Europe Forsakes Christianity for Islam?

CBN News ^ | 2/16/2006 | Dale Hurd

[itsinthebag]

CBN.com – Welcome to post-Christian Europe, a land filled with beautiful monuments to an ancient religion that few Europeans practice anymore or know much about.

While Christianity is still very relevant in the United States, and is exploding in the developing world, Europe today has sunk below unbelief, and is now labeled "Christophobic" and "anti-religious."

While an American might look at a church building and think nice thoughts, that's rarely the case with a European, especially here in France, where religion is more likely to be associated with oppression, irrelevance, or simply the past.

In France, as in much of Europe, only five percent go to church on a weekly basis, and most of them are the elderly. Only 10 percent think religion is "very important." For all Europeans, that figure is only 21 percent.

[Mr. Blonde]

HBO ran a show about the writings of Nostradamus. At the end, it was shown that the Final War would be started by someone in the area of the Middle East/Iraq-Iran. I didn't put much stock in it at the time but with what's going on now, who knows. In retrospect, it all seems plausible.

Isn't that one of the hallmarks of a good prophecy? It sounds reasonable. Ever notice how you could fit in any of the years on the place mat at your local Chinese restaurant?

[Malesherbes]

Very, very good article. It largely confirms things we already know but does so with interesting commentaries.

I think, however, that in this context it is always useful to distinguish between western Europe (which the article describes very well) and eastern Europe.

I'm in Poland a lot and Christianity is still strong there. I was in Odessa, Ukraine, a few years ago and visited an Orthodox church and found many very reverent young people there. I don't want to overestimate, but in countries where extreme secularism was most oppressive a toughened Christianity has survived.

[Malesherbes]

Very, very good article. It largely confirms things we already know but does so with interesting commentaries.

I think, however, that in this context it is always useful to distinguish between western Europe (which the article describes very well) and eastern Europe.

I'm in Poland a lot and Christianity is still strong there. I was in Odessa, Ukraine, a few years ago and visited an Orthodox church and found many very reverent young people there. I don't want to overestimate, but in countries where extreme secularism was most oppressive a toughened Christianity has survived.

[schu]

BTTT

[DeweyCA]

Blaise Pascal said that there is a God-shaped vacuum in every person's heart that can only be filled by Jesus Christ.

[RKBA Democrat]

Excellent article and thanks for posting.

FWIW, I think that Europe as we know it is already beyond the tipping point, at least with regard to it's population. They're going to have a population crash, and there's little to be done about it in the short term. Europeans are well aware of their de-population trends, and seem to have accepted it.

The question from my point of view is what do we do to prevent our country and our faith and our culture from falling into the same chasm?

[Aquinasfan]

But some would say Europe has a new religion. Italy's Culture Minister Rocco Buttiglione, a devout Catholic, calls it "a nihilistic fundamentalism against truth."

That sounds about right. We know who the Truth is, and we know who holds "a nihilistic fundamentalism against truth." We must pray for them, if they won't pray for themselves.

[Aquinasfan]

The Dark Ages did the Europeans in with their faith. Too bad.

No, since the Medieval period was the highwater mark of European culture and theology. The turning point was the so-called Reformation, and the Rationalist movement that followed.

[Theoden]

Christianity is not dead in Europe at all, in fact, it is reawakening, and growing stronger. Pope Benedict draw far larger crowds than is predecessor, and they are mostly young people at that.

The problem is, Europeans have not been persecuted for their Christian beliefs for a long time. Now that Islam is going against them in full force, many are now looking at what they have taken for granted, and why they are being persecuted, and we will all see Europe become re-Christianized, though it may take some time.

There is always hope for Europe. Look at it's collective history. They always emerged victorious just when things were at their worst. Think of Charlemagne at Poiters, the Austrians at Vienna, the Spanish at Lepanto, and the Viking and Mongol invasions. I think Freepers should do more to reinvigorate Europe, than to simply hope that it falls.

The Vatican site has much better pictures than these. Check them out! http://www.vatican.va/gmg/photogallery/photogallery_01.html

[Heartofsong83]

Exactly - we need to rebuild Europe, not surrender it.

[attiladhun2]

There may be more than a few Europeans who see the handwriting on the wall, and may be forced by circumstances to defened themselves against the 60% of that continent's Muslims who want to impose sharia. As the Muslims in Europe continue to inevitabley act up, I think they will slowly, but surely, get their wake-up call.

[gafusa]

Who is we? Europe is not part of us. We declared our Independence from Europe. It is time for us to strike our own path. If Europe decides to follow, fine. However I doubt it will happen. Remember communism, socialism, and Nazism are all European. I say forget Europe, let them save themselves. Plus besides the UK, our so called European "allies" provide almost nothing. Our improving alliance with Japan and Australia, better relations with India matter far more. I say it is a lost cause, time to shift and retrench. Dissolve the European command, make it the Atlantic Command. Bring our troops in Europe home, or send them where needed like Iraq. Europe is just a transit point, all we need to do with it is maintain contingency airbases and docks and only activate them when needed.