RATZINGER CROSS HEADS fierce anti-secular After receiving congratulations and good wishes of family members I never see, of being bombarded with emails corny Christmas and inappropriate calls from supposed "friends" that these dates tend to behave hypocritically, to support neighbors in order year, feel obliged to set up loud parties until all hours of the morning, it's time to sit comfortably at the computer and reflect on certain issues which have been vox populi in 2010 in religious matters and who will be in the new year just premiered in the crisis and unemployment continue to cause havoc. Indeed, it was not like the future imagined by Arthur C. Clarke ...
When I came home at dawn after New Year's Eve dinner, I was browsing through virtual newspaper for the news highlights of the last hours of 2010. How could it be otherwise, Benedict XVI dismissed the year and decade for the umpteenth time remembering something that seems to take away the dream: the need for Spain-and by extension, Europe-reactive its Christian roots and to undertake an arduous fight against secularism (which is not aggressive, contrary to what the Pope preaches). Sounds like a fanatical crusade. And basically it is. The Church is conducting a merciless battle antilaicista (actually it is a miserable attack on freedoms individual), while watching your business bimillennium collapses spectacularly, though not a result of the economic crisis, which never affects the multinational Vatican, but by the profound crisis of faith. The latest surveys provide an increasingly bleak outlook for the Church. In Spain, atheism has grown in 2010, I welcome. Atheists and non-believers and we are 20.3% of the population (in 2007 were 16.5%). In turn, decreases the number of Catholics, 80.5% fell to 77% in just over two years. Consider also that the number of practicing Catholics reached only 28.1% and continues to decline gradually. Among non-practicing Catholics, 44% do not believe in God, showing that family and social tradition is stronger than their faith (it is ironic that you considered Catholic and not believe in God.) To make matters worse, 64% of Catholics considered the Pope does not represent God. Yes, it is clear that Catholicism is at its lowest hours, unable to adapt to the advanced societies of the twenty-first century. With John Paul II, the innovative spirit of Vatican II is vaporized in a flash and the Church involuted to a rather inspired neoconservatism Trento. Yet Ratzinger-zealous guardian of orthodoxy from his days as cardinal secularism blame the evils afflicting the Church. Interpreted as a powerful force hostile to religion and faith in God. He does not realize that the worst enemy that religion has its own religious radicalism is not secularism, that only promotes freedom of conscience and state neutrality in religious matters. Religion itself is hostile. A clear example was the savage attack occurred during the New Year's Eve in a Coptic church in Alexandria and has killed 21 Christians, apart from the dozens of wounded was. The suicidal act was committed by an atheist or an advocate of secularism, but a Muslim terrorist, possibly linked to Al Qaeda command . A fan religious, after all. The subsequent clash between Christians and Muslims on the streets of Egypt was a good sign of peace that promote religion. We see how well you lead by example. "Certainly, religion is now an active source of violence, much as it was at any time in the past. The recent conflicts in Palestine (Jews versus Muslims), the Balkans (Orthodox Serbs against Croats Catholics, Orthodox Serbs against Bosnian Muslims and Albanians), Northern Ireland (Protestants against Catholics), Kashmir (Muslims against Hindus), Sudan (Muslims against Christians and animists), Nigeria (Muslims against Christians) Ethiopia and Eritrea (Muslims against Christians), Sri Lanka (Sinhalese Buddhists against Tamil Hindus), Indonesia (Muslims against Timorese Christians), Iran and Iraq (Shiite Muslims against Sunni Muslims), and the Caucasus (Orthodox Russians against Chechen Muslims, Muslim Azerbaijanis against Catholic and Orthodox Armenians) are merely a few examples. In these places religion has been the explicit cause of literally millions of deaths in the last 10 years ", the philosopher Sam Harris notes in his splendid article 'Religion as a source of intolerance and irrationality." Where are the atheists dangerous these brutal wars? That is one of the reasons why many people reject religion because it continues to this day, making fanatics who kill in God's name. And also because, as with the institutional church, maintains obsolete dogmas, postulates that infringe on the right, an unnatural and repressive sexual morality, misogynist and homophobic attitudes, postures unscientific, uncontrollable desire to continue to control millions of minds to terrify with the idea of \u200b\u200bsin and eternal hell, policies far removed from the Gospel message, closer relations with the powerful than with the poor, etc.
