Francesco,

I don't know what statistics these are or where they come from.  I would say the very nature of statistics is always suspect because they depend on how the question is asked and who exactly is asked.

But let us assume, for the sake of this question, that what you say has some validity to it.

• Why might this be?

We need to look at this from a larger more historical perspective rather than just a current day perspective. When Christianity took root in the world many centuries ago many peoples and cultures saw:

• raping and pillaging
• abortion
• infanticide (killing infants that you didn't want)
• slavery
• polygamy
• totalitarian dictatorships
• killing the weak and unproductive
• abuse of the poor and abuses of every kind as the norm, along with an average life expectancy of around 35 years.

When Christianity permeated the western world it began to inspire a certain faith and morality that would lead to a respect for:

• the human person
• the social order, and
• advances in medicine and other technologies

that would allow for life to be more just, more livable, and much longer in duration.

In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, when it became apparent that the Enlightenment had evolved in the wayward direction to creating a post-Christian era for many western European nations and America, the great strides that Christian society brought forth to the world, still remain in the social fabric, as is the case with the nations you mentioned. It will take a little time before it all unravels. In the meantime, many third-world nations are presently embracing Christianity for the first time. Hence, their way of life, although poor and primitive in many cases now, may see the magnificent benefits of aligning themselves to the will of God in the not-so-distant future.

So, although it would take much more space and research to really elaborate on this in detail,
I would propose to you that Christianity is the engine and cause of much of the good we have today, and that would still be the case in those countries you mention that are beginning a post-Christian era.

• How much longer we will be able to see nations of Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, and the like, having favorable life conditions? <Only God knows.>

Along with this we can see what can happen when a people reject God and attempt to live atheism collectively, as in Communism and Nazism.

Peace,

Paul

Francesco —

When things are going well, people forget about God, because they don't see the need for Him. They think they are self-sufficient and in need of no one. On the contrary, when people are in an environment of suffering and difficulty, they realize their abject helplessness and cry out to God. Their suffering makes them aware they are utterly dependent on Him so it's not that atheists cause progress and societal bliss, it's that societal bliss and progress cause atheism.

An example of this is shown by the dramatic up tick in national religiosity that we saw immediately after the 9/11 World Trade Center terrorist attacks in the U.S. For a brief period of time, aware of their helplessness, people turned to God but as the threat of terrorism faded, so did people's practice of the faith.

I know in my own life that when things are going well, I tend to forget about God and go on doing my own thing. I live for myself and start to drift away from the faith. It is when things get difficult that I am driven back to God and when I cling to Him every moment of every day. So I am thankful for my afflictions, because they keep me on track.

Blessed is he who bears affliction with thankfulness.

(St. Copras)

Eric

Francesco —

You said:

• I agree that we cannot take history out of the equation, but why are such advanced countries so lacking in faith?
• Is poverty making people religious, while making good-living people unreligious?
• Is higher education a cause of agnosticism and atheism?

In essence, yes.

You said:

• Is higher education a cause of agnosticism and atheism?

Not intrinsically; some of the greatest scholars have been Christian. But if a biased education leads you away from God, you have a problem. Note that only a small number of colleges — usually the fiercely Christian ones — require all students to integrate their faith into their education in the way it used to be done. There are no Christian underpinnings to education today. Where there is education in Christian topics, it's in a separate theology or philosophy class which can't hope to lay much of a foundation for all the other disciplines.

You said:
This seems to indicate that religion is something for the poor and ignorant. Many anti-Catholics (and anti-Christians) use these arguments to underline this conclusion.

Just because the poor and ignorant can obtain the most dramatic, immediate benefits from it doesn't mean it's only for the poor and ignorant.

Just because putting octane in a car that is pinging, brings more benefits to that car than the car that already has octane, doesn't mean that octane is only for cars that lack it.

The key here is that these societies are surviving on the fumes of Christianity. The philosophy of Christianity took hundreds of years to work its way into our culture but once it got there, it so permeated everything that it didn't go away immediately, as Christianity fell out of vogue. People are still benefiting from the fruits of Christianity even if they don't themselves believe in it.

The whole idea that the world shouldn't be ruled by force is a Christian concept. Even societies that are not Christian still live by it — for now, but eventually they'll run out of fumes and run aground. The whole anti-slavery and civil rights movements were rooted in Christianity.

Atheists now are still anti-slavery and in favor of civil rights, but really:

• On what basis does Atheism justify those ideas?

Eventually it will fall apart.

My point is that their societies run on Christian principles even if they don't know it. Turn away from Christianity and gradually society will fall apart over several generations, maybe hundreds of years.

You said:
I know Peter Hitchens, brother of Christopher. Unlike his brother, he is a Christian.  He recently wrote a book regarding the effects of atheism in society in his book "The Rage Against God".

Some atheists however claim that Christianity was deleterious for progress and that we have progressed thanks to secular and atheist movements such as illuminism, etc.

