Os Guinness: The death of Western Civilization in Left’s embrace of Islam

By Sean Toomey –

In the wake of the brutal Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, a critical civilizational moment has unfolded. Os Guinness at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference highlighted the alarming rise of two radical ideologies: Islamism, steeped in longstanding extremist history, and radical Marxism, particularly its cultural form rooted in the 1967 “Long March” through institutions. Both movements share hostility toward Christianity, Judaism, and Western civilization itself. This internal threat challenges the very foundations of the West, pushing us to consider the alternatives within our own societies.

Central to this discussion is the topic of religion. Religion or faith is fundamental to civilization. A civilization, Guinness reminds us, is built on a shared way of life that rises, spreads, and endures. This includes geography and institutions but, most importantly, a culture that addresses profound human questions, traditionally answered through religion.

What is strikingly clear is the failure of Enlightenment secularism, which aimed to replace Christian faith with reason. Instead, secularism has devolved into fractured forms of power masquerading as reason whether racial, sexual, or ideological failing to provide lasting moral guidance. Movements ranging from Marxism and the sexual revolution to radical Islamism reveal the shortcomings of relying solely on secularism for meaning and progress.

Faith remains indispensable on a personal and societal level. Humans seek meaning, belonging, and purpose, answers most deeply rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Guinness, an intellectual cultural critic, points to “the three Rs”: the roots of civilization (human dignity grounded in scripture), restraints on freedom (order and morality to prevent chaos), and renewal (the cyclical hope of return from exile rather than irreversible decline).

History warns us that without these elements, civilizations falter. Greece’s unrestrained democracy led to tyranny; the Renaissance’s license overshadowed liberty. Freedom requires “chains on our appetites” for true order and lasting peace.

Yet, the alternative to faith is raw power, which, as Nietzsche observed, drives the world in the “will to power.” Left unchecked, freedom becomes anarchy, and reason becomes authoritarianism. Past thinkers predicted that liberal societies might develop “soft totalitarianism” , a creeping control by the state that threatens individual freedom.

We stand at a pivotal crossroads, says Guinness. Will radical revolutions fulfill their promises? Can secular liberalism advance humanity without God? Or is the Christian faith, embraced as absolute truth rather than mere utility, essential for civilization’s endurance?

The outcome may depend on a “creative minority” , a committed group of citizens loyal to ultimate reality, capable of steering the West through these challenges. The powerful symbolism from a BBC debate captures the tension: Rabbi Jonathan Sacks told Richard Dawkins, “You don’t hear the music,” highlighting faith’s spiritual insight which must be reclaimed.

In this moment, the call is clear: those who understand the stakes must become that creative minority, embracing faith and responsibility, to ensure Western civilization does not fade but flourishes anew.