Has Christianity Lost In Europe?

In the words of Bojidar Marinov:

The spiritual condition of Europe has been the focus of attention for American Christians and conservatives for quite a while. The twentieth century did in practice what the Enlightenment thinkers had imagined in theory: The complete removal of Christianity from public life. Christianity has retreated, even from those countries that a century ago were vocally Christian in their public policies. The two world wars helped for short revivals of spiritual activities, and the Cold War—and its end—contributed somewhat for a renewed interest in Europe’s Christian history. But in general, Europe has been on the road to thorough secularism, rejecting Christianity as a moral paradigm, silencing its politicians and public figures who dare speak in the name of the Christian religion, and ridiculing Christianity as a backward religion of her savage past. And with the rise of Islam and the impotence of the European nations to stop its tide, the future looks bleak.

Missionaries working in Europe send back discouraging reports of governments creating obstacles to preaching the Gospel in what was just recently considered part of the “free world.” Even if they don’t have obstacles, the Europeans themselves are militantly opposed to being evangelized; and the government of the largest European nation—Germany—is on a frantic crusade to obliterate homeschooling and the “alternative lifestyles” that go with it (read Christianity). In France some cities have regulations that ban Protestant churches from owning buildings near public schools, while having no similar limitations for strip clubs or alcohol stores. And just recently the highest court in Europe acted to ban Christian symbols in the schools in Italy.

No wonder American Christians consider Europe a “lost continent,” and conservative talk shows use words like “hopeless” and “dark” when they discuss the future of Europe. Christianity seems to be pushed out of Europe, and with it goes the great civilization that it created.

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