Europe: What went wrong?

[Philip_P]

Catholic commentators, both traditionalists and progressives, have been commenting (as commentators do) on the crisis state of European Catholicism. With the election of another European pope, this appears to be a concern of the Vatican’s as well. What I haven’t seen is much reflection on WHY Europe has arrived at this state. There is an overabundance as to what has gone wrong (from “Europe has embraced secularism” to “the church has been unable to make itself relevant” depending on the speaker’s orientation) but very few have speculated on causes.

My own theory is that a lot of Europe’s turn from Christianity stems directly from the violence of the last century. European civilization essentially came to an end, twice, in the first half of the century, while the second half was lived under the constant threat of instant nuclear annihilation. I think in the eyes of many Europeans, the fact that so much violence and terror could happen in the heart of Christendom really discredited the Church – not that the Church was necessarily complicit or the reason for it, but its inability to prevent the horror severely shook their faith. After the Holocaust, especially, the old order, including Christianity, was not something they’ve wanted to associate with.

Thoughts?

 

[Johnd]

I think you are totaly correct but there is more to it. In a way the reformation started all this. While it did spark the Church to clean up some of it’s problems in the 1500’s, the split ruptured unity. How many wars have been fought between Protestants and Catholics over the centuries? This has divided countries and caused bitterness for so long that I think eventualy people had enough. Humanism developed and the long road to secularism was enevitable. Combine that with the points you brought up about the madness of the 20th century and it left many people asking if there really is a God and if so what does it matter in the face of all this?

 

[mpav]

I think that secular comforts lead to a belief that God is not necessary. the attitudes of the Enlightenment are also paret of it. I think Dostoyevsky is essential to understnading the modern world. In a world without God, anything is possible, he said, and the last 100 years proved him right.

French attitudes against God date from the Enlightenment. remember the government official played by Vincent Price in the great film, Song of Bernadette? He put all faith in reason. What he could not see, he would not believe.

As Poland and Ireland became more prosperous their adherence to religion decresed. Satan is the prince of the world, and promises an easier path. He doesn’t say “take up the cross;” he says man can create his own truths, flout natural law, turn away from god and find temporary diversion in pleasure. It appears to be much easier to follow him.

It may be that a small core of dedicated Christians will keep the Faith alive through a dark time.

As for Islam dominating Europe, just wait and see what happens as they become more prosperous.

 

[Philip_P]

If you look at the Enlightenment, though, the argument went beyond God being unnecessary, the charge was that religion actually harmed humanity. I think you are right in tracing a lot of this to the era of the Enlightenment, but this came out of the Reformation, as Johnd noted. The Reformation was itself a reaction against some very corrupt and unjust conditions (not to mention being fueled by local princes eager to exploit popular sentiment to strengthen their own power).

Still, even after the Enlightenment, faith persisted, quite vibrantly, throughout much of Europe. I think, though, that the Enlightenment created an alternative to faith. Once faith was discredited in the twentieth century, Europeans turned to the secular alternative en masse.

I wonder what the Church can do to win back the people’s trust?

 

[Franze]

For example in my country the people have thought that a homosexual couple have THE RIGHT to get married, yesterday the socialist goverment aproved this bastard law, what I can do? I don´t know, It´s difficult to undertand how we are finish that.