tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post3409800816317770757..comments2023-09-23T11:16:00.352+02:00Comments on The Franco-American Flophouse has moved: Modernity, Desecularization and Religious PluralismVictoria FERAUGEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-56631372340628766322013-11-23T17:03:13.475+01:002013-11-23T17:03:13.475+01:00Joe,
I think there is something to that. Your p...Joe,<br /><br />I think there is something to that. Your point is that there is a large cultural component here is right on the money. It makes a great deal of sense.<br /><br />Today I had another reminder of just how Catholic the French are. There are new rules (at least it wasn\t this way in my memory) that say that in order for a person to qualify as a marraine/parrain (godmother/godfather) the person must not just be baptized but must also be confirmed in the Church. So now we see adults who pretty let religion go years ago coming back asking to be confirmed so they can stand for a child (usually a relative or the child of a close friend) at the baptism. Now if these folks really were a strict atheists/agnostics why would they even want to participate in a ceremony that brings a child into a religion? One would think that on principle they would decline. Not at all. Hard to know exqactly what the motives are but clearly being a godparent or a witness at a wedding or even being able to have a wedding in the church is important to some people - even those who may have lapsed for years. It still matters.Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-28050046545419972202013-11-20T13:42:54.906+01:002013-11-20T13:42:54.906+01:00here is an untested theory: france is binary. on r...here is an untested theory: france is binary. on religion it breaks down into two main groups:<br />the right, who are by and large catholic, anti-capitalist (mercantilist) and crypto royalist (see versailles).<br />the left, who are by and large atheist, socialist, and, of course, anti-capitalist. <br />calvin could not make it in france, so had to move to geneva for his protestant/capitalist message to take root.<br />france is at heart latin, and does not take well to the dour calvinist/capitalist ways of non-latin europeans.<br />as secular as france is, it is at heart culturally catholic and, in its binary way, culturally laiciste at the same time. it allows only a little room for the rest.<br /> hope this makes some sense.<br />joesigunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11314253297860907914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-3251085330025074892013-11-19T19:52:03.715+01:002013-11-19T19:52:03.715+01:00I see what you mean. I've watched members of ...I see what you mean. I've watched members of "sects" treated very badly. There one gentleman my mother-in-law knows who became a Jehovah Witness years ago. This is still something of a scandal in his little town in Brittany. <br /><br />The thing that got me started thinking about this was talking to some French who lived in the US and went to some of the independent Protestant churches and really liked what they found. One person I talked to said that he liked (in his view) the warmth, the community, the music, the fact there were no issues about contraception or divorce, there was equality between men and women and that making money was not considered a sin. He said that if he could find a church like that in France he would happily go. And I have to admit that he had a point. Something like that would be much more in line with what he actually believes and wants in a church. In fact I can't think of one church I know here where he would fit. Perhaps I simply haven't been around enough.<br /><br />Let me read the Grace DAvie book and see what she says. Might be some insights there.<br /><br />Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-20168919905345436992013-11-19T19:22:16.930+01:002013-11-19T19:22:16.930+01:00I am not exactly sure.
As a part of a religious ...I am not exactly sure. <br /><br />As a part of a religious "minority", (can't even speak of a minority since we are probably only a few hundreds in france) by being Taoist, i Kinda feel the pain. <br />French people are extremely suspicious of anything spiritual, there is a very strong anti "secte" thing that goes on that kinda prevents religious minorities to take hold, I think. <br /><br />You could be right on the identity thing. I mean, either you were a catholic, or you where an atheist fighting the catholics during the revolution, pretty much, no? and that divide still exists today. <br /><br />Just a few thoughts, I really have no clear explanation on this. CarnetsSeattlehttp://www.carnetsseattle.frnoreply@blogger.com