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AtomicB
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Hundreds of Dutch mosques to open!
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BlueEyedLady
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Doubt it. Religion is in a steep decline in the Netherlands in general, and the number of people who identify as nonreligious is rising quickly.
Nothing to do with Islam.
Nothing to do with Islam.
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Tampa_Dave
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Christianity has true issues in the West. Secularism and Islam are certainly affecting European populations. On the other hand, Christianity in South America and Africa is apparently doing well. Crazy world, eh?
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EphelDuath
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Eventually the day will come when Christianity is treated just like Hinduism is in Europe and the U.S.: as an exotic and foreign religion that most people don’t know anything about, because the believers are a small and tightly-knit minority.
And so the New Evangelization will entail re-establishing missions in the First World as if the pagans and atheists have never encountered Christianity before. Jesus will revolutionize the world through the Catholic Church again, just as He did in the first few centuries A.D.
And so the New Evangelization will entail re-establishing missions in the First World as if the pagans and atheists have never encountered Christianity before. Jesus will revolutionize the world through the Catholic Church again, just as He did in the first few centuries A.D.
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_Abyssinia
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Christianity is also increasing in having adherents in Asia
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SuperLuigi
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It seems like EVERYONE wants us to think their religion or lack thereof is thriving everywhere.
Even if what you say is true, Islam will continue to rise in the EU.
They are having the children; no one else is.
Do the math.
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SuperLuigi
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There is a certain irony to that.
If conservative (and I mean orthodox) Catholics stick together, remain true to the faith and strive for big families, that can be greatly mitigated.
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ProVobis
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Good point.
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SuperLuigi
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Supply and demand!
All those old people in the EU won’t be around forever to go to Church, and the RCC needs to consolidate its resources to be an effective social institution.
While the secular left in the First World will celebrate this news that they are winning, what is interesting is the last time I saw the stats, the Church had grown slightly in Europe, but I suppose some areas fare better than others.
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Used2beSherryG
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Europe is dying out. Middle Easterners are taking it over. Perhaps they can spread out and settle down 
Really, Jesus will be with us until the end of the age, that’s is one true thing. Pray, don’t worry. Evangelize wherever you may be and whoever crosses your path. In my youth there were a lot more cultural Catholics but most did not really understand their faith in order to be able to pass it on. At least in today’s world, those who are Catholic are choosing to be Catholic and do indeed know the faith that Jesus left us.
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Polycarp1
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Like everything else parishes are centralizing. Many churches were built in a time when the commonest mode of travel was walking or horse and buggy. So every town and village had one. Now many of these villages have grown and almalgamated and people can take what once was a days walk in a few minutes. Modern church building can hold a lot more people than the village size church did. In short we don’t need a church every few miles and closing some doesn’t in itself mean the numbers of faithful are falling. Its the same with schools, police stations, fire departments etc…
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sousley
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It’s bothersome. 400-500 years ago it seems like many flock to the Netherlands, searching for religious freedom and this is the fruit of that brand of freedom.
200 years ago, pilgrims fled to America looking for religious freedom, and now…
200 years ago, pilgrims fled to America looking for religious freedom, and now…
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sousley
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I have a friend that moved from her home town because of increased muslim influences throughout the town and schools. Apparently even some young women experienced tensions in the culture clash as young muslim men in high school felt that women should be treated in a particular way and the American young women didn’t agree.It seems like EVERYONE wants us to think their religion or lack thereof is thriving everywhere.
Even if what you say is true, Islam will continue to rise in the EU.
They are having the children; no one else is.
Do the math.
My friend agrees with you. She said that since Muslims actually practice no abortion and no contraception, their families are subsequently larger, more centralized, and subsequently more thoroughly trained at home (doctrinally). Compared to our 2 income families and 1.75 children per household, yes, “numbers win”.
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ProdigalSun
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Yes the church will always be here we just might not recognize it. It’s funny because I was thinking about this a few days ago and then it dawned on me that when Christianity began there was only a handful of believers. 400 years later it was the main religion in western europe and spreading fast.