When I came home at dawn after New Year's Eve dinner, I was browsing through virtual newspaper for the news highlights of the last hours of 2010. How could it be otherwise, Benedict XVI dismissed the year and decade for the umpteenth time remembering something that seems to take away the dream: the need for Spain-and by extension, Europe-reactive its Christian roots and to undertake an arduous fight against secularism (which is not aggressive, contrary to what the Pope preaches). Sounds like a fanatical crusade. And basically it is. The Church is conducting a merciless battle antilaicista (actually it is a miserable attack on freedoms individual), while watching your business bimillennium collapses spectacularly, though not a result of the economic crisis, which never affects the multinational Vatican, but by the profound crisis of faith. The latest surveys provide an increasingly bleak outlook for the Church. In Spain, atheism has grown in 2010, I welcome. Atheists and non-believers and we are 20.3% of the population (in 2007 were 16.5%). In turn, decreases the number of Catholics, 80.5% fell to 77% in just over two years. Consider also that the number of practicing Catholics reached only 28.1% and continues to decline gradually. Among non-practicing Catholics, 44% do not believe in God, showing that family and social tradition is stronger than their faith (it is ironic that you considered Catholic and not believe in God.) To make matters worse, 64% of Catholics considered the Pope does not represent God. Yes, it is clear that Catholicism is at its lowest hours, unable to adapt to the advanced societies of the twenty-first century. With John Paul II, the innovative spirit of Vatican II is vaporized in a flash and the Church involuted to a rather inspired neoconservatism Trento. Yet Ratzinger-zealous guardian of orthodoxy from his days as cardinal secularism blame the evils afflicting the Church. Interpreted as a powerful force hostile to religion and faith in God. He does not realize that the worst enemy that religion has its own religious radicalism is not secularism, that only promotes freedom of conscience and state neutrality in religious matters. Religion itself is hostile. A clear example was the savage attack occurred during the New Year's Eve in a Coptic church in Alexandria and has killed 21 Christians, apart from the dozens of wounded was. The suicidal act was committed by an atheist or an advocate of secularism, but a Muslim terrorist, possibly linked to Al Qaeda command . A fan religious, after all. The subsequent clash between Christians and Muslims on the streets of Egypt was a good sign of peace that promote religion. We see how well you lead by example. "Certainly, religion is now an active source of violence, much as it was at any time in the past. The recent conflicts in Palestine (Jews versus Muslims), the Balkans (Orthodox Serbs against Croats Catholics, Orthodox Serbs against Bosnian Muslims and Albanians), Northern Ireland (Protestants against Catholics), Kashmir (Muslims against Hindus), Sudan (Muslims against Christians and animists), Nigeria (Muslims against Christians) Ethiopia and Eritrea (Muslims against Christians), Sri Lanka (Sinhalese Buddhists against Tamil Hindus), Indonesia (Muslims against Timorese Christians), Iran and Iraq (Shiite Muslims against Sunni Muslims), and the Caucasus (Orthodox Russians against Chechen Muslims, Muslim Azerbaijanis against Catholic and Orthodox Armenians) are merely a few examples. In these places religion has been the explicit cause of literally millions of deaths in the last 10 years ", the philosopher Sam Harris notes in his splendid article 'Religion as a source of intolerance and irrationality." Where are the atheists dangerous these brutal wars? That is one of the reasons why many people reject religion because it continues to this day, making fanatics who kill in God's name. And also because, as with the institutional church, maintains obsolete dogmas, postulates that infringe on the right, an unnatural and repressive sexual morality, misogynist and homophobic attitudes, postures unscientific, uncontrollable desire to continue to control millions of minds to terrify with the idea of \u200b\u200bsin and eternal hell, policies far removed from the Gospel message, closer relations with the powerful than with the poor, etc.
The profound secularization in recent decades, Western societies have experienced has obviously created a huge rift between many citizens and the Church. Not to mention, following the scandal of pedophile priests cases (and even more, predicting that the Vatican covered up such crimes). That has led many Catholics look askance at the institution where they were baptized by their parents. Thus, the storm of criticism, the decline of the faithful and the considerable number of apostates in the last five years, it causes a reaction resulting from purely internal, not external. Above all, since the Vatican being governed by the fundamentalist Ratzinger. Its ultra-conservative papacy itself has had destabilizing consequences for the Church, unable to adapt to the signs of the times and accept the prevailing moral pluralism. But the leaders did not want to admit it and seek a scapegoat to blame. And now throw their poison darts against the secular model. The Church does not tolerate losing the political and social influence that has always had, especially during the Franco dictatorship, and his desire is to regain the power they once wielded. There is more to observe the pulse that keeps the iron Episcopal Conference with the government. And how to get it, is the political signal that is, yield submissively to their blackmail and continue funding the Church's bishops to keep happy (and well-filled bellies.) The postponement of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of the more than necessary reform of the Religious Freedom Act, demonstrates yet again how the English politicians are kneeling before the proud bishops. Faced with this nonsense, we might ask: is it really Spain a secular state and secular and defend our Constitution? I doubt it. At least, in practice there is not a neutral in religious matters. Rather, it remains a veiled confessional. "seems fair and necessary to ask what is the mode al ciudadano un Estado que se declara constitucionalmente aconfesional, pero en la práctica funciona como un perverso hipócrita y facineroso” , señala el escritor y profesor Víctor Moreno.
