East and Central Europe – the best hope for the future of Europe?
In this paper I want to express my opinion about George Weigel point of view that Central and East Europe is the best hope for the future of Europe.
In one point of view I have to agree with G. Weigel, that “history is driven, over the long haul, by culture – by what men and women honor, cherish, and worship; by what societies deem to be true and good and noble; by the expressions they give to those convictions in language, literature, and the arts; by what individuals and societies are willing to stake their lives on” ( “The Cube and the Cathedral”; p. 30).
Central and East Europe has very difficult history. The last centenary, yet within fifty years, Europe produced two world wars, three totalitarian systems, a Cold War that threatened global disaster, oceans of blood, mountains of corpses, the Gulag and Auschwitz. And all of that has made a big influence to humans culture, beliefs, trust in others and oneselfs. East Europe is tired of wars and occupation as Western Europe.
In their bellicose past Europeans has lost they belief in God. As G. Weigel writes in his book “The Cube and The Cathedral” (p.19), many Europeans (especially high culture) are “Chrisophobic”. Europeans no longer pray and believe in God. They think that Christianity and Human rights contradict each other. So In my point of view, it is gross problem in Europe. And I do not agree with George Weigel, that Easter Europe countrie “could reenergize the often somnambulant local churches of Western Europe” (“The Cube and The Cathedral”; p.150). By G. Weigel, „Those who insisted that there be no overt recognition that Christianity played a decisive role in the formation of European civilization did not do so in the name of tolerance, despite their claims to the contrary. They did so because they are committed to the proposition that there can be politics without God.“ But in our days, people in Lithuania and in other East Europe countries, has been going to church and save belief in God less than in West Europe ( for example in Great Britain or in Spain, where people are much believer).
„Common wisdom has it that alcoholics outnumber practicing Christians and that more Czechs believe in UFOs than believe in God — and common wisdom may be correct,“ wrote Nate and Leah Seppanen Anderson in a Prague Post commentary; he’s a freelance writer, and she’s a political science professor at Wheaton College in Illinois and a specialist in Czech politics and society. And in my point of view, it is the same :problem“ in Lithuania too and in more East Europe countries.
Second point, of my view, is the number of suicides in Central Europe and especially in East Europe. For example Lithuania is top of the list in suicides, Russian is second, and Estonia, Latvia, Finland has a big number of suicides. In 2006 June, “Eurostad” has gave to the world statistic of divorces (http://www.lrytas.lt/?data=20060619&id=11506980171150393553&view=4 ). And here Lithuania and Czechia has been top of the list too. And a big number of divorces is in Estonia. It means that Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Czechia, countries of Europe has big social problems. They have lose a trust of they government, power, economy, and have lose a trust of themselves. Why? In my point of view, it is result of totalitarian systems that East Europe has been outlive. People are passive, accustomed that all could be put on plate. They are not accustomed to get own.
One more of Euope problem, whom means and G. Weigel in his book („The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics Without God“) biographer of John Paul II, argues that Europe’s „demographic suicide“ will cause its welfare states to buckle and is creating a „vacuum into which Islamic immigrants are flowing.“ Since 1970 the 20 million legal Islamic immigrants equal the combined populations of Ireland, Denmark and Belgium (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57781-2005Apr15.html). Wherever they look, Western Europeans feel their way of life threatened. One solution to low birthrates is higher immigration. But many Europeans don’t like the immigrants they have – often Muslim from North Africa, Azia. But I think it becomes to all Europe Union countries. So in this way, we should have to share own place under the sun.