Europe Should Avoid Religion Like the Plague

Re “The Spiritual Malaise That Haunts Europe,” Commentary, May 1: While humane and caring individuals rejoice that the population levels of Europe are stabilizing after centuries of destructive growth, George Weigel worries about a “demographic meltdown.”

This is like worrying about drought in the middle of a torrential rainstorm.

Incredibly, Weigel views today’s prosperous, peaceful Europe as suffering from a spiritual malaise that can be cured only by a return to biblical religion.

Europe has already experienced religious domination, Mr. Weigel; they call it the Dark Ages and don’t want its return. Auschwitz and two world wars were devised by Europe’s pre-secular, Christian nations of Germany and Italy.

There is good reason to omit the word “Christianity” from the European constitution. The Europeans are well aware that Christian fundamentalists have used passing references to a creator and nature’s God in America’s early documents to demand a theocracy here, and they don’t want to plant this seed of mischief in their own lands.

Weigel and his uber-religionists may desire a world laid to waste by overpopulation, as he prays for the Four Horsemen and the Apocalypse to arrive. Secularism has brought Europeans decency, human rights and democracy, and they may be forgiven for not wanting to breed themselves into squalor.

Steven Morris

Torrance

Weigel laments the Europeans’ refusal to acknowledge in their constitution that Christianity is the root of their civilization, and he also cites the wars, bloodshed and “mountains of corpses” of the 20th century as a need for spirituality.

Because religion over the centuries has been one of the main causes of war and bloodshed, aren’t the Europeans wise to give it up? The failure of religion, magic, spirituality and other supernatural beliefs to protect human lives and culture provides the best argument for turning to science, reason and humanism.

Tim Bryant

West Hollywood