¿Y a qué se debe esa fijación del pontífice hacia nuestro país como vimos en su última visita, más estratégica que pastoral? ¿Acaso porque España fue en su día una de las naciones más representativas de la fe católica, llegando a ser considerada la reserva espiritual de Occidente? Pienso que esa es una buena razón, pero hay otra aún más poderosa: el temor a perder los pingües privilegios económicos que aún obtiene la Iglesia española. Sólo in 2009, received the State no less than 15,000 million euros. Such benefits are due, largely, to the Agreements signed on January 3, 1979 the Holy See and the English state and still remain effective. "are privileges contrary to the constitutional principles of secularism and equality before the law" , says the theologian Juan José Tamayo, secretary general of the Association of Theologians John XXIII and was infamously banned by the Church's teaching following his book God and Jesus (despite being a lay theologian and not rely on the hierarchy at all). Long ago that the English church should be self-financing (as it does in the UK). That was precisely what he promised to do after a reasonable time. In fact, at No. 5 of Article 2 of Agreement between the English State and the Holy See on economic affairs , we read: "The Catholic Church declares its intention to achieve by itself enough resources to care for their needs ". However, they have met just now thirty-two years since the signing of the Concordat and the Church is still getting a more substantial financial support from the State. So while the church and state remain bound by those agreements should be repealed immediately, can not be stated categorically that Spain is a truly secular state. Do not forget, as clarified by the historian Ramón Teja, who secularism means the existence of a public space available to all citizens to exercise their rights in conditions of freedom and equality, a city of men in which there is room for all, not a city of God where there is only room for believers ".
¿Y a qué se debe esa fijación del pontífice hacia nuestro país como vimos en su última visita, más estratégica que pastoral? ¿Acaso porque España fue en su día una de las naciones más representativas de la fe católica, llegando a ser considerada la reserva espiritual de Occidente? Pienso que esa es una buena razón, pero hay otra aún más poderosa: el temor a perder los pingües privilegios económicos que aún obtiene la Iglesia española. Sólo in 2009, received the State no less than 15,000 million euros. Such benefits are due, largely, to the Agreements signed on January 3, 1979 the Holy See and the English state and still remain effective. "are privileges contrary to the constitutional principles of secularism and equality before the law" , says the theologian Juan José Tamayo, secretary general of the Association of Theologians John XXIII and was infamously banned by the Church's teaching following his book God and Jesus (despite being a lay theologian and not rely on the hierarchy at all). Long ago that the English church should be self-financing (as it does in the UK). That was precisely what he promised to do after a reasonable time. In fact, at No. 5 of Article 2 of Agreement between the English State and the Holy See on economic affairs , we read: "The Catholic Church declares its intention to achieve by itself enough resources to care for their needs ". However, they have met just now thirty-two years since the signing of the Concordat and the Church is still getting a more substantial financial support from the State. So while the church and state remain bound by those agreements should be repealed immediately, can not be stated categorically that Spain is a truly secular state. Do not forget, as clarified by the historian Ramón Teja, who secularism means the existence of a public space available to all citizens to exercise their rights in conditions of freedom and equality, a city of men in which there is room for all, not a city of God where there is only room for believers ".
Something like we read in the Manifesto Civic Platform a Secular Society:
"The ideal of secularism is a guarantee freedom and democratic integration of the various religious and moral beliefs that coexist in a society. Secularism as a philosophy and social movement argues that freedom of conscience, freedom of ideology and religious freedom is a cornerstone of democratic laws of a country and that the State must be neutral in religious matters, that is, that no religion should enjoy any preferential treatment or any privilege (economic, social, legal) in their relations with political power. This political philosophy argues that all citizens are equal before the law and that nobody may be discriminated against on religious or ideological reasons. The goal of secularism is that every citizen can freely exercise their moral choices, with the neutrality of the State expressed the best way to ensure effective and equal freedom of conscience for all ".
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