In Europe it's really weird, but it's commonplace in America: Atheists being far more obsessed with religion than their Agnostic and Oprahist (i.e. "spiritual but not religious") compatriots combined. It's not necessarily their fault because religion is still quite a hot topic over there and Atheists are still compared to nazis and pedophiles on a daily basis, even by living monuments of compassion like Oprah herself. If you are an Atheist but otherwise a conformist who respects authority, Europe is definitely your place. Europeans tend to treat religious feelings the way they treat penises: you can be as proud of yours as you want but you don't keep showing it off in public, not to mention pushing it down other people's throats.
But this applies to your lack of religion as well, and this is where the story gets tricky for the American Atheist. As a matter of fact, the reason why religious institutions are not waging the culture war on this side of the ocean is simply the fact that they don't have to. They don't need that permanent and ever increasing hysteria to make their followers willing to donate because most of them are financed by the governments of Europe. These governments have some basic funds distributed among denominations according to the numbers of their followers (which is determined by census figures), plus they maintain schools and hospitals and buildings of worship for free. If the people would stop declaring their affiliations or these funds would just dry up for any other reason, I must guess the European churches would immediately go berserk.
As a European Atheist I must confess that I like this system! Okay, I know it's not exactly cool, but at least I'm not being compared to nazis and pedophiles. I like the fact that the secular government has the upper hand over religions which have to prove themselves useful in order to keep this silent pact with the masses. Of course I don't like the fact that they still preach for the right wing which is always willing to give them some more, but the left wing is also giving them quite enough and the right wing knows its limits as well, so it's not that bad. But then why am I still obsessed with religion?
[to be continued]
But this applies to your lack of religion as well, and this is where the story gets tricky for the American Atheist. As a matter of fact, the reason why religious institutions are not waging the culture war on this side of the ocean is simply the fact that they don't have to. They don't need that permanent and ever increasing hysteria to make their followers willing to donate because most of them are financed by the governments of Europe. These governments have some basic funds distributed among denominations according to the numbers of their followers (which is determined by census figures), plus they maintain schools and hospitals and buildings of worship for free. If the people would stop declaring their affiliations or these funds would just dry up for any other reason, I must guess the European churches would immediately go berserk.
As a European Atheist I must confess that I like this system! Okay, I know it's not exactly cool, but at least I'm not being compared to nazis and pedophiles. I like the fact that the secular government has the upper hand over religions which have to prove themselves useful in order to keep this silent pact with the masses. Of course I don't like the fact that they still preach for the right wing which is always willing to give them some more, but the left wing is also giving them quite enough and the right wing knows its limits as well, so it's not that bad. But then why am I still obsessed with religion?
[to be continued]
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