Stuart Varney asks: Has Europe's 'Paganism' led Directly to its Economic Decline?

Newsbusters ^ | 04/16/10 | Anthony Kang

[198ml]

It is virtually impossible to separate economics from politics, and politics from a society's culture - but is economics inherently intertwined with religion as well?

Fox Business Network (FBN) anchor Stuart Varney thinks so. On FBN's April 14 broadcast of "Varney & Co." Father Jonathan Morris joined the show's panel and explored the question.

"Do you think that Europe's paganism - it's turn away from Christianity - has anything to do with Europe's economic decline?" Varney bluntly asked the priest. "Can you link this secularism - what I call ‘paganism' in Europe- directly to economic decline?"

[brownsfan]

Yes.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

YOU BET YOUR BIPPY YOU CAN!
Freegards,
Lex

[texmexis best]

Yep. It has.

It is no accident that the richest countries in the world are Christian.

It is no accident that if you need top notch medical care you go to a Christian nation.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

The overriding force behind Socialism/Marxism/Liberalism is to make man the measure of all things...to deny the authority and even the existence of God.

Of course there is a correlation.

[Ladycalif]

Yes.

[newfreep]

Father Jonathan: “Certainly Europe is much more secular than the United States, and all of a sudden you lose hope,” Morrison said. “If you lose hope in what life is all about, you’re not going to work very hard. On the other hand, if you have hope that what I’m doing today matters tomorrow - and I’m building a life and I’m building my family and we’re going places - and there’s something beyond this life? You’re going to be hopeful, you’re going to make money - you’re going to build the culture of life and goodness.”

http://www.youtube.com/user/redeyerecap?blend=4&ob=4#p/search/6/fPp1sfBSGPQ

[Bitsy]

Yes!

[Billthedrill]

I wouldn’t call it “paganism”. Pagans actually believe in something.

[Cardhu]

Economic decline --- LOL

The EU is half the size of the US with very few natural resources and has a GNP 4 trillion larger than the US.

What are you guys doing wrong? Could it be that religion is killing you.

"What is at stake, and at great risk, is Benedict's central project for the 're-Christianization' of Christendom, his desire to have Europe return to its Christian roots," said David Gibson, the author of a biography of Benedict and a religion commentator for Politicsdaily.com. "But if the root itself is seen as rotten, then his influence will be badly compromised."

:) But the Europeans are taking precautions by suggesting this sign should be placed at the appropriate locations.

[Blanton]

Well, India is on the upswing and it’s not exactly overflowing with Christians!

[Jack Black]

Stupid misuse of words.

“Paganism” actually means something. In the European context it would be the polytheistic folk religions of Europe before the mass Christianization from 100-1100 A.D. There were many regional variations, from the Greek gods of Homers (often called Classic or Hellenistic Paganism) time, to the Nordic pantheon.

Europe has not become “pagan”. It has become agnostic or atheist.

[Marty62]

Ofcourse!

[Buggman]

Actually, Europe has nearly twice the population of the US. Ergo, their GDP should be nearly twice ours. It isn't.

Shalom.

[353FMG]

“Certainly Europe is much more secular than the United States....”

.
Really? Just because Americans go to church more often than Europeans do, doesn’t make the former less secular.
America is much more pro-active in eliminating the Christian God from society.

Examples: separation of church and state, no prayer in school, slow elimination of religious symbols such as crosses in public places, attempt to eliminate public celebration of Christmas and Easter, attempt to remove the word “God” out of the Pledge, promoting Islam over Christianity, etc.

Churches may be attended more in the US than in Europe, but Christianity is definitely under intense assault in the US. What I have noticed is that Christianity is ignored in Europe but assaulted in the States.

[Cardhu]

I talked size as in square miles - it has only about 100,000,000 more in population which a long way from twice.

[texmexis best]

Well since you have 200 million more people in that past-up that you all a country, we’ll talk.

You should be at about 21 Trillion to match us.

So...what’s wrong with you?

[texmexis best]

We have 300 million, you have 501 million.

So.....

[I still care]

You know, several months ago I saw a show on Calvin calling him the founder of American Democracy. On PBS.

If even PBS sees there is a correlation between the faith of the Protestant Reformation and the Founding of the Unique Nation, America, you can bet there is one.

[Cardhu]

If population is the criteria then India should have 4 times your GNP and they have more religions that one can count.