Spengler writes in his column in the Asia Times, in response to the conversion of journalist Magdi Allam from Islam to Catholic Christianity:

Muslim traditional society cannot withstand the depredations of globalized culture, and radical Islam arises from a despairing nostalgia for the disappearing past. Why would Muslims trade the spiritual vacuum of Islam for the spiritual sewer of Dutch hedonism? The souls of Muslims are in agony. The blandishments of the decadent West offer them nothing but shame and deracination.

Before 9/11 there was a movement in the US among some politically conservative Christians to make common cause with Muslims in reaction to what they saw as the decline of morality in our general culture. Al Qaeda and other extremist groups within Islam were unable to distinguish between the West and Christianity, thinking, apparently, that since the US is morally corrupt and the US is a Christian nation, then Christianity itself must be corrupt. It’s the same kind of judgment some of us make when we look at the evils of Al Qaeda, recognize Al Qaeda is a Muslim organization, and assume that Islam must be evil.

Since 9/11 some Christians have decided that we need to back Western culture “right or wrong,” so we can present a united front, defending “our way of life” against Islam. I believe that is a mistake. It is not our calling as Christians to:

• Fight for Western supremacy
• Fight against Islam

Our calling as Christians is to stand up for Jesus. We find our identity in Christ. Our security is in Christ, not the US constitution, the US armed forces, our Western heritage. It’s Jesus. From the standpoint of life in Christ we assess our host culture (2 Cor. 10:3-5), finding its strengths and weaknesses, its goods and its evils.

If we are going to regain the West (if we ever really had it), it’ll be by following Jesus. If we’re going to win the Muslims – either as friends or by attracting them to Jesus – it’ll be by following Jesus.