| The developed world is entering a post-Christian period. |
| Michelle Bachelet, who was elected Sunday as president of this male-dominated, prosperous and deeply religious nation of 16 million, is a woman and an agnostic.
Source: A Leader Making Peace With Chile's Past" By LARRY ROHTER - NY Times - January 16, 2006 [Sebastián Piñera, a conservative billionaire businessman] said in a concession speech ...chose to take note of the difference between his "Christian humanism" and Ms. Bachelet's acknowledged agnosticism, closing his remarks by saying "May God bless Michelle Bachelet and our nation." Mr. Piñera, describing himself as a new and more compassionate breed of conservative, had pinned his hopes for victory in the runoff on persuading Christian Democrats to abandon the governing coalition, but failed despite his emphasis on moral and religious values. Source: "What Is Missing in This Woman's Victory? Coattails" By LARRY ROHTER - NY Times - January 16, 2006 The church here was deeply intertwined with the state during most of Spanish history, until well into the last half of the 20th century. In comparison, France has had a forceful tradition of secularism in the two centuries since its revolution, while in Italy the church has witnessed rising levels of secularism without the level of rancor that is occurring here. Religion is rapidly losing strength and influence in politics here. Even though this country was once the global bastion of conservative Catholicism, gay marriage is expected to become legal this month, under the most liberal such law in all of Europe. Northern Europe has a long history of secularism, but southern Europe is now catching up, with the changes in Spain particularly profound, swift and sometimes jarring. The church here was deeply intertwined with the state during most of Spanish history, until well into the last half of the 20th century. In comparison, France has had a forceful tradition of secularism in the two centuries since its revolution, while in Italy the church has witnessed rising levels of secularism without the level of rancor that is occurring here. In fact, Spaniards have been shedding traditional Catholic doctrine from their private lives, and from the law, since the 1970's, the last days of the Franco regime, which was closely allied with the church hierarchy. Source: "As Spaniards Lose Their Religion, Church Leaders Struggle to Hold On" by SAMUEL LOEWENBERG - NY Times - June 26, 2005 An independent report on sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic priests in Ireland has led some members of Parliament to call for a severing of the formal ties between the Irish government and the Roman Catholic Church and has led the justice minister to promise new child-protection laws and a nationwide audit of how the church handles such cases. Most schools in Ireland are run by the Catholic Church One-fifth of the report's 271 pages is taken up by testimony, often verbatim and frequently explicit, from the victims. It includes accounts of priests at a Catholic boarding school who measured boys' penises at night, of boys who were forced to perform oral sex on priests and of girls who were molested during confession, one even on a church altar. An investigation of 60 accusations of abuse in the Dublin archdiocese began this week, and a public debate has begun about whether to end the Catholic Church's role in the Irish education system. About 95 percent of Ireland's elementary schools are state-financed but run by Catholic authorities. Source: "Irish Report on Sexual Abuse by Priests Stokes Outrage" By BRIAN LAVERY - NY Times - November 13, 2005 |
|
Read what others have said about this statement here.
Use the section at the bottom of the screen to submit your own comment. | ||
| Comments | Contributor | Date Submitted |
| So why is the U.S. seemingly going backwards, not progressing, in this area? Why are we so easily swayed by empty rhetoric? | Linda Denton |
6/29/2005 |
Submit your comment below | ||