Of course, I disagree with this statement, as much of modern science is born in the context of faith. e.g. Copernicus, Mendel, Lemaître; all Catholic priests!

Yeah, they forget who invented the university!

You said:

• What is your opinion on the trend of Europe?
• Will Europe decay like the atheistic USSR did?
• Will Europe thrive and religion die in the West?, or
• Is it impossible to predict?

I think Europe is a lost cause, at least for the near turn.

I think perhaps they need to experience the bitter fruit of secularism for a few generations then perhaps they'll be open to Christianity.

Eric

Francesco,

You said:

• I agree that we cannot take history out of the equation, but why are such advanced countries so lacking in faith?
• Is poverty making people religious, while making good-living people unreligious?
• Is higher education a cause of agnosticism and atheism?

Eric said:
In essence, yes.

I would concur with Eric, and repeat a line of his last e-mail response:

It's not that atheist causes progress and societal bliss, it's that societal bliss and progress cause atheism.

The vicious cycle that the human race seems to be in, since our human nature was tainted at the fall in Eden, is that we can not handle the prosperity that faith in God creates.

• Is it no wonder why Jesus warns us so much against becoming rich?

It has the potential of destroying individuals and nations.

You said:

• Is higher education a cause of agnosticism and atheism?

Eric replied:
Not intrinsically; some of the greatest scholars have been Christian. But if a biased education leads you away from God, you have a problem. Note that only a small number of colleges — usually the fiercely Christian ones — require all students to integrate their faith into their education in the way it used to be done. There are no Christian underpinnings to education today. Where there is education in Christian topics, it's in a separate theology or philosophy class which can't hope to lay much of a foundation for all the other disciplines.

Yes, and to add to that, I would say most education today has materialism and relativism as its underlying, sometimes subtle, philosophy. Materialism and relativism signify the religion of secular humanism and has permeated the contemporary media and academia.

You said:
This seems to indicate that religion is something for the poor and ignorant. Many anti-Catholics (and anti-Christians) use these arguments to underline this conclusion.

Eric said:
Just because the poor and ignorant can obtain the most dramatic, immediate benefits from it doesn't mean it's only for the poor and ignorant.

Just because putting octane in a car that is pinging, brings more benefits to that car than the car that already has octane, doesn't mean that octane is only for cars that lack it.

The key here is that these societies are surviving on the fumes of Christianity. The philosophy of Christianity took hundreds of years to work its way into our culture but once it got there, it so permeated everything that it didn't go away immediately, as Christianity fell out of vogue. People are still benefiting from the fruits of Christianity even if they don't themselves believe in it.

The whole idea that the world shouldn't be ruled by force is a Christian concept. Even societies that are not Christian still live by it — for now, but eventually they'll run out of fumes and run aground. The whole anti-slavery and civil rights movements were rooted in Christianity.

Atheists now are still anti-slavery and in favor of civil rights, but really:

• On what basis does Atheism justify those ideas?

Eventually it will fall apart.

My point is that their societies run on Christian principles even if they don't know it. Turn away from Christianity and gradually society will fall apart over several generations, maybe hundreds of years.

Ditto.

You said:
I know Peter Hitchens, brother of Christopher. Unlike his brother, he is a Christian.  He recently wrote a book regarding the effects of atheism in society in his book "The Rage Against God".

Some atheists however claim that Christianity was deleterious for progress and that we have progressed thanks to secular and atheist movements such as illuminism, etc.

Of course, I disagree with this statement, as much of modern science is born in the context of faith. e.g. Copernicus, Mendel, Lemaître; all Catholic priests!

Eric said:
Yeah, they forget who invented the university!

Bingo!

You said:

• What is your opinion on the trend of Europe?
• Will Europe decay like the atheistic USSR did?
• Will Europe thrive and religion die in the West?
• Or is it impossible to predict?

Eric said:
I think Europe is a lost cause, at least for the near turn.

I think perhaps they need to experience the bitter fruit of secularism for a few generations then perhaps they'll be open to Christianity.

I concur with Eric, but would add that I don't think there's much time to repent because the external forces (which are now internal) could transform European society into an Islamic one.

Paul

Hi, Francesco —

You said:
Certainly the birthrate in Europe is very low among indigenous Europeans, while Muslim immigrants are having more kids.

However I wonder:

• Is (European) secularism contagious?
• What I mean is, will the Muslims in Europe keep their faith and culture even beyond the first two generations? or
• Will the children and grandchildren of Muslim immigrants abandon Islam for Atheism and Agnosticism as well?

If the future Muslim generations stay faithful to Islam, then I can see a future of 'Islamicized Europe, but otherwise, Europe will remain largely atheistic or agnostic (however Christianity might stabilize or even increase, although it seems difficult right now.)

Perhaps it is too soon to tell.

This is the golden question concerning Europe.

I guess this is something we will have to wait to see.

Paul