So do I. I jsut feel, that we need calm dialogue, that's what I mean. The question about babies is a real one, here in both my homelands, in Finland and in Germany. But I feel the biggest problem is that the Catholic church should somehow make herself "attractive" again. I don't know how to do that either. It seems like all these movements (religions) that are very fanatic and different from what the people are used to, are drawing people in. How can we make the people WITHIN the Church to find the grace and the beauty of the Faith again? How can we make the poeple believe that contraception is wrong - because that's when it all went wrong; when contraception was made legal, it was the first "crack". When people thought differently on this one topic, they soon began to think that they could just "swallow what tasted good, but leave everything else on the plate". Now they wonder aroung and look for some meaning in life. Most of them do still say that they believe in God "somehow". That "somehow" is still hope for the Church, I believe. But how to take that "somehow", and turn it into living Faith?!? it would be so beautiful, if thathat what Our Lady said in Fatima would come true! If all the peoples would find a way to come back to the Catholiic Fatih and the Church. It's a long way to go, and we need a lot of patience and prayer, before that day comes. We need an endless amount of Rosaries that are prayed daily, not just in a drawer somewhere. We need an army of Rosaries. But how to answer with love to the endless hatred? that is the key question, and the hardest part in all that.
We are on the same side, louella, we do want the same things. Perhaps it's my personality too, because I am usually very careful - perhaps too careful in all I say. But I do want a Catholic state, where all the people live the Faith according to the teachings of the Church. I left the Lutheran Church because of that very reason. The Lutheran Chruch, not just in Finland, but all over, like many other protestant Churches have done a very bad thing, in accepting abortion and divorce and homosexuality. that was not of course the only reason for my becoming a Catholic, but it was one of the reasons. People go to India, to search for the meaning of life - WHY? When the meaning of life could be found in every Catholic Church there is!
there is a lot to be done, if we want to make this world a better place for all. And I totally agree with you, that the Catholic Church IS the answer. I just don't know - I think at the time nobody does - how to get people to see it!

TES.....I have a God given brain that I must use.....not to judge people's souls....but to identify what is taking place around me. You are making baseless accusations against me.

Eurabia is a fact.....and something a lot of people would like. I have heard it on Radio. That Europe should merge with the Middle East.......and you know why they really want it?! Because Europeans don't have enough children....but Muslims do!

I don't want Eurabia......I want a Christian homeland....a CATHOLIC STATE. By God's Grace!

But what do we achieve, if we use words like Eurabia?!?Who are you or I to judge, who is a "true" Christian, and who is not? The final judgement is for God only. What I ment, is that we cannot win back those souls who are what the Holy Father called "professional Catholics", and the secularized Christians, if we polarize things, and use language that leaves no room for dialogue. I meant with "Christian Europe", that a big percentage of Europeans belong to a Christian Church, either to Caholic, or protestant. How could we get all the people to want to join the Catholic Chursch? What we as Catholics should do, is find a way to change people's attitudes towards the Chruch - especially the Catholic - so that the old morality would return. HOW that can be done, HOW we can keep people to become active within the Catholic Church, and HOW we can get people to join the Catholic Church - now THAT IS THE QUESTION OF THE CENTURY. But it should be solved. Of course I too would LOVE a Catholic state - you should be a little bit more careful, when you talk to a stranger, in order not to hurt their feelings (you didn't make me feel hurt, but a dialogue is not nice, when such language as Eurabia is used in order to insult the other), but what I meant is that we should find a way to achieve that state without force. We should find a way to make people want to join the Catholic Church instead of the Islamistic movement! That's what I meant. But we DO NOT reach that goal, if we call each other names, and see everything either black or white. The world is full of different shades of grey, it's not black or white. So we need dialogue, if we want to reach as many people as possible, and make Europe want to return to its roots! Noone of us wants Eurabia. Our continent IS EUROPE, it's not Eurabia, and we need peaceful solutions to keep it that way. That's the only way. Wouldn't it be marvellous, if all Europeans would join the Catholic Church?! That's a kind of a utopia worth thinking about. But as our Lady of Fatima told us, the Rosary is the way to get peace. And we need to elect the right people to the parliaments, so that the laws won't become impossible. If we just stand and yell anti-Christ, I believe we won't be heard. I am worried about the power of anti-Christ too, but people are stubbern, and the anti-Christ is clever. But what he hates the most, is prayer, especially the Rosary. So I believe that's the way to beat him. If all the Catholics of this continent started going to Mass and praying the Rosary, we could be sure, this world would get better.

TES....how can you say Europe is Christian?.....we now have legalised abortion....that is not Christian! You are deluding yourself. The vast majoirty of Europeans are secular ie they believe we have no need of God.....even if He does exist!

Anyhow....soon those secularists will be dying out and other religions especially Islam will take their place. How then will you claim that Europe is Christian?! Anyhow.....my wish is for a CATHOLIC STATE. You can stay in Eurabia if you like!

