Is Europe the New �Dark Continent�?

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Originally posted by gcle2003

Originally posted by Akolouthos

Your point on communism is taken and appreciated; I think it serves to point out that we often overstate the degree of difference between religious adherents and faithful adherents of other stringent ideologies. We also have a tendency, when we adopt this sort of mindset -- dare I call it an ideology? -- to view only one side of the coin when it comes to "troubles", for many things could be classified in this category. Such a mindset leads to ideologically motivated, false generalizations, such as the one I was addressing. The issue is nowhere near simple enough to make the claim that "only the religious parts of Europe have troubles," nor even that "it is mostly the religious parts of Europe that have troubles," at least not in this context. 

The implicit point of the generalization is that religious is the cause of, or at least an intrinsic contributing factor in, these troubles, and that secularism is a cause for their resolution, or at least does not exacerbate them. As we may obviously see from history, the adoption and implementation of any ideology is fraught with "troubles", even when its adherents are well meaning. Whether this is because the ideology itself is intrinsically flawed (communism), or because it is overblown (secularism and materialism, for proper secular values can be a source of ethical and moral strength, and material goods are not, in and of themselves, evil),or again because there are those who would corrupt it (Christianity, although I'm sure we disagree a bit with regard to specifics here), there will always be difficulty here on Earth.

-Akolouthos 

The causes of these troubles don't lie in religion or ideology or ethnicity or race. The causes lie in people, in particular people with personal political ambitions and power hunger, and especially ones who feel deprived of their rightful (in their eyes) power, or access to power, under the existing socio-political order. (cf bin Laden with regard to the political situation in Saudi Arabia: in a democratic Saudi Arabia I suspect bin Laden would have run for president as a reformer and probably won).

Religion, ideology, ethnicity then for them make handy excuses for political, frequently violent, action, and, sadly, they provide excellent motivators for their followers, in particular the ones who are themselves psychologically frustrated. 

Violent terrorists, were their overt cause not to exist, would simply choose another one.

That's why it's not a coincidence that religion is connected with many outbreaks of violence: not because it is a cause, but because it provides a handy excuse. 

I agree, with one caveat -- that being that the degree to which any particular ideology may be exploited is relative to its underlying precepts. That is to say that not all ideologies are created equal.

-Akolouthos