I agree completely, Basheva. Thank you for speaking out to us. Christianity, like Judaism, is under attack and must be defended. The situation in Europe is disheartening, to say the least. I recently visited the church in Paris where my great grandfather was baptized. While the church was full of visitors, when Mass began few people lingered to participate. A few "regulars" (about 35 or so) occupied the front rows of chairs. It was a moving experience for me in many ways, but what affected me most was the emptiness of the Madeleine and the other churches I visited in Paris. They tell me that Evangelical Christianity is "growing" over there, but I saw no evidence of that, nor was there ven a trace of Christian values in public life. Alas, France! Perhaps Europe is paying the price for the sins of its missionaries?
*****Perhaps Europe is paying the price for the sins of its missionaries?*****
I think not. Were events predicated upon "paying the price for sins" - Islam would not be ascendant. Islam's missionaries have been murderous with little to no humanitarion motivation.
I think the empty churches of Europe are a result of socialist governments. A government which provides everything, causes its people to accept everything. There is an end to individual striving, no need to call upon heavenly strength and sustenance.
We say: "G-d helps those who help themselves."
This is precisely the opposite to the message from socialist government. It says - depend up gov't to supply everything.
Socialism - operating under a variety of names - didn't die with the Soviet Union or Mao. It lives and breathes all over the world and here in the Congress of the United States of America. And already more than half of our people believe that message. The left - democrats - are in the process of killing America's ability to defend herself. Despite the rhetoric the goal of the left/democrats to emasculate our military. We are losing the battle from the inside.
The socialist message works even with religious people because it seems to echo their desires to "help."
It's a subversive but siren call to those who don't read beyond the headlines.
Truly righteous people don't depend upon gov't to help either themselves or others. It's no accident that the first thing socialist governments do is get rid of religion. Dependence upon government is a form of enslavement - in Europe it may be at this point in time a comfortable enslavement but they will pay the price.
That price is the loss of their European culture and the eventual enslavement to an alien ideology which will surely overwhelm them.