Murder mystery: what killed Christianity in Europe?

[Minimalist]

The 30 Years War was the beginning of the end.  The church lost control and the horrors of the war led to the Enlightenment.

http://www.articlemyriad.com/consequence...years-war/

When discussing the last years of the Thirty Years War it is almost easy to forget that it all began because of religious differences rather than those based on politics and geography. One consequence of the end of the war was that the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic Hapsburgs would no longer dictate the religious beliefs to a large portion of Europeans. Instead, after the war was over and princes of Germany were allowed to declare their own affiliations, Western Europe changed a great deal. Another important aspect of the Peace of Westphalia in terms of overall European history and its religious struggles, is that after its was agreed upon, all the princes within Germany had the right to declare their provinces as either Catholic, Lutheran or Calvinist. This allowance created divisions throughout Europe based on religious affiliation with the Catholics in the south of Europe, the Lutherans in central Germany, and the Calvinists in the northern part of Europe. While this is not to say that the close of the war mended relations between those of diverse faiths, this separation made it so that this was the last real religious war fought.

[Anomalocaris]

Here in the UK we caged it, basically. We made it respectable and so took away its teeth.

Yeah, you toss your problem across the pond.

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Go to any megachurch in America and you see how evolution has taken its course. You hear rock music, witness pomp and pageantry, hear professional speakers offer soaring oratory and experience other razzle dazzle. Give Christianity its due. The followers of Jesus in America know how to put on a show. Typically, these megachurches offer many social services, such as singles mixers. As a businessman who studied marketing and business strategy in school, I have to stand in awe of the marketing genius. 

Fanaticism mixed with unscrupulousness and a total disregard for one's image outside one's targeted audience can outdo any outward sign of real marketing genius.

Just as Christian marketing would be the envy of most corporate marketing, so the marketing challenges faced by the Islamic state would daunt any Christian sect, yet Islamic state's marketing successes would be the envy of any Christian sect.

[DeistPaladin]

Fanaticism mixed with unscrupulousness can outdo any outward sign of real marketing genius.

Look at ISIS.   It's marketing challenges would daunt any Christian sect, yet its marketing successes would be the envy of any Christian sect.

You don't have to be sociopathic or unscrupulous to be a marketing genius but it helps. 

[Lek]

Once christianity became institutionalized and became a secular power, it was the beginning of its downfall in Western Europe.  Enabled by that power, the institutional church became corrupted and carried out atrocities, even persecuting other christians of conscience.  It's no wonder that the church in Europe is looked upon with such disdain by many.  The christians who settled America had the same ideas, and were fleeing from church persecution.  That's the main reason why the framers of the constitution were so careful to avoid any governmental control or direct association with a religion.  Americans don't have that history of suppression by religious institutions and would, therefore, be more likely not to have a negative view of religion.   

[Minimalist]

The christians who settled America had the same ideas, and were fleeing from church persecution.

The xtians who settled America wanted to be free to be the persecutors....an idea which they embraced with gusto.

[Anomalocaris]

The christians who settled America had the same ideas, and were fleeing from church persecution.

The xtians who settled America wanted to be free to be the persecutors....an idea which they embraced with gusto.

Lest anyone forget what Christians mean by freedom from persecution, christains eagerly remind you by demanding for themselves the freedom to persecute homosexuals at will without any fear of prosecution. 

[FatAndFaithless]

The xtians who settled America wanted to be free to be the persecutors....an idea which they embraced with gusto.

Lest anyone forget what Christians mean by freedom from persecution, they want the freedom to persecute anyone with whom they disagree at will without any fear of prosecution. 

(b mine)
Fixed that for you. Let's not forget that Christianity was used to marginalize unbelievers, ethnic minorities, other religions, women, divorced people, and plenty of others before homophobia became its last bastion of lunacy.

[Jericho]

And here I am, wishing that America, as a whole, had the same views on religion as those in Europe. I myself am from North Carolina, which is in the South. The craziest, most religious people in America are undoubtedly from the south.

[Regina]

When I think "crazy religious people" in America I tend to think Utah... Das jus me though

[rexbeccarox]

That too, Yo.