By E.M. Cadwaladr
Two predictable things happen after every terrorist attack in North America and Europe. Okay, actually all sorts of predictable things happen, but I’m not talking about the usual call for more gun control or the frantic effort to point the finger at conservatives somehow.
The two things I am talking about are the creation of odd little shrines of flowers and artifacts placed at the scene of the atrocity, and the candlelight vigils that are inevitably organized almost before the smoke has cleared. These things are noteworthy because, frankly, they are out of place.
Why would tradition-hating, supposedly irreligious, post-modern science worshipers stand around in the dark holding little paraffin fires and wallowing in sentiment? They did this in Nice, in Orlando, in Paris, in Brussels, and in San Bernardino. Little piles of flowers and photos. Candles in the dark.
Most of these people are, if not actual atheists, at least non-believers -- especially in Europe. What on Earth are they up to? Shouldn’t they be going to their therapists and grief counselors rather than emulating the traditional rituals of remembrance and prayer? Shouldn’t Christians be incensed with this most obvious of cultural appropriations?........Read more
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