Date Posted:08:42:00 10/08/04 Fri Author: Chris Subject: Situation in Europe In reply to:
Tom
's message, "Regardless of the war on Iraq" on 06:31:17 10/08/04 Fri
Some explanations concerning the different political mindset in Germany and Europe.
I think the Germans are much more liberal. Even the political right, calling itself "Christian Democratic Union" (CDU), is very liberal and not very Christian. The so called "homo marriage" was accredited by our constitutional court recently. But there are other European countries like the Netherlands which are even more liberal. This affects also other issues like bioethics, genetical engineering, abortions and euthanasia (which are legal in the Netherlands).
One thing recently disturbed me. Currently there is a discussion whether Turkey should become a part of the European Union. Then a few weeks ago the Turks wanted to reform their law system. One of the changes was to give women more rights, but on the other hand to punish adultery.
You cannot imagine the outcry throughout the European Union when they heard this. It is absoultely incredible in Europe to punish adultery. Politicians across all parties, including the "Christian" parties declared that this would contradict our European "value system." The disturbing point for me was that they did not argue that it is not the sake of the state to punish these things, but that they argued that adultery is not and should not considered as something serious. But no wonder. Our chancellor and our foreign minister are both married 5 times. There is a joke saying the two are not allowed to fly in one plane, because if it crashes the state would have to pay so much widows' pensions.
Americans are considered to be bigoted and Bible fundamentalists here in Europe. The Clinton affair could have never happened here in Europe. Nobody would have cared. It would have been considered a private affair. Politicians can do what they want in their private time. There are quite a few politicians who openly admit they are homosexual, but because people here make strict separation between private life and politics, this is not really an issue.
Different to America, Bible believing born-again Christians (evangelical Christians) are an absolute minority in Europe. The vast majority are liberal Christians in the two large so called "state churches," Protestant and Catholic which usually attend church only once a year or when somebody marries or dies. (The churches called state churches because church taxes are collected together with the normal taxes if you are a member).
That's one reason why UBF is considered a cult in Europe on one side, but on the other side somewhat attractive to those students (like me) who were disappointed with the liberal "gospel-less" churches where there is no emphasis on a personal relation with God and Bible study.
