Killer wants a “re-Christianized” Europe without God or Christ

Yesterday I said, based on statements in the manifesto, that Anders Breivik is a “cultural Christian,” not a Christian, let alone a Christian fundamentalist. Reader Lauren W. has sent another passage from the manifesto that expands on Breivik’s view of the place of Christianity in Europe. While he himself is not a believer, he wants a re-united, re-invigorated, “non-suicidal” Church—a kind of reborn Church militant from the Middle Ages—to play a dominant part in European life. But then he adds that science must take “undisputed precedence over biblical teachings.” So he wants a reinvigorated, non-suicidal Church which doesn’t believe in God or Christ but believes, presumably, in Darwinian material reductionism. I hope I don’t need to explain how incoherent this is.

Breivik also says that he belongs to the Norway state church, and he calls himself “100 percent Christian.” However, in the context of his other statements, I would translate that as “100 percent nominal Christian,” or “100 percent cultural Christian.” As a reader reminded us yesterday, even the arch-atheist and Christianity-hater Richard Dawkins calls himself a cultural Christian, which shows how little cultural Christianity means. Yet Breivik wants this empty-of-God, cultural-Christian Church to launch a new Crusade to liberate the Balkans and Turkey from the Muslims and establish three Christian states (excuse me, three cultural-Christian states) in the Near East.

Remember how certain neoconservatives used to talk all the time about the need for a restoration of religion in America, even though they themselves were non-believers? Breivik seems like a super-case of the same syndrome.

The below comes from the self-interview portion of the manifesto and can be found on page 1403 of the pdf document:

Q: Are you a religious man, and should science take priority over the teachings of the Bible?

A: My parents, being rather secular wanted to give me the choice in regards to religion.

At the age of 15 I chose to be baptised and confirmed in the Norwegian State Church. I consider myself to be 100% Christian. However, I strongly object to the current suicidal path of the Catholic Church but especially the Protestant Church. I support a Church that believes in self defence and who are willing to fight for its principles and values, at least resist the efforts put forth to exterminate it gradually. The Catholic and Protestant Church are both cheering their own annihilation considering the fact that they embrace the ongoing inter-faith dialogue and the appeasement of Islam. The current Church elite has shown its suicidal face, as vividly demonstrated last year by the archbishop of Canterbury’s speech contemplating the legitimacy of Shariah in parts of Britain.

I trust that the future leadership of a European cultural conservative hegemony in Europe will ensure that the current Church leadership are replaced and the systems somewhat reformed. We must have a Church leadership who supports a future Crusade with the intention of liberating the Balkans, Anatolia and creating three Christian states in the Middle East. Efforts should be made to facilitate the de-construction of the Protestant Church whose members should convert back to Catholicism. The Protestant Church had an important role once but its original goals have been accomplished and have contributed to reform the Catholic Church as well. Europe should have a united Church lead by a just and non-suicidal Pope who is willing to fight for the security of his subjects, especially in regards to Islamic atrocities.

I fully support that the Church gains more or less monopoly on religion in Europe (government policies, school curriculum etc at least) in addition to granting the Church several concessions which have been taken from them the last decades.

As for the Church and science, it is essential that science takes an undisputed precedence over biblical teachings. Europe has always been the cradle of science and it must always continue to be that way.

[end of manifesto excerpt]

* * *

In connection with the above, here is a laconic e-mail exchange I had this morning with a correspondent:

Correspondent:

Are you reading it?

LA:

No. Are you?

Correspondent:

Ja.

LA:

Nu?

Correspondent:

Oy.

Comments

Karl D. writes:

Whenever I hear the word “Cultural Christian,” especially off the lips of a liberal, I think of someone looking on in awe of the Sistine Chapel, and that’s where it ends.

Bill Carpenter writes:

You know whom Breivik reminds me of… Conservative Swede.

LA replies:

I had the same thought earlier today. Or rather, he reminds of Conservative Swede prior to summer of 2007, when Swede suddenly became hostile to the West, Christianity, and me, whom he saw as the defender of the West and Christianity. Up to that point, he was a classic “cultural Christian”: disbelieving in God, liking the Christian culture of the West, and with leanings toward a cult of power. After his turn, he began to propose some neo Germanic paganism as a replacement for Christianity, and said he welcomed the destruction of the West. The trajectory from cultural Christianity toward greater and greater nihilism is another thing the two have in common.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at July 26, 2011 11:34 AM | Send