Europe: Will She Get Religion?

This question came up amongst friends Friday. I don't think so--not in the traditional, fundamentalist Christian sort of way. Europe may take up the mantel of faith to justify purging Muslims from their midst--the ends may satisfy the church and the state. The church wins with a new pseudo "influence". The state wins by reducing resources spent on appeasement, social programs, unemployment, etc. Win-win.

The flu-ridden Anchoress says:

Interestingly, the Muslims are threatening to attack Europeaon Churches. Since Europe is basically post-Christian, it will be interesting to watch the EU response. Do you suppose that some Europeans will suddenly rediscover their faith? Doubtful, but worth watching.

I don't see Europe ever becoming a truly Christian-dedicated place again where people live their lives in a God-fearing, Bible-believing, praying, kind of way. That doesn't mean that people won't USE God for their ends and quote chapter and verse to do it. All kinds of hate has been justified by religion and secularism, too, for that matter. Nazism, a fascist statist, government associated with religion to achieve it's ends. Stalin didn't need religion to justify his mis-deeds. Mussolini, like the IRA, like Islamists today, use religion as a way to achieve a political end.

The Europe of the future will be the worst of both. Out of one side of their mouths, God will be invoked while anything associated with God--marriage, abstinance, fidelity, faith, truth, moderation, etc will be viewed as antiquated literalism. That is, Godly actions will be scorned and a fluffy, puffy self-serving notion of God will cloak dastardly deeds done in God's name.

Europe is ripe for this sort of transformation. Social unrest, high unemployment, a divided society both culturally and economically, and boiling anger at appeasement's failure. People will eventually feel that the time is right to take matters in their own hands and feel completely justified in doing so--defending the true God's honor.