December 6, 2006
The
Future of Christianity in
Europe
The
world is at war against terrorism, mainly in connection to Islamic
Fundamentalists. Frequently,
citizens are reminded that Islam is a peaceful religion and our fight is
strictly against terrorism. The truth is that Islamic fundamentalists have an
inability to practice secularization; therefore our fight against terrorism is
inevitably linked to the Islamic religion. Since the attacks on September 11 and
the horrific events that followed, the global community has come to the
realization of what these fundamentalists are capable of. Terrorists that wage
jihad against us often use God as justification behind their attacks. It is
difficult to forget their crazed screaming, “Allahu Akhbar,” meaning “God
is Great,” as they beheaded western hostages (Wikipedia). As a result, all
across
Europe
civilizations are clashing, specifically Christians and Muslims.
Europe
is in danger of Islamization with people converting, and the influx of Muslim
immigrants (Pryce-Jones, 2004). Christianity, which was already fragile in
Europe
, is now at a higher risk of declining because of this militant religious group.
Islam is the second largest
religion in
France
, the first being Catholicism (Wikipedia). According to the French Ministry, in
2000 the estimated number of people born into Islam was 4.1 million, overall the
population of Muslims in
France
is over 5 million. Their high birthrate has the ability to increase Islam
worldwide. In the last 30 years the number of Muslims in
Europe
has tripled the European average (An Uncertain Road, p.1). The high birthrate
of Muslims is in direct contrast with native European birthrates. Native
Europeans have dropped to an average of 1.45 children per couple (p.1). The
number to maintain population growth replacement level is 2.1 (p.1). At the same
time,
Europe
is growing older; calculations predict that by 2050 the average age will be 52.
3 (Cline, 2003, p.1). In comparison to the projected average age of Europeans is
the American calculation at age 35.4 (p.1). The age projections will impact
Europe
because migration will probably have to make up for the loss of the younger
population. Scholars speculate that the influx of immigrants will not only lead
to more tension, but also will contribute to the shrinking of the native
European population. Within
Europe
about 20 million Muslims have settled. Also in 2000, French converts to the
Muslim religion reached about 40,000. The influx of people into
France
also plays a major role; in 1999 there were 1.7 million immigrants mainly from
Muslim countries that migrated to France (Wikipedia). There is a claim that
currently there is no stronger force in the world than Islam because of its
ability to spread so rapidly (Pryce-Jones, 2004). Many historians believe that
the “clash of civilizations” will be over by the end of this century if the
demographic trends continue (Pryce-Jones). The end result will be a
Europe
that is mainly Muslim.
The possibility of a Muslim
majority
Europe
weighs heavily on Christianity. Impacts of secularism, priest sex abuse
scandals, and the decline of religious vocations has contributed significantly
to the decline in Christianity (Sennott, 2005). This process was already
underway because of long standing political conflicts between the church and
state. The church initially existed in a world where church leaders had more
authority than they do today, but today they are losing authority within the
realm of parishioners’ lives. Cathedrals throughout
Europe
are empty while neighboring mosques seem to be experiencing new life (Sennott).
A half-century ago there were only a handful of mosques in
Europe
, today many European countries have over a thousand (Pryce-Jones).
France
and
Germany
combined have somewhere between 10,000 to 12,000 mosques (Pryce-Jones). Since
World War II mass attendance has been consistently decreasing. In
France
only 5 percent of the population attends church each week (Windorf, 2006, p.1).
Currently, only 15 percent of Italians attend mass, followed by 30 percent of
Germans who attend at least once a month (p.1). In
Paris
worship attendance has dipped into the single digits (Charles Sennott).
In addition to the flock of Muslims to the vast area, western and central
Europe
is the most secularized in the world (Berger, 2005, p.1). The French adapted
the ideal of “laicite” in the early 1900’s, which rid the country of all
religious symbolism (p.5). This concept of secularization is the root of
conflict for Muslims who seem to be drawn to
France
, unable to accept this ideology. In many cases Muslims perceive a secular
society as hostile to their religious beliefs.
The word Islam means
“submission to God” also translated as “peace” (Idiots Guide to World
Religions). There is truth in the claim that the majority of Muslims are
peaceful law abiding people. Similar to other immigrant groups, Muslims migrate
to
Europe
with hopes for a more prosperous future. Muslims come to
Europe
with these hopes, which take precedence over the fact that they will be living
in a non-Muslim society. Historically, Muslims are not allowed to live in a
non-Muslim society. Yet, many Muslims have assimilated into the European culture
similar to other immigrant groups. French immigration policies have left many
immigrants to face social exclusion based on ethnicity (Wenden, 2006, p.1).
