It's the Denmark the Ireland the Netherlands and Great Britain

For a growing number of Americans, the decline of birthrate in Europe is a consequence of the lack of religion in public life. The same argument to explain the low economic growth to the Continent. Many Europeans shake head with disbelief when they hear this carefully developed theory which does not emanate only conservative circles in the United States. Wouldn't be great to reduce unemployment by focusing simply on the role of religion in public life According to this theory, increasing the role of religion would not only corporations more flexible but also away Muslims (Europe, in contrast to America, would be clearly condemned to let Muslims to avoid the demographic collapse).

Europeans are more secular than Americans, but this is precisely where the argument starts to fray. To begin with, there are now four member countries of the European Union where the unemployment rate is currently lower than in the United States. It's the Denmark, the Ireland, the Netherlands and Great Britain. And, on the issue of secularism in General, few Americans realize that the lesser of religion in European public life is in fact a consequence of the role formerly authoritarian or tyrannical the Catholic Church's role in governance in Europe not so long ago. Hence a certain rejection of authority among the Europeans, who believe that the Church dictated them for too long and way too explicit how to live their lives. The aversion that continues to affect the Catholic Church, from its tendency to mingle all early modern times, is a reflex that bothering the Bush administration in its relations with Europe for a long time.

In fact, many Europeans have difficulty to find a difference between their memories of exaggeration, the arrogance and the distance of the leaders of the Church, and the characteristics of the Bush administration today. Many respects, the visceral reaction engendered by the Bush team is due to the fact that the White House is seen as a disagreeable to the tyrannical conduct of the Church and the difficult and painful process that has been necessary to get rid.

American efforts to encourage the Europeans to give more importance to religion and thus bridge the transatlantic gap also leave indifferent Europe for other reasons.

The increasing presence of Muslims in Europe encourages rather citizens and politicians to minimize the role of religion in the public field and to insist that it become more a private matter. This logic is dictated by the increasing presence of Muslims and the need to limit their wish of a separation of religious inspiration of constitutionally defensible manner. Regardless of the criticism to which the France is currently subjected to its economic intransigence, his insistence on secularism as an instrument of national peace and civic cooperation remains essential.

Even more significant is the European consensus on the fact that religion can never be used again as a substitute for a politically important by the poorest classes of society. The Americans quickly show the finger the stifling nature of the "social contract" of the Europeans and assimilate this focus European equilibrium and social equity as a gift to trade unions or source other negative factors. It may be that the Europeans exaggerate in their pursuit of social protections, but they are willing to return the compliment to the Americans in pointing the growing socio-economic landscape desert us.

At a time where the promises on pensions are instilled by mass in the United States, where the American tax system becomes even more regressive, where few efforts are made to give training to workers who have lost their jobs, where only wages growing are those of the CEO, and where companies are struggling to cope with the competitionIt is time to ask fundamental questions.

Whatever the current faults of Europe, not providing opportunities for engagement and power policies of half the less wealthy of society is not to put to the account of the old Continent, but to that of the United States. They must face the fact that, to a large extent, they allow democratic participation to 50 the rich only. It is an embarrassing performance for those who are self-proclaimed global sponsors of democracy.

Europe may well face stagnation because its poorest citizens fully use their opportunities for political participation and sharing of economic benefits. On the contrary, the US is facing social upheaval and political protest for the disadvantaged social classes have less opportunities to express their dissatisfaction.

In short, it may well be that Europe has no religion but the Europeans could argue that a pervasive religion is all that remains to many Americans private medical insurance and other vital social benefits.