Posted on 06/08/2008 4:53:43 PM PDT by blam
Belgium's dwindling churches to be converted into mosques
By Bruno Waterfield in Brussels
Last Updated: 12:38AM BST 09/06/2008
Churches in Belgium are to be turned into mosques as Christian congregations decline while Muslims demand more places to worship. Philip Heylen, Antwerp's deputy mayor, has called on the city to "break the taboo" over the many empty and unused churches.
"It's a looming issue yet it seems impossible to have a debate about this," he said. "Churches were built as places of worship and they should not be used as shopping malls. We've had a positive response from members of the Muslim community, which is open to the idea of converting them."
Antwerp has 36 mosques but many are located in old buildings that are too small or lack emergency exits. Meanwhile, the building of new mosques is sensitive in terms of planning.
However, some Antwerp Muslims fear that the scheme could heighten ethnic and religious tensions. "This is dangerous and will only lead to resentment," said one. "It's better to keep places of worship strictly separate."
Many of Antwerp's 80 churches were built in the mid-19th century during attempts by the Roman Catholic Church to engineer a religious revival.
Father Jan, at the Sint-Willibrordus Church, conceded that the pews are "far emptier than 50 years ago", but rejected the argument that Antwerp Christians are a dying breed.
The cathedrals of Europe will be mosques in our lifetimes.
Goodbye once-great Europe.
You were your own worst enemies.
Signed,
God
There’s an older, inner-city church that was converted into a Mosque 20+ years ago in Winston-Salem, NC.
Well, then, thanks for providing satan's viewpoint.
‘Twas PC that killed the beast.
The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bayonets, the believers our soldiers.
So Europe is giving way to Islam, the U.S. is being overrun by Latin America and Australia wants to be “Asian.” That’s how Western civilization ends?
Big need for revival throughout Europe...
and in America
The exterior of the beautiful Gothic Duomo of Milan, for example, is composed of over 3000 statues of Christian saints. All of them will have to be dynamited.
Ironic, as Brussels also has a building called “The Beast” in it as well.
Looks like it will be possible for a muslim antichrist to arise out of Europe.
Catholics ..
Heads up !
They're coming for the Vatican.
DEMAND???
Better to burn them to the ground than let Satan set up shop in them.
Gee, I wonder why 2 million british immigrants left the Island?
Agree totally!
"It is "common sense" for Christianity to be sidelined at the expense of Islam, a Government minister claimed on Sunday.
You think I’m happy about that? Get a clue.
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