German History and the Flag

It is my host's birthday, so he had a gathering of his parents and grandparents. Those generations only knew German, so I spent considerable time in my own world thinking.

It's pretty neat to be sitting her with four generations of Germans. My, what a broad range of experiences this lives have had and will have. I imagined each one representing a different facet of German history and experience. These young boys are being raised in a society that is vastly different from that of their grandparents and great grandparents. So much has transpired here over the past 80 years.

I thought of the memories the great grandparents must have, living through World War II. The stories they could tell, the reflections held deep within. And my generation present would speak of the fall of the Berlin wall and the changes before and after the German reunification in 1990, when East Germany was incorporated into West Germany.

We have even seen a significant shift within the last 2 years. Ever since WWII, there has been a serious reluctance by Germans to display their flag. Any show of patriotism conjured up negative images of what nationalism did as Germans blindly followed their leader in the past. It seemed to have an association with aggression and the continuity of the Third Reich (even though it used a different flag...). So while national pride could be present, one certainly did not want to proclaim it by waving flags and other symbols of their allegiance. Until 2006, the German flag was only seen in official government contexts, such as flying over the Parliament building, but never by the general public.

Then came the surprise. Germany hosted the 2006 World Cup, and German flags were suddenly flown by the exuberant sports fans. Germany was a top contender in these soccer championships, and the black, red, and gold began to appear on t-shirts, stickers, umbrellas, etc. It seems so natural for us Americans to see the flag of our country, but for the Germans this was a new development, a step of freedom from the past and great hope for the future. Way to go, Germany!

Germany and Scientology

My hosts have informed me that a really hot topic in the news right now is concerning Germany's move towards banning the Church of Scientology from Germany. My hosts asked if this is a trend in the US also. I assured them it wasn't, and I inquired to know more of the facts.

The German officials are not viewing it as a religion, but as an organization or business, that they believe has ambitions contrary to a democratic order and possibly in violation of the constitution. Basically, it seems that the government officials are very sensitive to any anti-democratic activity, due to the traumatic occurrences in German history, and so now they are serious about preventing the rise of an organization with any possible resemblance to the rise of the Nazi regime. They have had a special surveillance on the Scientology since 1997.

Just this week, a German court upheld a ruling sanctioning the monitoring of Scientology by Germany's intelligence service. The ruling stated: "There are concrete indications that Scientology's activities are to implement Scientology's program in Germany and to expand more and more Scientology's principles in government, economy and society". The court cited "numerous indications" that "central constitutional values such as the dignity of mankind and the right to equal treatment would be suspended or restricted," in a Scientology society.

The above synopsis is taken from Deutsche Welle, as is the following:
"During the court proceedings the German court heard testimony concerning anti-democratic statements made by L. Ron Hubbard, the American founder of Scientology who died in 1986. The court did not find any evidence that the organization had distanced itself from Hubbard's statements. Certain statements made by Hubbard detail how to harass ex-members and critics of Scientology."

Very interesting...

It seems some rulings in this case will hinge on the distinction between a religious movement and a political one. Has Islam in Germany has escaped these trials--despite the honor killings that are also taking place there--because Islam is a "religion?" (What about Sharia law...? Last week I learned that some in England are proposing having parallel laws following the Sharia system.)
Can a distinction be made between a person's involvement in a religious versus political movement, or does faith, when it is truly upheld, encompass one's entire involvement in society, and hence manifest itself in realms outside the confines of the church/temple/mosque/synagogue?

Seems these were issues the founding fathers of the US wrestled with as well...and aimed to establish a land where religious freedom is upheld, and yet where a democratic society is not at peril. Indeed, the more I travel and live in other countries, the more I realize the differences in the principles on which America was founded.

How the Irish Saved Civilization

I just finished the book "How the Irish Saved Civilization," by Thomas Cahill. It tells how the Ireland flourished as "a land of saints and scholars" during the time that the European continent was experiencing the dark ages. From the fall of the Roman Empire and the barbarian invasion of Europe to the rise of Charlemagne, the great classics of literature were preserved in the monasteries of this far off island. After St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, monks began establishing monasteries that become like university cities, they copied the greats manuscripts and established libraries with the great classical literature, while all the great libraries of Europe had vanished due to the barbarians. Not only did the monks and scribes preserve the Greek, Roman, Jewish and Christian works, but also these scholars were instrumental in spreading learning back to Europe once stability returned. This bestseller book is an account of history that is not always recognized, but one that is beautiful and inspiring (and even humorous)!

Endurance of the Irish

The Irish have endured a great deal. The Vikings invaded in the end of the eighth century and destroyed many monasteries and massacred countless number of people in their repeated raids. The Vikings were vanquished in the early eleventh century, but by this time Ireland had been marginalized from European civilization. In the twelfth century, the Normans (English) invaded. In the sixteenth century the colonizing Elizabethans (read: England/Protestant) cut down the Irish forests and killed many. In the seventeenth century, the Cromwellians (read: England/Protestant) came close to enacting genocide. In the eighteenth century the Penal Laws (from England) denied Catholics the rights of citizens, causing many to flee Ireland. In the nineteenth century, nearly one million Irish people died of hunger and its consequences between 1845 and 1851...while the English government sat on its hands. Another million and a half emigrated during this time to North America or Australia, many dying during the difficult journey.

No wonder there is much tension between Ireland and Britain. The conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland that we hear about in the US is deeply historical, political and cultural one, not merely theological.

For those of you unaware, the Easter Rising occurred in 1916, when the Irish Republic was proclaimed. The Irish War of Independence was from 1919-1921. Finally, in 1922, Britain and Ireland signed a treaty establishing the Irish Free State, but excluding the six counties of Northern Ireland still under British rule.