Muslims continue to feel like immigrants, living in ghettos where the crime and
poverty rates are extremely high. (An Uncertain Future, p.1). The obstacles that
Muslims are presented with reiterate the possibility of a rise in hostility
among Muslims towards non-Muslims. One example of such obstacles is the banning
in
France
of wearing the hijab in public schools. Headscarves were banned on March 3,
2004, including Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses (Ganley, 2004,
p.1). Muslims claim that this is religious discrimination because their holy
book prohibits women’s heads to be visible. The French Government feels that
the hijab is a violation of laicite and that it might promote conflict
between the various cultures involved (Lehmann, 2005). Once again,
secularization of church and state presents a disruption to the traditional
Islamic Religion. The fear is in the possibility of a backlash from Muslim
groups if they continue to feel that their religion is being challenged (Lehmann).
Fears are made real by attacks that have impacted Europe, such as the
London
bombings, because the perpetrators were born and raised in
Britain
(An Uncertain Road, p.2).
Immigrants who feel Islam is
being discriminated may be drawn to Islamic organizations that are appearing
throughout the world. According to author Roberto Marin, “Islamic
fundamentalism generally attracts the young, the dispossessed, and the
unemployed, who suffer the effects of marginalization and extreme poverty”
(p.7). In light of their economic and emotional state these individuals hold
society and the government responsible for their lack of prosperity. Again,
radical groups are drawing in the young because “for Western youths, taking up
Islam can also
serve as an outlet for rebellion. A majority of converts, especially in
Western Europe
, are in their late
teens or 20s” (Allah’s Recruits, 2006, p.1). Consequently out of their
resentment is generally the dedication to acts of violence. These Islamic fronts
prevent Muslims from being integrated into European Society. In
Britain
alone there are over 350 Muslim bodies including pressure groups, lobbies, and
charities (Pryce-Jones). These bodies have the potential to build anti-European
sentiment all across
Europe
. Many of the Islamic groups have some connections to al Qaeda. The purpose of
these groups is not only to undermine democracy, but also to encourage
immigrants to reject integration into the surrounding non-Muslim society (Pryce-Jones).
Islamic fronts push the idea to fellow Muslims that their religious beliefs are
being challenged and to take opposition against the non-Muslim societies that
they live in (Pryce-Jones). Obviously, this opposition to European society could
have grave consequences that ripple throughout the world.
One cost of
Europe
being ultimately Islamized is
possible violence and more extensive terrorism. The number of conversions to
Islam reaches in the thousands every year. Historians speculate that conversions
are occurring because Europeans are fearful and therefore are switching to the
“winning side” (Pryce-Jones). Islamic Demonstrations include high numbers of
individuals of non-Muslim decent, some contributing to terrorism. The attraction
to Islam in unexplainable, yet it is occurring (Pryce-Jones).
The impact of Islamic religious
beliefs affects the world, but more specifically
Europe
because of the fragile state of Christianity. The pull towards Islam creates a
problem for the church that is already in a state of upheaval. The empty
Cathedrals and lack of attendance throughout
Europe
gives more ammunition to Islam, which seems to be booming. Current polls show
that only 21 percent of Europeans consider religion to be very important while
three times as many American refer to their faith as very important (Windorf,
2006, p.1). The influence of the Muslim religion even sparks the attention of
young Catholics. In 2005, 43 percent of young adults in
Britain
between ages 18 to 24 said that they had no faith (Windorf). The influence of
the Islamic religion is even influencing the youth within the
United States
. Archbishop Edward Braxton of
Illinois
, said that “we are already seeing a small number of Catholic youths
converting to Islam” (Braxton, 2006, p.767). Pope Benedict XVI admits that the
greatest challenge of his papacy is the deterioration of the church in
Europe
(Sennott). The Pope believes that part of the problem is
Europe
’s denial of its Christian culture, creating a vacuum from the inside (Sennott).
He refers to
Europe
as being “crippled.” His plan is to strengthen Christianity from the inside
since the majority of the problem lies inward (Sennott). Recently, the Pope made
a comment about the evil decree of Muhammad that proclaims spreading Islam by
the sword. The Pope believes that Christianity and Islam have no communication
with each other because Islam is stuck in a medieval state (Sennott).
