Scott's Thoughts

America Alone by Mark Steyn

I don't read much on current events or politics aside from the news. But I was intrigued by a book I had heard about somewhere, "America Alone" by Mark Steyn, and I just finished reading it last night.

Steyn's basic point is that Western Civilization is facing a grave and potentially mortal danger in the form of Islam. The threat isn't primarily military in nature. Rather, it is cultural. The West is losing, or has already lost, its Judaic-Christian moorings, and as a result has no effective defense against an Islamic people who are both growing and confident in the kind of society they desire to establish.

His argument is based mostly on demographics. To put it simply, the nations of the West are not having enough babies to sustain their populations. At the same time, Muslims everywhere are reproducing at high rates. Couple that with huge Muslim immigration to Europe, and the very real prospect is that before long Europe will become politically and culturally dominated by Muslim people with Muslim values. Europe will become "Eurabia." I was persuaded by his analysis that Europe is in fact already heading in this direction.

Almost every other Western nation, including Steyn's own Canada, is either facing a similar danger, or is slowly decaying due to zero population growth and crippling social spending. The lone exception is the United States of America, which still enjoys a high birth rates and has a culture that places a high premium Judaic-Christian religious and cultural values (at least relative to other Western nations). Hence the title, "America Alone."

As humorous as Steyn writes, he does make a very serious case in this book. In fact, it's not a little disturbing. He writes: "Americans and other Westerners who want their families to enjoy the blessings of life in a free society should understand that the life we've led since 1945 in the Western world is very rare in human history. Our children are unlikely to enjoy anything so placid, and may well spend their adult years in an ugly and savage world unless we decide that who and what we are is worth defending." As a father of four, I often wonder, what will the world be like when my children are grown-up? Steyn's scenario is not reassuring.

Steyn's proposal to address the problem is to do all we can do to make the conditions right for Islam to reform from within. This includes supporting women's rights and economic and political liberty in the Muslim world, curtailing the export of radical Islamic ideology, creating a "Global Community Outreach" office to promote alternative institutions and values overseas, etc.

It's at this point I am left feeling unsatisfied. Steyn may have identified a real problem, but his suggestions all miss the point. At the core, these problems are profoundly spiritual in nature. What is needed is a spiritual renewal and revival of Western people, and an evangelistic gospel ministry to Muslim people. Only the proclamation of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in this world offers any real hope. In the end, all worldly power - whether it is demographic, or economic, or military, is nothing compared to the power of the message of cross. When hearts change first, then long-term change in cultures and nations can begin to take root.

And the proclamation of the gospel is not America's task, but the church's - here in America, in Europe, in the Middle East, and wherever the church may be found. Our hope is in Christ alone, not America alone.