Posted on 01/31/2005 4:43:47 PM PST by Unam Sanctam
A recent obsession in the drawing rooms and salons of Europe is the fact that a plurality of Americans (22%) cited "moral values" as their main reason for going to the polls. To civilized Europeans, the culture wars — God, gays and guns — are the most risible bit of American politics. Ever since 1945, European elites have preferred their politics to be technocratic — mainly managing capitalism for the common good, rather than tackling private issues of faith and morality. This is partly because Europeans are less passionate about religion. Only one in 10 French people says religion plays an important role in his or her life. But lately, cultural issues have begun to force their way back into the mainstream of European politics, stoked by three things. ... The second factor is the revival of religion — or at least its refusal to die. Europe has long been the world's most secular continent — fittingly so given that the great prophets of secularization such as Emile Durkheim and Max Weber were European. But now religion is again entangling itself with politics. The most obvious example is the resurgence of radical Islam. ... But Christians are also causing more fuss in Europe these days. Look at Rocco Buttiglione, who was stopped from becoming the EU's justice commissioner because he had said that homosexuality is a sin and that women should stay home and have children.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
I doubt it.
This is a polite way of saying that Europeans are godless.
Sure, there's hope for Europeans. I can't keep track of the number of times true faith almost disappeared from the face of Europe. It will take an act of God to revive true spirituality and morality in Europe, but that's better than waiting on some political leader to broach the issue.
There's their first mistake -- choosing socialism over free enterprise.
They have been running from their history in shame, but there's obviously some pretty noble things that took place in Europe.
"I'm French! Why do you think I have this outrageous accent, you silly king?", said the guard leader.
(to his crew) "Fetcher la vache!"
One thing for sure: we'll always understand how the Python guys felt about the French.
I personally seriously doubt that religion will disappear from the faithful of Europe, despite its banishment from government and popular culture.
At least I'd like to believe that.
Take care,
Papa Joe
Unfortunatly, American-style Evangelical/Pentecostal religion that has been the driving force of Christian life in the U.S. is difficult to market to Euro-peons, who are essentially a bunch of Manhattanites with smaller bank accounts and worse body odor.
er, Fetchez la vache!
I forgot to conjugate
Perhaps the "Christian" Europeans are less passionate about religion.
It looks to me like the "Moslem" Europeans are plenty passionate about religion.
Blair is a devout Methodist in his private life. Its a shame how politics tends to corrupt good people. To paraphrase Edmund Burke, public life doesn't merely involve compromises between good and evil, but between evil and evil as well.
The millions of European resident Muslims don't seem to have any doubt of their cultural identity, and it's certainly not European. And if Turkey is admitted, and millions of Muslim Turks are free to immigrate anywhere in the EU, they won't assimulate anymore than Turkish "guest workers" have in the last few decades. En masse, they prefer to change the prevailing culture to their ways instead, while building their mosques as quickly as possible.
Aging, arrogant Old Europe is trying to pretend that the rouge elephant in their living room is there because they don't mind, it's harmless if you don't bother it, and it's going to be house-trained one of these days. The curtains are going down on Old Europe, but the audience is blind.
Theres a reason why religion has outlived every form of government on the earth. It's called the truth.
I've never felt any kinship with Europeons. I'm glad my ancestors left that decadent hellhole back in the 1910s-20s. Personally, I'm for an AMERICAN Civilization, rather than a "Western Civilization."
DING DING DING! We have a winnah!
So I guess you are saying Evangelical/Pentecostal Americans have small bank account and have body odor.
Religion has outlved the most famous governments by a factor of 10, so far. We have a chance of breaking the curse, but so called moderates will be the downfall of the US.
Huh? I was referring to the EUROPEONS, not Christian Americans! We know how to bathe!
altho' the enlightenment originated in europe, it took hold in
the united states.
no european government owes its basis as we do to the enlightenment.
as the article states, if you click on the lat, their leaders view themselves as technocrats.
"The second factor is the revival of religion — or at least its refusal to die. Europe has long been the world's most secular continent — fittingly so given that the great prophets of secularization such as Emile Durkheim and Max Weber were European. But now religion is again entangling itself with politics."
Stalin and Hitler were Europe's two "greatest" twentieth century secularists. After their great works it's inconceivable that anyone but a gun-toting, knuckle-dragging Red State ignoramus would not believe in European secularism.
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