I believe louella, what you said about a CATHOLIC state was a joke.
I do think this idea of secular states is a utopia, then our whole culture is based on Christianity. Europe is throughout Christian, whether the opposers of the Church like it or not! Christianity is in our blood, we breathe it regurlarly! Our language is full of proverbs and sayings that come from the Bible - although most of the people don't know it. We say things like "Oh my God", or "Go to hell", without thinking for one minute where that comes from - even people who claim NOT to believe in God!
But we should NOT deny our roots. When the schools stop celebrating Christmas and the other ancient holidays, we're in trouble.
HOWEVER, we cannot turn our backs to the fact, that there are a lot of EUROPEANS, who worship other religions, such as Islam. I believe that the schools should not get hysterical, but teach children about different cultures equally, without politics; that's the only way to lessen the anger, hatred and misunderstandings between peoples! That's the only way in public schools, to reach some kind of harmony: To tell ALL the parents, that the kids are taught cultural differences through holidays etc.
If most of the children come from Christian families, I think it's ok, to celebrate the Christian holidays at school, when for instance the islamic parents can choose, whether their child participates or not. But IF the school also notices the Islamic holidays as well, the parents realize better, that it's an educational experience for the child, to see different kinds of cultures and celebrations.
I've been thinking lately about what the HOLY FAHTER said about Christian responsibility on the Internet. That it is not only in real life, but also here on the Internet, that we should remember how to behave, and what to say to one another, as Christians. I think what the Holy Father said, was marvellous! We need to remember this, when we talk to one another here on GLORIA.TV, but also wherever we are in contact with others. There are a thousand points of view out there, and we need to get along.
What the EU did with the calenders, was a great mistake. MOST of Europeans were forgotten. They need to make it up, no question about it. HOWEVER, if we start to yell things like "an anti-Christ beast", it is for certain, that our voice will not be heard. We must stay calm and ready for a dialogue. We wont get anywhere with such remarks, it is not a civilized way to get things done. As angry and hurt as we are, we have to remember, not to make things worse by polarizing the situation. If we start looking for the "anti-Christ beast" everywhere, we will eventually see it everywhere. And we all know, that will only leadtor a crisis! Just think of what Sara Palin did in the States: She marked all her POLITICAL opponents on the Internet on a map as shooting targets. And where did that lead to? We must always think that there are very unstable people out there, who take careless remarks seriously.
The only way to get things done, is through dialogue, not through demonizing things. We as Catholics have a huge responsibility, in showing the world, that we want peace, that we mean no harm, and to act as responsible citizens of an old, civilized continent, that has come to wealth and prosperity THROUGH Christianity. The history of our Church is bloody, but if the Church herself recocnizes it, and admits that even the people within the Church have made some gruesam things to others, we can move forward. The Church does too! The mistakes were made by PEOPLE, in a time that was very different from ours. It is always painful to look back, and analyze mistakes, but that's the way to learn from those. We have com far from those times. When we meet someone, who starts to talk about "the Catholic Chruch having done this and that in the Middle Ages", we can always say calmly, that yes, the PEOPLE at the time surely made mistakes, but it was not Christ, not the Mystical Body of Christ, who did it. And that we have come a long way from those days. Just as the Islam is used fro political purposes, that was the case sometimes in the old days. There are always poeple within every system, who misuse their power and position for their own purposes. The Church's teachings, however, have always been the same." We have to love our neighbors, and take care of the poor, as the Lord told us to, over 2,000yrs ago. We do not have to give up on what we believe in, but we have to give SPACE for those, who do not believe just as we do; no matter how difficult that is! Freedom of religion means, that all the religions are allowed. Christianity cannot be forgotten, but we as Christians cannot forget, that our Muslim neighbors have the same human rights as we do. HOWEVER, that goes for our muslim neighbors as well! They need to respect our human rights as well! The percecution and killing of Christians all over the world has got to stop! But it won't stop, if we cannot be able to show, that we respect the rights of other religions as well. That's why politicians should not underline their decision with remarks that could be misinterpreted. And the Church MUST stay away from politics, and keep to its real mission - HUMAN RIGHTS, and the spreading of Gospel!
We Catholics, all of us, have a great weapon at home - THE HOLY ROSARY. If we all prayed the Rosary daily, went to Mass regurlarly, AT LEAST once a week - and to confession before Mass, this world would be a lot better place to live. Our Lady DID NOT appear in Fatima for nothing. If we want to spread the Gospel, we have to LIVE IT first, publicly! Before we start to yell that we see the devil all over the place, we should rather pray the Rosary and especially pray for the leaders of the nations, to have God make them wise and holy. If ALL Catholics started to LIVE their Faith in everyday life, this world would be a better place. We need to learn our Bible, our Cathecism, we need the Doctrins every day, not just on Sundays. That's where it starts, if we want to make the EU to remember our Christian holidays!

EU is an anti-Christ beast. They hate Christianity and some in Germany are now calling for a completely secular nation.....as a Christianity is offensive to other religions ie Islam....so they say.

I'm all for secular states for secularists....(see how long that lasts)....but let Catholics not support or fund it. Let's support and fund our own CATHOLIC STATE!

New European Union school calendar omits Christian holidays

Strasbourg, France, Jan 14, 2011 / 02:11 pm (CNA).- A 2011-2012 school calendar published by the European Union has omitted Christian holidays, while continuing to note important Jewish and Muslim celebrations.
The European Union has printed three million copies of the calendar which will be distributed free-of-charge to students who request them.
Former French politician and government minister, Christine Boutin, wrote in her blog Jan. 11 that the calendar leaves out Christianity, “the religion practiced or recognized as forming the cultural assembly of our ‘old’ continent.”
Boutin is a consultant for the Pontifical Council for the Family, as well as president of the Christian Democratic Party in France. She went on to lament that Christianity has “fallen into the limbo of collective ignorance.”
While Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter are missing from the calendar's pages, days commemorating “Sikh Baisakhi-Day, the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday, the Muslim holiday Aid-el-Kebir,” remain in place,” Boutin continued.
The Christian Democratic Party in France called the omissions “unacceptable” and has filed a petition asking that the calendars not be distributed as printed, but that students be given versions that include Christian holidays.
“The role of the Christian religion in the shaping of Europe is an undeniable historical fact” that the European Union cannot omit. To do so would be to “instruct students while denying that a particular religion has greatly contributed to the foundation and unity of Europe,” the organization said.
The petition states that the Christian religion is “the first of all religions in Europe. It is therefore unthinkable that it be denied, as it has great importance for the lives of all.”
For more information, visit: www.agendaeurope.fr
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