Rev Russels Governale serves communion during a Spanish-language Easter service at St Bartholomew Roman Catholic Church in New York on Sunday. AP Photo
Rev Russels Governale serves communion during a Spanish-language Easter service at St Bartholomew Roman Catholic Church in New York on Sunday. AP Photo
Rev Russels Governale serves communion during a Spanish-language Easter service at St Bartholomew Roman Catholic Church in New York on Sunday. AP Photo
Rev Russels Governale serves communion during a Spanish-language Easter service at St Bartholomew Roman Catholic Church in New York on Sunday. AP Photo

The West's Godless delusion


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  • Arabic

Just in time for Easter, a new survey revealed an astonishing change in religious adherence in the US. For the first time in eight decades of asking about this issue, the polling organisation Gallup found that less than 50 per cent of American adults belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque. This was down from 70 per cent in 1999, a proportion of the population that had remained almost constant since the late 1930s. Across the Atlantic, it has been reported that in the UK’s most recent census the percentage of people describing themselves as Christian is expected to fall below 50 per cent for the first time.

These findings represent milestones. For, if we leave aside the communist states – which in any case made a kind of “religion” of their totalitarian ideologies – to be human has meant to be religious throughout history. There have always been non-believers too, although miniscule in number in most parts of the world. But all societies have had their gods. That the US and UK appear to be on the road to rejecting theirs deserves more attention than it is getting.

As I've noted before when addressing this phenomenon, the western countries where this trend has been recorded increasingly run the risk of failing to understand the 84 per cent of the world (according to Pew research) in which religious affiliation is clear and growing.

To take one example: Monty Python's Life Of Brian is more likely to be criticised today for Eric Idle's portrayal of a character who wished to change his gender, than for what many Christians said was its blasphemous mockery of Jesus Christ when the film was released in 1979. Western societies have not only dropped any prohibitions against blasphemy; they have effectively dismissed the idea itself as groundless.

So it is no wonder that they refuse to grasp the offence that caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed cause many Muslims. "You shouldn't be upset," many people in the West repeatedly tell Muslims around the world – since they can no longer even imagine that certain subjects should be unthinkably off-limits because they transgress against the realm of the divine.

These countries also run the risk of current and future generations failing to comprehend fully their own histories and heritages, so integral has religion been to both, as the historian Tom Holland described comprehensively in his book Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind.

While it is up to people to think for themselves about such matters, and of course non-believers are perfectly capable of living lives of conscience, what has filled the space formerly occupied by religion is not encouraging.

As the author Ed West wrote in a perceptive essay in Unherd recently: "What is left is not the rationalist paradise some naive public philosophers were claiming at the start of the 21st century, but… endless moral panics, a world seen in stark black and white between good and evil, competitive sanctimony and the sentimental glorification of victimhood."

The “New Atheists” Mr West is referring to – the likes of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Sam Harris – thought, as Professor Dennett once put it to me, that “when it comes to facts, and explanations of facts, science is the only game in town”. But even if most of us, including people of faith, are prepared to accept his point, science cannot be the basis of any morality of consequence; and when the attempt has been made, it has often had murderous results, as the history of the vogue for eugenics in the first part of the 20th century shows.

Millennials are embracing practices such as tarot, astrology and crystals, the benefits of which are unclear. Ryan Carter for The National
Millennials are embracing practices such as tarot, astrology and crystals, the benefits of which are unclear. Ryan Carter for The National
Science cannot be the basis of any morality of consequence. When the attempt has been made, it has often had murderous results

Science does not satisfy the hunger for rules and a framework by which to conduct a moral life that religion does. The pure rationalism of the New Atheists is not enough. So many millennials "who have turned away from traditional organised religion", according to a report in the Los Angeles Times, are embracing practices such as tarot, astrology and crystals – the benefits of which are unclear, to put it mildly.

