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Intolerance Against Christians Rising in Europe, Says Report
Zenit ^ | 5/16/2014

Posted on 05/16/2014 2:56:45 AM PDT by markomalley

An organisation monitoring attacks on Christians in Europe has revealed that 241 cases of intolerance were aimed at Christians in 2013, and it warns that the number of incidents is increasing.

The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians published the findings Thursday in a report which also includes recommendations to governments, international institutions and people of different professions.

Dr. Gudrun Kugler, director of the Observatory, said Europe’s “increasingly secular society” has “less and less space for Christianity.”

She added:  “Some governments and players of civil society seek to exclude instead of to accommodate. Countless cases of intolerance against Christians are reported to us. By researching, documenting and publishing these cases, we hope to create an awareness which is a first step towards a remedy.“

The Observatory has categorised the 241 cases as “hate-related intolerance, intolerance against Christians in law and politics, and intolerance against Christians in arts and media.“

The report says that in recent years, the Observatory has seen “a tremendous number of cases of vandalism against Christian sites and places of worship” but points out such figures are not recorded as “European governments  generally do not segregate data with regard to Christianity.”

The Observatory says their “limited data” suggests that “hate-related incidents against Christians in Europe are rising” and records 133 cases of vandalism against Christian sites in 11 countries.

Its findings also show that intolerance against Christians in “law and politics” occurs “mainly with regard to limitations of conscientious objection, the curbing of free speech by hate speech legislation, discriminatory equality policies and the limitation of parental rights in the area of sex education, as well as in the area of freedom of assembly.”

Last year's report published 41 laws in 14 European countries which hinder the free exercise of faith for Christians.

It also says that the arts and media, as well as social media, have become “a new playground of intolerance” against Christians. Fifteen cases from 6 countries were recorded by the Observatory in 2013.

“Respect is a key term for the understanding of human rights in general and in particular for freedom of religion or belief,” the report says. “Reasonable accommodation ought to be the guiding principle in dealing with faith in public.

***

On the NET:

A PDF file of the report

http://www.intoleranceagainstchristians.eu/


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News
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1 posted on 05/16/2014 2:56:45 AM PDT by markomalley
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To: markomalley

The Eurpopeans are pikers compared to Hollywood. The Celebrities do more than that on Oscar and Emmy night.


2 posted on 05/16/2014 3:15:53 AM PDT by Yorlik803 ( Church/Caboose in 2016)
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To: markomalley

“Dr. Gudrun Kugler, director of the Observatory, said Europe’s “increasingly secular society” has “less and less space for Christianity.”

Increasingly secular society? What a blithering idiot. Europe is rapidly turning into an Islamic caliphate. He is correct that there less and less space for Christianity there, and forget about Judaism.


3 posted on 05/16/2014 3:41:13 AM PDT by Junk Silver
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To: markomalley

The middle east is largely Muslim, Europe is mostly secular, Asia has mainlu a mix of what Buddhism, Hinduism? Africa has a lot of Muslims. Now America is turning away from God. No wonder Jesus made a comment to the disciples whether He would even find faith in this world. Seems like Christianity is waning.


4 posted on 05/16/2014 4:02:41 AM PDT by kelly4c (http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=2900389%2C41#help)
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To: kelly4c

In Africa, the Christian faith is GROWING and spreading. Same in Asia as well.


5 posted on 05/16/2014 4:07:20 AM PDT by Biggirl (“Go, do not be afraid, and serve”-Pope Francis)
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To: Junk Silver
Increasingly secular society? What a blithering idiot. Europe is rapidly turning into an Islamic caliphate. He is correct that there less and less space for Christianity there, and forget about Judaism.

My daughter goes to the same school from where Kugler graduated about 15 years ago. Every year she participates in various pro-life activities, to include the March for Life in Berlin. It isn't muzzies who protest; rather, its pro-homosexual secularists, like Femen.

Not to say that there isn't a huge problem with the Islamization of Europe, but that is only possible because of the de-Christianization of Europe. Most of the invasion is happening not because of converts, but because of immigrants coming there to replace the collapse of Christian society (remember the average fertility rate in Europe places that society on the path of extinction -- 1.4x in Germany, Austria, Italy...1.3x in Slovenia, Poland...as much as 1.8x in the UK and Sweden -- which are bolstered by the population of muzzies who reproduce like rabbits).

If you want to decrease the threat from the Muzzie invasion of Europe, Europe needs to get rid of the trend of secularization and rejoin Christendom. In other words, she's exactly right in what she says.

Maybe you ought to think before posting.

