France General Discussion IV: Yellow Fever

[kelestian]

I've honestly never understood how there can be all this handwringing about secularism when lunatics like Le Pen run around proudly proclaiming their Christianity, and even the Macron government doesn't hold Christians to a remotely similar standard as they hold Muslims. I would have more sympathy for this "laïcité" case if the government was *also* discussing whether people should be allowed to wear crosses around their necks in public (still wouldn't agree with it, but at least it would be morally consistent), but as it is it seems almost farcical.

For the record, I think you should be allowed to draw Muhammad, although I don't think you should as it's a dick move. This is more just confusion at the blatant double standard which seems to be held in these so called "secular" countries, not only in France but also Quebec and the like.

Do Christians also behead people from time to time in the name of God? I think no. Christianity isn't a problem here, radical islam is. Though i don't think Macron's measures would help.

[kelestian]

And talking about hypocrisy: maybe French Society is somewhat islamophobic, but there is literally ongoing  genocide of muslim population in China, far worse than what happened in Bosnia and Palestine. And barely any muslim country objected. It's the west democracies like France who tries to restrain chinese perpetration on Uighurs.

[kelestian]

Do Christians also behead people from time to time in the name of God? I think no. Christianity isn't a problem here, radical islam is. Though i don't think Macron's measures would help.

I'm not well versed in the influence of Christianity in Russia – it's probably been muted for a while because of the USSR's state atheism – but here in the Southern United States, yes, people are absolutely killed for religious reasons by Christians from time to time. I mean, the 16th street bombing in Birmingham is well within living memory, and the Klan is absolutely an example of a Christian terrorist organization. You could also argue that the attack in Pittsburgh more recently or even in El Paso were both examples of terrorism influenced by the reaction of certain Christian sects to modern society. I won't make a false equivalency and say that religious violence is nearly as bad in the United States as it is in other parts of the world, but in my view that mostly comes down to differing levels of development.

And talking about hypocrisy: maybe French Society is somewhat islamophobic, but there is literally ongoing  genocide of muslim population in China, far worse than what happened in Bosnia and Palestine. And barely any muslim country objected. It's the west democracies like France who tries to restrain chinese perpetration on Uighurs.

Quite right, and I think it's unconscionable that Muslim nations, or indeed any nations, turn a blind eye to this oppression. However, my point was simply that French secularism seems to be used as more of a cudgel with which to beat Muslims into submission rather than a universal principle which applies to all religions equally.

That's examples of racial terrorism, not religious. Last time Western Christianity was that violent was probably 17th century.

As for Russia and Orthodoxy... Most of the people self declares allegiance to Christianity, but that's purely formal. 90% of active church-goers are 50+ years old. Sadly, i think Orthodoxy soon be dying religion. Russian Islam, on the other hand....