Christianity has attached itself to reason, along with inclusiveness, and
tolerance to disbelievers. Muslims however, are not as accepting towards those
who are non-Muslim.
The entire world seems to be
focused on cultural diversity and not offending cultures that differ from the
majority. There are benefits to this technique, but simultaneously the majority
begins to lose their own cultural and religious ties. Tolerance continues to
take priority over rationality because of the fear people have in dealing with
Muslims. Terrorists use means of fear to conquer others; therefore Muslims are
often associated with anger and violence. Time and again people are wary of
upsetting this group because of the repercussions that may follow (Amiel,
Barbara). Before Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI, he
confronted the ignorance that lies in ignoring the reality and presence of
Islam. He said, “it has been said that the European Commission could not speak
of the Judeo-Christian Roots of Europe because it would offend Islam…but, that
which offends Islam is a lack of respect for God and the arrogance of reason”
(Windorf, 2006, p.3). Although, the church is in a fragile state, the Pope still
has the courage to step forward and hold members of Islam accountable for its
violent acts. The Popes recent quote on the inhumanity of Islam was antagonized
by Muslim riots, attacks on Catholic churches, threats made on his own life, and
the murder of an Italian nun. Radical Islamists use violence because they
believe it is the only way to achieve their goal of a Muslim world. Tariq
Ramadan, a researcher at
Oxford
, claims that while the Pope and the majority of western thinkers can state
their critical opinion about Islam they aren’t necessarily right. Ramadan
explains that the
Europe
they are imagining and trying to reconstruct is only an illusion. He claims
that western thinkers deny the role Muslims have had on western thinking
throughout history.
Clearly, the fall of Christianity is giving life to the rise of Islam in
Europe
. It is a vast area that has loosened its ties with the church. What Europeans
need to reflect on is what will replace their Christian culture, Islam? New Your
Sun writer, Daniel Pipes, said several years ago “into the void are coming
Islam and Muslims.” The future of Christianity is uncertain, but demographic
trends and the unrelenting spirit of Muslims can give us an idea of what may
come.
It is challenging to separate
Muslims from modern Muslim fundamentalists because the two have become so
intertwined. Again, the majority of Muslims are peaceful people who as a general
rule enact forgiveness and understanding (Marin, 2003, p.1). Generalizations and
stereotypes have led to a common misunderstanding globally in relation to Islam.
Much of this influence is media related,
Though
most of the media attention is directed at a marginal minority of radicals,
millions of European Muslims are quietly proving every day that they can live
perfectly well in secular societies and share a strong ethical pedestal with
Jews, Christians and atheist humanists (Ramadan, 2006, p.1).
The
fear of the global community isn’t necessarily mainstream Muslims, but the
wrath of the fundamentalists because that is where the true power lies. Modern
Muslim fundamentalists use messages within the Quran to justify their violence,
terrorism, and assassinations (p.1). It is evident that fundamentalist use the
Quran for their own objectives. Fundamentalists steer away from the messages
that include peace and acceptance in order for them to gain their desire for a
Muslim world through messages of hate. It is important for Christians to be
aware of the true essence of Muslims in addition to making an effort to separate
them from the radicals. In Fanaticism: A Major Obstacle in the Muslim
Christian Dialogue, the author states,
It
is important to keep in mind that the intolerance and systematic violence of
most of the modern fundamentalist groups are not intrinsic to Islam; they are
part of these groups’ rejection of the secular governments in the Muslim
States (p.2).
Fundamentalists
reject everything having to do with western culture because of their strong
dislike for its presence within the world. In addition, western culture is an
obstacle for them in achieving the umma. In order to achieve this goal,
fundamentalists insist that Muslims must keep the original beliefs and practices
that Muhammad preached (p.5). Maintaining the umma poses to be quite difficult
in the 21st century, in an age where reason has consumed the world.
The roots of Islam are extremely militant and maintaining means of violence are
at the heart of fundamentalists.
The fear instilled throughout
Europe and even
America
doesn’t come without warrant, but the Muslims as a whole should not be held
responsible for the acts of extremists. According to author Roberto Marin,
“The response of the West to this violence and aggression seems to have been
designed to defame, insult, and make erroneous generalizations about the Muslim
world by blaming all Muslims for the actions of some groups of aggressive
fanatics” (p.6). Assumptions about Muslims and their faith in connection to
terrorism have labeled “…the Muslim world, violent and aggressive,
terrorists, against modernization, and illogical people” (p.6).