6 posted on 05/16/2014 4:07:58 AM PDT by markomalley (Nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good -- Leo XIII)
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To: kelly4c

Philip Jenkins and the coming of global Christanity:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3252981.Philip_Jenkins


7 posted on 05/16/2014 4:11:42 AM PDT by Biggirl (“Go, do not be afraid, and serve”-Pope Francis)
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To: Biggirl

“Maybe you ought to think before posting.”

I agree with you that only Christianity can save Europe, if such a thing is even possible at this point. Nevertheless I stand by my statement that to describe Europe’s current problems as stemming from “an increasingly secular society” is nothing less than blithering idiocy.


8 posted on 05/16/2014 4:16:57 AM PDT by Junk Silver
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To: Junk Silver; Biggirl
Nevertheless I stand by my statement that to describe Europe’s current problems as stemming from “an increasingly secular society” is nothing less than blithering idiocy.

To rephrase what you wrote: there would be absolutely no problem with the decline of Christianity in Europe; there would be absolutely no problems with anti-Christian legislation; there would be absolutely no problem with vandalism against churches; there would be absolutely no problem with the increasingly intolerant attitudes toward Christians in Europe...provided that Muslims hadn't moved in and started asserting themselves.

Is that actually what you meant to say? Because that is, in fact, what you communicated...whether you meant to do so or not.

9 posted on 05/16/2014 4:36:32 AM PDT by markomalley (Nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good -- Leo XIII)
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To: markomalley

Europe will either be Muslims or Orthodox Russians


10 posted on 05/16/2014 4:47:40 AM PDT by scooby321
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To: markomalley

Identifying the issue as “intolerance” bothers me. To the extent this weak word really means anything, it describes a feeling or mental process. When we’re talking about actions intended to cause harm, as in this article, “persecution” is a better word.


11 posted on 05/16/2014 5:05:16 AM PDT by Tax-chick (If I offended you, you needed it.)
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To: Tax-chick

Look at Christians in Sudan, North Korea, Saudi Arabia... What is happening in Europe (and to some extent in the US also) is NOT persecution...yet.


12 posted on 05/16/2014 8:20:53 AM PDT by Former Fetus (Saved by grace through faith)
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To: Former Fetus

Well, yes ... I hesitate to use “persecution” to describe ridicule or bad-mouthing, certainly. Vandalism of churches is, however, although it’s not at the same level as mass killings.

Intolerance is the wrong word, and persecution is rather broad. I’m open to suggestions for a better description.


13 posted on 05/16/2014 8:25:50 AM PDT by Tax-chick (If I offended you, you needed it.)
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To: markomalley

“Is that actually what you meant to say?”

No, it most certainly is not what I meant to say and I have no clue how you came up with those words to put in my mouth.

The attacks on Christians in Europe are not due to “an increasingly secular society”. As much disdain as I have for the pro-abortion, multi-cultural hyper-liberals of Europe they are not the ones who are attacking Christians and Jews there. To imply that they are can only serve to avoid facing the problems that are being caused by Europe’s ongoing surrender to Islam.


14 posted on 05/16/2014 8:27:57 AM PDT by Junk Silver
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To: Tax-chick

Mistreatment?


15 posted on 05/16/2014 10:01:17 AM PDT by Former Fetus (Saved by grace through faith)
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To: Junk Silver

You seem to be unaware that the foundation of Mohammedan immigration to Europe and the refusal to address Islamic supremacism on the part of European authorities is precisely aggressive secularism.


16 posted on 05/16/2014 10:13:41 AM PDT by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know...)
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To: The_Reader_David

“...the foundation of Mohammedan immigration to Europe and the refusal to address Islamic supremacism on the part of European authorities is precisely aggressive secularism.”

Now we’re playing word games. I agree that aggressive secularism has set the stage for the Islamic takeover of Europe. Furthermore this secularism has a lot to do with the fact that native Europeans are not reproducing at a sustainable rate, which in the long term is the crux of the matter.

Here is one definition of the word secular:

“denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.”

I do not believe that there is no religious basis behind the rising intolerance against Christians in Europe, which is what this thread is about. Does anyone really want to argue that point?


17 posted on 05/16/2014 10:51:02 AM PDT by Junk Silver
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To: markomalley

First they came for the Jews...


18 posted on 05/16/2014 11:51:14 AM PDT by Mike Darancette (Do The Math)
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To: Former Fetus

“Mistreatment” is pretty good.


19 posted on 05/16/2014 12:08:33 PM PDT by Tax-chick (If I offended you, you needed it.)
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To: markomalley

Reject Christianity, and something else will fill that void....and it won’t be Secular Humanism.


20 posted on 05/16/2014 12:09:35 PM PDT by dfwgator
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