05-29-2005, 07:11 PM
`Secularism facing threat in the West too'
Special Correspondent
Speakers at atheists' meet advocate scientific education
VISAKHAPATNAM: Many harbour the notion that industrialised nations in Europe are secular, but it is not so, said noted psychoanalyst, Fritz Eric Hoevels, and psychologist, Simone Mosch, from Germany.
Addressing a media conference organised by the Atheist Society of India (ASI) here on Saturday, the duo recalled how Adolf Hitler, signed a pact with the Pope of Vatican in 1933 by which the church was granted many privileges, particularly economic ones like the church tax, "which is still valid as law in Germany and Austria''.
Expenses
Till date, the Germans, irrespective of their religious affiliations, are contributing to the Christian churches about 65 per cent of the latter's expenses.
Only about 35 per cent of churches' actual income was paid by their members as a fee, and even this fee was compulsorily collected by the German State, they stated.
Dr. Hoevels of Freiburg in Germany also noted that Islam was being encouraged by the European media to pave way for the re-introduction of Christianity and medieval church privileges which were lost in the French Revolution when the church had become silent.
"But by Islam, the Pope can come back with the Catholic church. And both Islam and Christianity are keen on persecuting their enemies,'' he said.
In this context, he cited the murder of the Dutch film maker, Theo van Gogh, by Islamist fanatics because of his very moderate movie criticising Islam as a religion, and the movie glorifying Hamas suicide attacks on Israelis that were fully paid by the European Union institutions and hailed by EU culture officials. Even the life of the scriptwriter of the movie, Ian Hirgi Ali, a woman Labour Minister, was now under threat, he stated.
No action
Ms. Mosch gave another example of the murder of a Turkish girl, Hacun Suruchi, in Berlin by her own brother last month, when she wanted to escape arranged marriage and similar humiliations, with impunity as the police did not take any action. France, the Netherlands and Italy were the three countries worst affected by religious fanaticism at present, she said.
The visitors from Germany said that the only way to counter the threat to secularism was to enlighten the people on the latest developments and fight religious fundamentalism. Scientific education would be the best thing under the circumstances, they observed.
The duo also praised the Tamil Nadu Government on its move to ban forcible religious conversions (since backtracked).
The chairman of the ASI in Andhra Pradesh, Jaya Gopal, spoke.
Special Correspondent
Speakers at atheists' meet advocate scientific education
VISAKHAPATNAM: Many harbour the notion that industrialised nations in Europe are secular, but it is not so, said noted psychoanalyst, Fritz Eric Hoevels, and psychologist, Simone Mosch, from Germany.
Addressing a media conference organised by the Atheist Society of India (ASI) here on Saturday, the duo recalled how Adolf Hitler, signed a pact with the Pope of Vatican in 1933 by which the church was granted many privileges, particularly economic ones like the church tax, "which is still valid as law in Germany and Austria''.
Expenses
Till date, the Germans, irrespective of their religious affiliations, are contributing to the Christian churches about 65 per cent of the latter's expenses.
Only about 35 per cent of churches' actual income was paid by their members as a fee, and even this fee was compulsorily collected by the German State, they stated.
Dr. Hoevels of Freiburg in Germany also noted that Islam was being encouraged by the European media to pave way for the re-introduction of Christianity and medieval church privileges which were lost in the French Revolution when the church had become silent.
"But by Islam, the Pope can come back with the Catholic church. And both Islam and Christianity are keen on persecuting their enemies,'' he said.
In this context, he cited the murder of the Dutch film maker, Theo van Gogh, by Islamist fanatics because of his very moderate movie criticising Islam as a religion, and the movie glorifying Hamas suicide attacks on Israelis that were fully paid by the European Union institutions and hailed by EU culture officials. Even the life of the scriptwriter of the movie, Ian Hirgi Ali, a woman Labour Minister, was now under threat, he stated.
No action
Ms. Mosch gave another example of the murder of a Turkish girl, Hacun Suruchi, in Berlin by her own brother last month, when she wanted to escape arranged marriage and similar humiliations, with impunity as the police did not take any action. France, the Netherlands and Italy were the three countries worst affected by religious fanaticism at present, she said.
The visitors from Germany said that the only way to counter the threat to secularism was to enlighten the people on the latest developments and fight religious fundamentalism. Scientific education would be the best thing under the circumstances, they observed.
The duo also praised the Tamil Nadu Government on its move to ban forcible religious conversions (since backtracked).
The chairman of the ASI in Andhra Pradesh, Jaya Gopal, spoke.