an openly gay bishop.

Yesterday, Gafcon leaders said the conference was itself an ultimatum and a challenge to the
Archbishop of Canterbury and the existing structures of the Anglican Communion.

Dr Peter Jensen, the Archbishop of Sydney, said: “Gafcon poses a challenge now. If all we did
was meet here it would pose a challenge to others in the Communion and the leadership.

“The fact that Gafcon has now come into existence as a conference and possibly a movement, that
has got to be taken into account.

“All around the world, the sleeping giant of orthodox Anglicanism has been awoken.”

He said it was an “act of folly” for the liberal Americans to consecrate a gay bishop without
thinking there would be serious consequences.

Archbishop Greg Venables, Primate of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, said he was
sorry that more conservative church leaders at Gafcon were not also going to the Lambeth
Conference, the once-a-decade gathering of Anglican bishops, as he is.

“I personally would have liked us all to be there,” he said.

A final statement is expected to be signed by Gafcon leaders on Sunday.
Story from Telegraph News:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2205041/Islam-is-real-threat-to-church%2C-says-Synod-member.html
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Gordon Levi · Guest

Ramabriga <Ramabriga@gmail.com> wrote: