Europe's most secular country rediscovers its Christian roots.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/003/20.28.html ^

[jimbergin]

The French Reconnection Europe's most secular country rediscovers its Christian roots. by Agnieszka Tennant | posted 02/25/2005 09:30 a.m.

At dusk on a chilly October day, I get on the metro train at Oberkampf, a trendy street on the east side of Paris. A mustached man in his 40s sits in front of me, sets his briefcase down, pulls out a yellow brochure from his jacket, and begins to read it.

"Scientific Proof" says the arguably apt title in French. I know what's inside—an argument that humans' meticulous design points to the existence of a loving God; and that he wants us to live in union with him for eternity. If the reader wants to know more, he can fill out a contact form and send it to Jews for Jesus.

I wait for the commuter to do something stereotypically French, like crumple the pamphlet and cuss. But he studies it for about five minutes, which allows for a slow and thorough read. He sighs, and for a while appears to be deep in thought. He then folds the brochure and puts it in his pocket.

I don't pretend to know this man's religious background, but to me his curiosity represents a renewed openness to the gospel in France.

Before boarding the subway, I watched as Jews for Jesus handed out the "Scientific Proof" tracts (which they call "broadsides"). Catching a breather at a sidewalk café, Cyril Gordon, a Paris-born American evangelist, told me he was astounded at how well the gospel was being received in France. "I've done evangelism in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Paris," he says, "and of all these, I've been by far best received in Paris.

[jimbergin]

The French searching for God. I did not realize this was happening.

[GarySpFc]

Hell must have frozen over.

[hsalaw]

"The French searching for God. I did not realize this was happening."

I didn't either. Perhaps it's because nothing else has worked for them. Or perhaps it's concern about Islam taking over what's left of their culture.

[orionblamblam]

> Jews for Jesus

That never gets old...

[Koan]

If they would only surrender to Christ as easily as they surrender to anyone else!

[John Lenin]

Wake up Europeons:

It seems to me, that in some ways, Judaism and Christianity are more "feminine," "passive," and "victimhood" based religions. But they're also the religions that built civilization and the modern world. Whereas Islam in it's aggressiveness is "masculine," "domineering," and the antithesis of civilization. Let me explain...

Go back in time for a moment, to an unspecified past. Islamic hordes go out to rape, pillage and plunder, to conquer in the name of Allah. Islam, started out very much as an Arab Imperialist Movement. In war, the men get killed and the women get raped. If a Muslim grabs and rapes a Jewish woman; according to Islam, the child born is a Muslim, the aggressor's religion. But according to Judaism, the child is Jewish. The same thing happens when the Muslims attack Christendom. When a Muslim grabs and rapes a Christian woman; according to Islam, the child born is a Muslim. The woman might be forced to repeat the Islamic mantra of "Allah is the only god, and Mohammed is his prophet" and be formally converted, but if the woman wants to, she can still secretly adhere to Christian belief, and raise her child as such, because Christianity is "belief-oriented".

There you have it, Islam, the imperialist ideology, with the "who is a Muslim question" perfectly suited for conquest, whereas Judaism and Christianity follow an approach that preserves identity in the face of aggression.

[DannyTN]

Jews for Jesus That never gets old...

You are right...they will live forever.

[Tribune7]

bump

[orionblamblam]

...right alongside the "Scintologists for Joseph Smith" and "Mennonites for Mohammad."

[fishtank]

Jesus and the 12 were Jewish.

[orionblamblam]

...and then they were Christian. Unless you mean ethnically.

[toadthesecond]

Most secular? France is something like 80% Roman Catholic

[EternalVigilance]

Ethnic Jews, whose hearts are now Christian.

It's really not that hard to understand.

Ethiopians for Jesus. Canadians for Jesus. Koreans for Jesus...

See?

Shalom.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

Or perhaps it's concern about Islam taking over what's left of their culture.

Action and reaction.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

France is something like 80% Roman Catholic

Cultural Catholic and Practicing Catholic are two different animals.

[fishtank]

Yes. Ethnically.

Sorry.

[Luke]

Praise the Lord! Jews for Jesus are doing alot better at the Great Commission than alot of us Gentiles.

[Luke]

Praise the Lord! Jews for Jesus are doing alot better at the Great Commission than alot of us Gentiles.

[auburntiger]

You still don't get it John. Islam is the religion of peace and don't you forget it before it eats you alive.

[LauraleeBraswell]

Christianity's past wasn't always so peaceful...

Any religion can be perverted by man-