The Decline of Christianity in Europe - 1943 Words

The Decline of Christianity in Europe The twentieth century was a time of great flux and anxiety in Europe as the supremacy of Christianity in Europe was being challenged by the fronts of biblical criticism, and evolution. According to Rev, Andrew Greeley, a social sciences professor at the University of Chicago, belief in God has increased in Russia and Hungary and decreased in Britain, the Netherlands, western Germany and France. Atheism thrives in eastern Germany, Russia, The Czech Republic and France. Interestingly though, most European countries report denominational affiliation. According to Dr Greeley, there was a time when people were more religious than they are now. Secularizers like to point to the decline as†¦show more content†¦Darwin argued that those individuals that are well suited to their environment survive, prosper and give birth to new individuals that share their characteristics, while those less suited will die out. Any new characteristics with which an individual is born are likely to be passed on if it is useful. Species evolve and develop in a process that is not random, or determined by God, but instead follows natural laws (Towns). The theory of evolution contradicted fundamental Christian beliefs about humanity and sin. In 1871, Darwin published the Descent of Man, in which he argued that human beings evolved naturally from lower creatures stating that not only does life itself follow natural laws but also the human mind and soul are not some supernatural element breathed into the body by God. By eliminating God, Darwin was saying that they evolved from nothing thus eliminating the most important element, God. (Hill). The theory of evolution denied the direct creation of man by God and the greatest damage came from the application of that theory to the development of religion. Darwinism was born. 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