Why are the French so secular as a nation?

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Sunny

I think that the way religion governed our lives in Northern Europe with the influence of science and wealth means that religion is no longer relevant.

Many people do not believe the Bible.

Many people do not want to be called a sinner for enjoying sex or for not getting married.

Many people don't have the blind faith that religions require to believe in them because science has different ideas on how the universe was created.

Viva Le Francais

Viva England too!

mrpolo

because in FRANCE government separated from the church a very long time ago,its a laic country

Jerry 71

I think that alot of the French ppl (and other ppl) are just interested in enjoying life-- fine wine, food, vacations, etc. On Sunday mornings, many ppl (in France and elsewhere) just want to sleep late (or are tired from the night before). Also, the idea of freedom of thought and speech are great but with some ppl, it has become a philosophy that every opinion, no matter how wild, is a valid opinion. I once asked a missionary if it was difficult ministering to ppl of other religions. He said that he found it harder to minister to ppl with no religion bc they were more interested in going to movies, beer parties, and didn't want to come to Sunday services.

reardwen

The Italians have the Vatican, where the Pope lives. The Greeks have the Greek Orthodox Church. The French have no state religion, and since their revolution 200 years ago, they have worked hard to ban religion from all education establishments too (including any outward signs of religious affiliation - eg: crucifixes or headwear); which means that if someone's parents aren't religious, then the children are unlikely to learn anything about religion without directly seeking it out.

Rillifane

What is shows is that the French are the most analytic and educated people in Europe.

They have the good sense to recognize that religion (or specifically Christianity) is drivel and that prayer is the refuge of the clueless.

The French understand, as did all the leaders of the Enlightenment, which is the philosophical basis of both the French and American Revolutions, that mankind can never be free to develop its full potential until, as Diderot said "The last King is strangled with the guts of the last cleric."

Certainly this is what Jefferson and Adams believed. As Adams said "I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved â€” the Cross" (Letter to Thomas Jefferson, September 3, 1816)

Jefferson said "In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own." (Letter to Horatio G. Spafford, March 17, 1814)

Jefferson's opinion was that the tales of Christianity would someday be regarded as fables. (Letter to John Adams, April 11, 1823).

angelguy_paris

It comes from the Revolution in 1789, then since 1905 the state is separate from religion, this mean realigion is only a private matter...for the rest I will say that we dont really think that this world is only 6000 yrs old, that we all come from Adam & Eve , and that the planet was ful of dinosaures 4000 yrs ago...

Ijml

France is very secular, it has its own word for it: 'laÃ¯citÃ©'. The constitution itself begins: 'France shall be an indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic.'

There have been many laws passed since the 19th Century (Jules Ferry passed some relating to education) which aimed to promote secularism as far as government, and state-administered institutions like education go. So while traditionally a Catholic country, newer generations aren't receiving the same theological upbringing.

More recently, with the increase of multiculturalism, France has experience the same problems as Britain and the US in terms of approaching different religions. The question of whether to allow other religions' 'jours feriÃ©s' (effectively religious bank holidays) as well as Christian ones (resulting in an impractical number of days off work across the board) is one, the wearing of veils and religious jewellery in classes and workplaces is another. This only heightens the debate and, I suspect, encourages most people, and certainly the state, towards a greater degree of secularism, in order to cicrumvent these problems.

Nonetheless, there are still numerous privately faith schools (some of whcih, hypocritically, still receive state funding), which have to be acknowledged. While I can't comment much on the grassroots of French society, the attitude of the French state over the last few hundred years or so towards religion is certainly a persuading answer.

qriste

because it seems that our religion is now called "secularity", it's very important here (my teachers in school were reluctant to let us draw Christmas trees), sometimes people can be "laic extremists". People are very discreet with their religious beliefs, you'll rarely hear the word of God, it not something that we like to talk about and it doesn't interest us much.

nico

The French suffered a lot because of the church before the revolution. the distrust towards religion became stronger and stronger with time. the revolution of 1789 brought more belief in man than god, and in 1901, the new law officialized the separation of the state and the church, religious have no right to comment on political life !!!!
somebody said we hate religion because we hate Americans, this is absolutely false and nonsense, we will always be grateful towards the american people for the help the gave us, we just have to agree to disagree on some topics, friends don't always share the same opinions !!

Father Jake

French attitudes are firmly rooted in their dislike of America. This is ironic since the fledgling so called 'American Revolution' was supported by the French against the English!

The French are not specifically indifferent towards religion, they are indifferent towards dogma.

sthytwc

cause they're french

BODGE IT AND SCARPER

I think the French gave up when the English burned Joan of Arc and especially when they didn't have God on their side at Agincourt. 6,000 Englishmen against 30,000 Frenchies.

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