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If you look at studies after studies, Northern Europe is much financially and socially off. Why is that? What's ironic is that Southern Europe gave rise to European enlightenment through Greek Philosophy.
I honestly blame Catholicism. Truly, truly, I believe that to be Southern Europe's downfall. Catholicism is a very socialist religion that puts great shame on working hard to improve your living standards. Everyone is supposed to live in happy poverty. Germanic Europe managed to get rid of Catholicism from their countries (with the exception of a few pockets in Netherlands and Germany) and look at how successful those countries are.
I don't have anything against Catholics. My biological father's family are all Catholic. But I am very glad that America still has the Protestant work ethic and not the Catholic work ethic.
I honestly blame Catholicism. Truly, truly, I believe that to be Southern Europe's downfall. Catholicism is a very socialist religion that puts great shame on working hard to improve your living standards. Everyone is supposed to live in happy poverty. Germanic Europe managed to get rid of Catholicism from their countries (with the exception of a few pockets in Netherlands and Germany) and look at how successful those countries are.
I don't have anything against Catholics. My biological father's family are all Catholic. But I am very glad that America still has the Protestant work ethic and not the Catholic work ethic.
The first half of your name is truly a serendipitous choice.
Your argument is truly beyond absurd.
The difference is culture, and that difference is the value of and belief in WORK as the means to prosper.
I honestly blame Catholicism. Truly, truly, I believe that to be Southern Europe's downfall. Catholicism is a very socialist religion that puts great shame on working hard to improve your living standards. Everyone is supposed to live in happy poverty. Germanic Europe managed to get rid of Catholicism from their countries (with the exception of a few pockets in Netherlands and Germany) and look at how successful those countries are.
I don't have anything against Catholics. My biological father's family are all Catholic. But I am very glad that America still has the Protestant work ethic and not the Catholic work ethic.
Your theory may also explain why very solidly catholic countries such as Poland or Ireland, neither of which were in southern Europe, remained largely agrarian.
The first half of your name is truly a serendipitous choice.
Your argument is truly beyond absurd.
The difference is culture, and that difference is the value of and belief in WORK as the means to prosper.
And I bet you are a Catholic! Hehe.
Face the truth bud! And culture, religion, and work are all very closely intertwined. Perhaps you have heard of the protestant work ethic? That phrase didn't come out of thin air.
I honestly blame Catholicism. Truly, truly, I believe that to be Southern Europe's downfall. Catholicism is a very socialist religion that puts great shame on working hard to improve your living standards. Everyone is supposed to live in happy poverty. Germanic Europe managed to get rid of Catholicism from their countries (with the exception of a few pockets in Netherlands and Germany) and look at how successful those countries are.
I don't have anything against Catholics. My biological father's family are all Catholic. But I am very glad that America still has the Protestant work ethic and not the Catholic work ethic.
Sometime in the late 80's or early 90's, there was an Atlantic article where some academic argued the same thing. He also posited it was why there is such a difference between North America and Central/South American development.
Today, political correctness would prevent that article from being published.
Your theory may also explain why very solidly catholic countries such as Poland or Ireland, neither of which were in southern Europe, remained largely agrarian.
Yup! The only two exceptions are Switzerland (which has a significant protestant population) and Austria. Well, France too maybe. But the French have been some of the least religious people on Earth for centuries now. And their economy has never exactly been stellar. Somewhere between Spain and Sweden is France.
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