This stereotypical conclusion is not fair to the majority of Muslims or
their faith. Many innocent Muslims have also suffered acts of violence due to
prejudices, “Muslims have been victims of hate crimes that include assault,
murder, and the burning of mosques in both Europe and
North America
” (Haddad, 1997, p.1)
According to the Encarta
Dictionary, the definition of fundamentalism is,
A
religious or political movement based on literal interpretation of and strict
adherence to doctrine, especially as a return to former principles…the belief
that religious or political doctrine should be implemented literally, not
interpreted or adapted.
Fundamentalist
beliefs can be found in every religion (Young, 2006, p.2). There is a large
number of Christian fundamentalist who call for a literal interpretation of the
bible, despite contrary evidence from biblical scholars. The problem with
fundamentalism in relation to Islam is that their faith isn’t being absorbed
into modern times like many other major religions. It’s rejection of modernity
is “fanatical,” which generally turns into violence (p.2).
Religion has often undergone many changes and endured various trends of
popularity. Catholicism was in crisis during the Enlightenment and the
Reformation. Despite past experience with the lack of participation and attacks,
historians and scholars are fearful of the dangers Islam presents for
Christianity. The majority of Muslims are resentful of how Islam has been drug
through the mud by fundamentalist groups. Yet, they are unable to come forward
because of the hostile response they may encounter. There have been Muslims that
raised their voices and accused extremists of “radical infidelity to Islam,”
which took tremendous courage. They risk criticism, violent attacks, and
ultimately a horrific death (Kavanaugh) because Muslim extremists will even
inflict terror on their own people if they don’t share their radical beliefs.
If radical Muslims continue to spread their Islamic faith by the sword and
peaceful Muslims can’t actively respond the entire global community is at
risk.
Islamic strength in numbers and
the ability of Islam to spread rapidly leads scholars to speculate the future of
religion, more specifically Christianity. The Islam religion seems to be filling
the void of a fading Christianity in
Europe
. If the Islamic faith continues to draw more and more people into its mosques,
which are beginning to heavily populate
Europe
, Christianity may inevitably fade into the background. Many are fearful of this
possible “fading” and the violence that could surround it. Therefore, does
Christianity have a future? Many scholars and historians are in agreement
that by the end of this century
Europe
will be Muslim. Speculation of the collapse of Christianity isn’t the denial
of the existence of God, rather the realization of current trends. The truth is
that, “like everything else in the world no religion has existed forever” (Dator,
1994, p.1). Religions go through many different phases, some flourish while
others seem to vanish. Generally, there is a strong connection between a
dominant culture and dominant religion (p.2). As the population of
native-Europeans continues to shrink their dominant religion is inevitably at
great risk. Christianity is popular in other areas of the world, including the
United States
, but many argue that there may be more of a shift towards spirituality rather
than organized religion (p.1). Whether or not Christianity has a future will
remain unknown because currently the only answers that exist are mere
speculation. Despite future predictions, tension is building throughout the
world, especially in
Europe
. Muslims find many policies within
Europe
to be extremely offensive to their faith, excluded them from being active
participants in society. At the same time, native-Europeans are feeling
increasingly overwhelmed by the presence of Muslims.
In the face of doubt there is
still reason to hope for the continuance of Christianity in
Europe
. In Catholicism in Europe, Timothy
Schilling states,
I
find reasons to be hopeful for the future of faith on the continent…Isn’t is
just as likely that religious belief, which has been around in various forms
throughout human history, will prove more durable than a secularism that is so
hostile to the idea of transcendence? (Commonwealth, 2005, p.2).
Faith
and religion have been an enormous force throughout human history. Despite its
long standing connection with people, specifically Europeans, the relationship
is currently in a state of vulnerability. The presence of Islam in
Europe
will continue to be a threat to Christianity which is proving more and more to
be defenseless against the influx of Muslims. The idea of Christianity fading is
disturbing, but what is even more unsettling are the extremes Radical Muslims
may go to in order to achieve their objectives. Repercussions will not only
include the disappearance of Cathedrals throughout
Europe
. More frightening is the horrific acts that will be enacted by fanatical
Muslims.
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