Others suggest, persuasively, that the search for meaning and conviction has been channelled into politics and ideological intensity. There are several problems with this. These new certainties have all the force of religion for many, but are in a lot of ways far more rigid and divisive. They are not the “broad churches” that most religions, with their centuries of debate among scholars, are. And whatever the faults of religions, which have of course been misused frequently over the centuries to justify war, oppression and intolerance, they all situate humanity in a place of humility before something greater. Some of these new certainties, on the other hand, place the "self" above all else. The individual is judge and jury guided by “his or her truth”.

What, to paraphrase the writer and poet WB Yeats, these “passionate intensities” lack are any fleshed-out concepts of forgiveness and redemption. Hardly a week goes by without people being forced to resign from their jobs because of past comments on social media. Fulsome apologies are obligatory; but when are they allowed to return in good standing and cast off the mantle of shame? No one knows, is the answer.

Science does not satisfy the hunger for rules and a framework by which to conduct a moral life that religion does. The pure rationalism of New Atheists, such as Richard Dawkins, is not enough. AP Photo
Science does not satisfy the hunger for rules and a framework by which to conduct a moral life that religion does. The pure rationalism of New Atheists, such as Richard Dawkins, is not enough. AP Photo

The Abrahamic religions, on the other hand, all recognise the need to address human fallibility. The Quran states: “Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Lo! Allah forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” In the Bible, Jesus urged a crowd not to rush to judge a woman accused of adultery, saying: “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.” Repentance and forgiveness are similarly emphasised in Judaism.

The gulf of misunderstanding between, say, liberal California and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where I live and religion is the norm, is bad enough. But if what is replacing conventional faith in western countries is either the dubious practices of “new age” charlatans, or harsh new convictions that put the individual above the community while failing to acknowledge humanity’s inherent frailty, that is worse. The US, UK and other countries could have reason to regret deserting religion.

Sholto Byrnes is an East Asian affairs columnist for The National

Europa League group stage draw

Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague.
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu.
Group C: Sporting Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna , Rijeka, AEK Athens.
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol.
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin.
Group G: Vitoria Plzen, Steaua Bucarest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano.
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade.
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor.
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersund.
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit St Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar

Managing the separation process

  • Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
  • Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
  • Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
  • If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
  • The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
  • Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
  • Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.  
UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SHAITTAN
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVikas%20Bahl%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAjay%20Devgn%2C%20R.%20Madhavan%2C%20Jyothika%2C%20Janaki%20Bodiwala%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile

Date started: January, 2014

Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe

Based: Dubai

Sector: Education technology

Size: Five employees

Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.

Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)

Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

The biog

Hometown: Cairo

Age: 37

Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror

Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing

Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8

Power: 611bhp

Torque: 620Nm

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Price: upon application

On sale: now

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go

The flights

Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.

The tour

Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.

Racecard

6pm: The Pointe - Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m

6.35pm: Palm West Beach - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (T) 1,800m

7.10pm: The View at the Palm - Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

7.45pm: Nakeel Graduate Stakes - Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m

8.20pm: Club Vista Mare - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,900m

8.55pm: The Palm Fountain - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m

9.30pm: The Palm Tower - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 571bhp

Torque: 650Nm

Price: Dh431,800

Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 455bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: from Dh431,800

SOUTH%20KOREA%20SQUAD
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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries

• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.

• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.

• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.

• For more information visit the library network's website.

The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenationalnews.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fislamic-economy-consumer-spending-to-increase-45-to-3-2tn-by-2024-1.936583%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3EGlobal%20Islamic%20economy%20to%20grow%203.1%25%20to%20touch%20%242.4%20trillion%20by%202024%3C%2Fa%3E%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenationalnews.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fuk-economy-plunges-into-worst-ever-recession-after-record-20-4-contraction-1.1062560%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3EUK%20economy%20plunges%20into%20worst-ever%20recession%20after%20record%2020.4%25%20contraction%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenationalnews.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fislamic-economy-consumer-spending-to-increase-45-to-3-2tn-by-2024-1.936583%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3EIslamic%20economy%20consumer%20spending%20to%20increase%2045%25%20to%20%243.2tn%20by%202024%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.