Religion in Europe.. - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

scorpricorn · 06-08-2005, 09:23 PM

I was wondering...are the majority of Europeans that you've met very religious? Does the topic of religion come up a lot in discussion with them? I'm a Pagan and I would love to meet other Pagans in Europe but I'm afraid they may think i'm crazy or maybe not even like to talk about such things.

**space virgin** · 06-08-2005, 09:35 PM

Plenty O Pagans in the UK.

That's probably the most "out" place for paganism in Europe; the majority of the other countries are either staunchly Catholic or protestant. And I did not find that it came up in conversation with locals at all. Especially compared to the proselytizing that goes on in this country.

scorpricorn · 06-08-2005, 09:45 PM

Wait - which country are you speaking of?

**bellelass** · 06-08-2005, 10:10 PM

I was talking to some of my aussie/spanish friends once and some of them were genuinely shocked that there are still people in the world who honestly believe in God. hehe. I hear scandinavia has some of the pagan stuff going on... I was going to try to get there for May Day but had other obligations...

scorpricorn · 06-08-2005, 10:20 PM

Yes! Scandinavia!! Now I remember..lots of people practice Asatru up there..I must go.

**space virgin** · 06-08-2005, 10:28 PM

Sorry: here = U.S. (Specifically Seattle, but there's a pretty low rate of proselytizing 'round these parts compared to other areas of the country.

)

travelguy · 06-09-2005, 08:30 AM

i never got into a discussion about religion with anyone there. but in pompeii i happened to get there when a church service was going on. it was packed and everyone was really into the service.

**tumblezweedz** · 06-09-2005, 10:33 AM

In many places in Europe religion is more of a cultural thing than a deeply held belief, though there are certainly exceptions (think Catholicism in Poland, for example). People are often mystified by North Americans' willingness to actually discuss religion openly, so I'd be a little cautious of just suddenly launching into a conversation with someone you just met...

**omisan** · 06-09-2005, 10:36 AM

Another aspect I find interesting (and am envious of) in Europe is that most governments implicitly offer not just "freedom of religion" but "freedom from religion." I so wish that's how it was stateside.. *sigh*

"God save us from all true believers."

**tumblezweedz** · 06-09-2005, 11:43 AM

The strength/openness of the practice of faith in Europe seems often to be related to how recently and ferociously it was persecuted, based on our observations over the last couple of years here.

**TheJake** · 06-09-2005, 12:52 PM

as a pretty crazy, though mostly hypocritical according to the american church standards, christian I have been hearing for years now that the cool kind of jesus people have kinda gone underground. Most of the best new jesus music is coming out of australia and england right now as well.

*by underground I mean that they have ceased meeting in a "church" buildings and started meeting in clubs before they open or different peoples houses as well as parks and whatnot

**MeTurk** · 06-10-2005, 06:02 AM

The faiths been knocked out of alot of Catholics because of all those nuaghty preists, it was especially bad in Ireland priests where right bastards altogether. Old people still go to church and still have alot of respect for the church so just don't say anything to out of the way.

But anyone under 40 should be more than willing to have an open debate just as long as you don't launch into an open attack of their religion straight away. If it come's up naturaly, fine.

I've found most people (here anyway) just don't care about religion anymore and won't want to talk about because it just doesn't interest them.

**kingcrazylegs** · 06-12-2005, 07:05 PM

There is certainly a number of Culturally based religious countries in Europe, especially Southern Europe, but I think you'll generally find people more open-mindedness in Europe vs. the US.

**voyd** · 06-13-2005, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kingcrazylegs@Jun 12 2005, 08:04 PM
you'll generally find people more open-mindedness in Europe vs. the US.

Ya, I think Christianity is passe over there now, and there are far more Pagans than here. Well, they still have deep historical scars from Christianity like forced mass conversions and 356 years of the Spanish Inquisition, etc. It's hard to ignore all the church's genocidal bodycounts, torturing and political abuse that took place there. So, they've shed their rosy-colored glasses about it long ago and are far more spiritually realistic/progressive now (no offense, anyone).

Ah, I miss the EU...