On 08/10/03 we wrote a comment on European Indifference, and on 10/23/05 we wrote a comment British Catholics Turning Away From The Church. Both comments outlined how Christianity is falling like a rock in Europe. When this happens other religions tend to come in and take over, and sometimes cause chaos. A prime example of this is the recent riots in France. I came across an article written by two Americans, one a Muslim, and one a Sikh, and their view on the problems in France. Here is a portion of that article:
"That brings us to the real tragedy of Europe. Never before in man's history has mostly an entire continent thrown off its religious traditions and devotional practices as Europe has. This is obvious to any tourist who visits there.
They will find its churches cold and, above all, empty. Europeans proudly think of themselves as living in a post-Christian era and, because of that central fact, they have lost the true language to talk with their restive Muslim population.
On the other side the Islamists dream of creating a new global order that will rise over the ruins of a Godless Western world. They want to create a new Caliphate, and now Europe is clearly in their sights.
The de-Christianization of Europe has left it wide open for invasion by an ideology like Islamism that promises the whole package of God, faith, community and nation. This fanatical sect of Islam can only take hold in an environment where despair and godlessness prevails.
In this war against Islamo-fascism, France has been a constant example of what not to do. First was to create a society that is hostile to religion. Second was to invite millions of immigrants whose primary identity was that of their religion. Third was to segregate them in bleak, jobless ghettos. Fourth was to react to this discontent with indiscriminate hard-line measures such as the one that has outlawed religious head coverings (whether they be scarves, turbans, yarmulkes or the wearing of crosses) in schools and government.
These laws banning "conspicuous" symbols of faith are France's latest version of the Maginot Line. They have given this country the illusory sense of security while actually strengthening the hand of the Islamists.
To the writers of this piece, a Muslim and a Sikh, the error of the French Laicite policies could not be more obvious."
The article then goes on to say how these two men are thankful to be citizens of the United States because of the religious freedom.
They then sum up the article by saying: "Europe has lost the language to talk to people of faith. It has lost that experience.
Both sides now can only look at each other as some sort of strange mutant creatures with no commonality among themselves.
When Christian Europe deserted its principles, its practices and its pieties, it created a vacuum that increasingly has been filled by a version of Islam that wants to reclaim its past glories by controlling Europe."
Although I do not agree with everything in this article, I do agree that when people who knew Christ, and then turn away from Him, bad things happen. In this case a whole continent is dropping Jesus Christ from their lives, and becoming lukewarm. The situation there reminds me of the statement Christ made in Revelation 4:16 "So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
It's time to pray for Europe and all Christian countries in the world. Pray we all return to our Christian roots. Drop the "L" out of the "world" and get back to the "Word".
By George Konig
December 4, 2005
www.georgekonig.org
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