Is There a European Bible Belt?

[VetLegion]

Fine, fine. Greece is the Europe's leader of secularism don't make every thread a thread about Greece OK?

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by VetLegion

Another good question is whether there is a non-bible belt area in the mideast.

Europe is a continent and mideast is in Asia. Unbelievable, always an uneducated american wounds up in a geography thread

[OzzyKP]

Well on the thread topic, I got an e-mail from my girlfriend/ex who is visiting Europe and she said everything in Rome was shut down on Sunday. I think even our Bible Belt has most things open (except maybe liquor stores) on Sunday.

[Bereta_Eder]

ok vetty sorry. well it isn't a leader of secularism, no. but it isn't of the same fiber as Poland either. anyway the church under its current leadership wants but cant. but ok i stop. i dont want to threadjack.

moving to other countries germany is half half. catholics are the bavarians they are south and the most conservative.

[VetLegion]

Paiktis well I don't think Poland has it written on the official ID of which religion you are so you could be more easily molested and discriminated against, like some othe countries


Thanks for the Germany info, didn't know that.

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
Well on the thread topic, I got an e-mail from my girlfriend/ex who is visiting Europe and she said everything in Rome was shut down on Sunday. I think even our Bible Belt has most things open (except maybe liquor stores) on Sunday.

It's a great indicator I think

Try finding an open shop in Austria during the weekend, sheesh, everybody is in the churches and not a man nor a dog in the street...

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
Well on the thread topic, I got an e-mail from my girlfriend/ex who is visiting Europe and she said everything in Rome was shut down on Sunday. I think even our Bible Belt has most things open (except maybe liquor stores) on Sunday.

I wouldn't know for Italy, but in France, pretty much everything is closed down on sunday because of labour laws, not because of religion. Religion provided with a traditional rest day, which is now firmly in the hands of the labour laws (AFAIK, Saturday is also considered as a special day, as both compose the weekend)

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by VetLegion
Paiktis well I don't think Poland has it written on the official ID of which religion you are so you could be more easily molested and discriminated against, like some othe countries


Thanks for the Germany info, didn't know that.

cool np.
poland is of the most "religious" countries in europe by a long shot. greece dont even compare. the ID issue was one that put church against state and church lost. but it isnt that simple. there's an old tradition of identifying a Greek with the Orthodox religion. There are arguments against and in favor. But if you see this country's history you'll see that at some point "Hellenism" and "Orthooxy" merged. To the point that in byzantium Greek was the one that had Orthodox religion. The others were greeks but weren't considered as such but they were considered as nationalists. (following the nation - not the christianity).anyway it is a very old issue that came to the surface after the liberation. I'm not in favor of those who view the west as a compass for everything. I dont give a damn about the west and I think that Greece will suffer if it abandons its true heritage which from ancient times it is a mixture of the dionysian and the apollonian. the west only offers the later.
but anyway, to the matter at hand church lost and the IDs will not have religion on it. the church only acted populistically mind you under its current very short sighted and quite frankly lacking archbishop.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Damn that's annoying... and I get peeved when Chick-Fil-A (one fast food restaurant) is closed on Sunday.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Damn that's annoying... and I get peeved when Chick-Fil-A (one fast food restaurant) is closed on Sunday.

Do they do it on their own accord because they're Christian?

[Heresson]

Czech Republic definitely should not be in the belt. It's the most atheistic country in Europe, perhaps in the world.
Ukraine, perhaps it should be in the belt. There was not much mentioning about it, but reading an article about it I was shocked by the scale of use of religion in the elections of the orange revolution

Originally posted by Spiffor
The "stUpid" ?

whOO? yOU?

BUCKLE! COOL! That's the coolest part of any belt!
But it's not like this, like your map portaits vetty. There is oly one dangible subject the state and the churche came blows to blowes with it. and the church lost. however poland was the only country of ALL the EU (the one you'll someday maybe join ) that supported mentioning christianity in the constitution.

Poland was not the only one. Actually France with its Belgian vassal were the only ones to fully object.
The lack of mention of Christianity in the constitution is a discrimination of it, and of religion as a whole. It is OK to mention Ancient influence, it is OK to mention Englightement... But to mention what gave Europe it's identity, it is a political sin it seems.

But i dont think it is like this. i can talk for hours (but then you'd have to shoot me) but i think you'll only have to paint one country. Poland. Heresson might disagree he's welcome and I'll hear his opinion with interest.
Why I said this? Because there's a difference between countries whose churches want to have a political say but can't and those who do.

Church has influence on politics in Poland, and rightly so.
Not all of what church wants is done, of course, but in last years even left wing practically abandoned the most controversial issues, and only before the elections they're coming back. I think Greece has more official ties of the state with the church, though. Don't bishop get pensions? Btw, it seems there've been many scandals among Greek clergy last years.
On the other hand Sweden, practically atheistic country has officially Christian state religion... British monarchs can't marry catholics...

Another good question is whether there is a non-bible belt area in the mideast.

definitely Turkey, perhaps Iraq before the invasion, perhaps Jordan, Egypt. But all of that but Turkey only in comparison to Europe.

[VetLegion]

I dont give a damn about the west and I think that Greece will suffer if it abandons its true heritage which from ancient times it is a mixture of the dionysian and the apollonian. the west only offers the later.

Here's to traditions.

Anyway, what prompted me to make this thread is... Marlyn Manson is to have a concert in Croatia and some priests and such are pushing to boycot it, or, since they can't ban it, they've offered to compensate the organizer for the losses if the concert is cancelled.

I'm not a MM fan, but

You can notice I placed my homeland firmly in the belt

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by Spiffor

I wouldn't know for Italy, but in France, pretty much everything is closed down on sunday because of labour laws, not because of religion. Religion provided with a traditional rest day, which is now firmly in the hands of the labour laws (AFAIK, Saturday is also considered as a special day, as both compose the weekend)

Interesting.

Proof that for all our religiosity, America's true religion is commerce.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Spiffor
I wouldn't know for Italy, but in France, pretty much everything is closed down on sunday because of labour laws, not because of religion. Religion provided with a traditional rest day, which is now firmly in the hands of the labour laws (AFAIK, Saturday is also considered as a special day, as both compose the weekend)

What's the point of a weekend if you can't go out?

[Heresson]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Damn that's annoying... and I get peeved when Chick-Fil-A (one fast food restaurant) is closed on Sunday.

Do You (want to) work 7 days a week?