• grandepequeno [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    2 months ago

    I remember a Matt Christman point (I think) that in most of the western world, especially europe, the largest religion is not christianity but islam, because it really cannot be said that religion or spirituality plays a role in the life and decisions of most european christians rather than capitalism, like at all.

    But most muslims, even if increasingly less, do get influenced to do this or don't do that by what islam teaches them, and due to increasing muslim migration to european countries it probably means there are more of these people that "real christians" at this point.

    Can confirm that here in Portugal, a lot of christians (catholics of course) are utter sex pests but still go to church or whatever because that's how they were raised and that's the community they are in.

    • Frank [he/him, he/him]
      ·
      2 months ago

      Gonna disagree with Matt on what might be a technicality, but Protestantism is to a large extent a religious expression of capitalism in the 20th century. Or, like, Capitalism is secular protestantism. Europeans are still fanatical "Christians" but the nature of the religion as practiced is wildly different from teh way people conceptualize the religion. When Protestants, and Christians more generally, behave violently towards poor people and refugees their actions are consistent with the Capitalist Protestant beliefs regarding deserving and undeserving poor, etc. f

      • JamesConeZone [they/them]
        ·
        2 months ago

        Yeah, I think that's right. Protestantism, and especially Calvinism within Protestantism, was uniquely birthed with capitalism's individualism and drive towards greed vs other older sects

    • PKMKII [none/use name]
      ·
      2 months ago

      Worry about what dead female relatives would think of you for not going through the motions is a main driving factor in keeping Catholicism alive.

    • PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmygrad.ml
      ·
      2 months ago

      I don't think we should no true scotsman christianity. Sure they ignore their theory but everything else except theory is consistent, real christianity is precisely that one we see.

      • grandepequeno [he/him]
        ·
        2 months ago

        They ignore their theory AND their practice, and do things that would be anathema to older christians. They're still christians my point is that christianity now isn't as actually influenced by belief in god and spirituality than islam is.

          • grandepequeno [he/him]
            ·
            2 months ago

            But they don't do charity and stuff which is what their theory entails

            • PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmygrad.ml
              ·
              edit-2
              2 months ago

              Only if you assume that practice is only practice if it's in accordance with theory. In theory they should practice charity and forgiveness while in real practice they embezzle the money and rile up the bigots (not in the OP case apparently but mostly).