FWD: Le Monde Diplomatique, June 2001

[Michel Ryckx]

Remarkable to see how the differences between Western Europe and the United States keep on popping
up.

The overall attitude over here in Europe towards religion (I'm not talking all countries, but most
of them) stems from the French Revolution: (1) a state ought to be laicized; (2) religion is a
private opinion; (3) the state should cooperate with religions in order to give everybody the
opportunity in freely exercising his own belief.  This ended in the state subsidizing churches (even
its buildings --remember this when you're visiting a cathedral over here: it is usually maintained
by the gouvernment and the local authorities; not by the church in question) and its ministers.  The
next problem was: which churches to subsidize, and on what grounds?  In most European countries this
is still an unfinished process.  The solution in the Bundesrepublik is, as I see it, the most
logical one: every taxpayer fills in the religion he wants a certain percentage of his tax money to
get.  It is called the 'Kirchsteuer', which is a monument of decency and common sense.

One of the problems raised in this issue, is : how to discern a church from a sect?  This has not
been solved yet, but there is a consensus it has something to do with the possibility of leaving a
church on one's own free will.  Self-proclaimed churches like Scientology, Jehovah's Witnesses and
the like make it very difficult for their members to leave.  Hence they usually are considered to be
sects.  But no authority will prevent you from entering them.

A citizen of the US may forget that wars in which religion played a major role had been haunting
Europe for some centuries.  With all respect for the American Constitution and its amendments, the
European view on some things is usually very historicized.  The implied superiority of David Morris'
statement 'God bless the the First amendment' could be seen (from this side of the Atlantic, that
is) as a bit over the top.

And, David Morris continued:
"I'd rather be at the risk of being fooled by some cult than have the government decide which
religions are worthy of "dissolution."  ALL religions are money-making cults, fer Buddha's sake!",
to which I can only reply that it is not the gouvernment deciding, but that the different
parliaments set out the limits.  They are elected democratically.  As for your last phrase, I
couldn't agree more

The French prime minister, Lionel Jospin, who grew up in what is still called a 'protestant'
environment, caused a minor political incident last year, when the French protestant church asked
him to do a bit more for them.  He said he was 'un protestant athée', ['an atheist protestant'] and
publicly refused to do them some favours.

Kind regards,

Michel.




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