Friends Across the Pond: Why You Should Not Give Up On America

[abaris]

In Europe, at least in some parts of western Europe where religion is a non issue, nationalism is run by a different engine.  

In that you would be wrong. As I said in response to min in another thread, the rightwingers reintroduce christianity into the political agenda. The ones already in power, Poland and Hungary, run strong on the christian national ticket. In Poland an outright party of catholic fanatics, who tried to roll back on the already strict polish abortion laws and only got stopped short by thousands of women taking the streets. In Hungary the appeal to the christian nation to lock the doors for refugees of any other religion. Of course, muslims, if there was any doubt.

In Western Europe, as I also said in response to min, the churches are actually opposing the far right in instrumentalising religion. The Western European churches are largely liberal whereas Eastern Europe faced something like a religious backclash in the wake of the Iron Curtain falling. It was the forbidden fruit during the communist regimes and the churches are much more conservative than in other countries.