No with over 1 billion adherents it shouldn’t take to long to reevangelize the world. eventually the secular world in the west will come to realize the darkness in which they live can be brought back into the Light through Christ.
As secularists die and are not replenished because of abortion and lack of children the population will be replaced by child bearing religous whether Islamist or christian. Hopefully Africa & asia can resist the culture of death that the likes of Melinda gates is pushing on those continennts.
iIn the end CHrist will win, this is a guarantee!
Peace!
No with over 1 billion adherents it shouldn’t take to long to reevangelize the world. eventually the secular world in the west will come to realize the darkness in which they live can be brought back into the Light through Christ.
As secularists die and are not replenished because of abortion and lack of children the population will be replaced by child bearing religous whether Islamist or christian. Hopefully Africa & asia can resist the culture of death that the likes of Melinda gates is pushing on those continennts.
iIn the end CHrist will win, this is a guarantee!
Peace!
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ProdigalSun
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Oh yeah, there is no doubt about it, The numbers willl win out.
I have said this for a while now and very few people I talk with can believe it could happen even in their childrens lifetime.
By removing the Christian culture and ethics from society leaves a void. All Voids most be filled. Secularism as it is can not fill it… it is a void in and of itself. No… Either CHristianity will make a come back or our nations will be overwhelmed by Islam. That is the curse of democracies. When an area is populated by a certain race or creed that area can (rightfully so) and will elect to govt. same thinking idividuals. I say with in my lifetime we will see Sharia Law in several locations in Western Europe. Mainly Britan, France and the Netherlands. It will take longer in North America, but it will come.
Peace!
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Trebor135
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It isn’t for sure that Islam will take over Europe. Check out this discussion between George Wiegel and Philip Jenkins. The MP3’s don’t seem to be working anymore, but maybe the problem is on my end. I have them saved on my computer if someone has a website and can host them.
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RC_Sojourner
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Geert Wilder’s Party for Freedom (PVV) has been polling very well. It’s entirely possible that in the 2014 E.U. elections his party gains the most seats. And then, whenever a Dutch general election comes after that, it may happen there as well.
And, for those of you who don’t know, he’s basically the loudest advocate of stopping all immigration from Muslim countries, and deporting foreign-born criminals back to their country of origin. In theory, Geert Wilders said this isn’t discrimination because he wouldn’t hesitate to send back Swedes or Danes if they had committed serious crimes in the Netherlands. In reality though, the areas with the highest crime are all Muslim neighborhoods in the Netherlands.
The construction of new mosques could also be banned.
Anyways, I thought I should mention this, seeing as this thread is particularly about the Netherlands. Currently the PVV has 4/25 seats in the E.U., which actually makes it the second largest party (they have very divided politics). The CDA has 5 seats. So, again, it’s very possible that next year the PVV becomes the largest Ductch party in the European Parliament.
And, for those of you who don’t know, he’s basically the loudest advocate of stopping all immigration from Muslim countries, and deporting foreign-born criminals back to their country of origin. In theory, Geert Wilders said this isn’t discrimination because he wouldn’t hesitate to send back Swedes or Danes if they had committed serious crimes in the Netherlands. In reality though, the areas with the highest crime are all Muslim neighborhoods in the Netherlands.
The construction of new mosques could also be banned.
Anyways, I thought I should mention this, seeing as this thread is particularly about the Netherlands. Currently the PVV has 4/25 seats in the E.U., which actually makes it the second largest party (they have very divided politics). The CDA has 5 seats. So, again, it’s very possible that next year the PVV becomes the largest Ductch party in the European Parliament.
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Coatimundi
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Although the news article refers to the next 5-10 years, the longer range picture is just as bleak.
blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2013/12/03/dutch-bishops-give-pope-francis-a-bleak-picture-of-catholic-church-in-decline/
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canis73
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South America is filled with western nations, not just geographically speaking. Argentina, for instance, has the greatest percentage of european descendants population outside of europe of any nation in any of the other continents (cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ar.html). And catholicism is loosing millions to the evangelical churches. Pope Francis appearance has slowed down this trend but I´m afraid it´s still a big issue.
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