Posted originally on the CTH on December 24, 2023 | Sundance 

It is often said in recent years that events in Europe present as the precursor for events that later follow in the U.S. and North America.  Indeed, there are many points of reference which support this outlook.

According to recent media reporting, various state police agencies in Europe took action against Islamic extremists, identified as ISIS-k affiliates, to stop planned terror attacks against Christian targets, specifically well-known cathedrals, this Christmas holiday season.   The events took place in Austria and Germany, with targets identified in Vienna and Western Germany.

(Jerusalem Post) – Austrian, German, and Spanish police were on high alert at cathedrals in several cities due to concerns that Islamists were planning a terrorist attack on Christmas or New Year’s Eve, with several suspects already arrested in Vienna and Germany, according to German reports.

According to the Bild, several suspects were arrested in the Ottakring district of Vienna, while another was arrested in Saarland, Germany.  The arrested suspects are Tajiks allegedly affiliated with the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, the branch of ISIS in south-central Asia, according to the report.

Vienna Police noted in a press release that there is an “increased terror alert level” and “generally an increased risk in Austria during the Christmas holidays.”

“Since terrorist actors across Europe are calling for attacks on Christian events – especially around [Christmas Eve,] December 24 – the security authorities have increased the corresponding protective measures in public spaces in Vienna and the federal states,” Vienna Police said, adding that there would be increased patrols and surveillance during the holidays, with attention focused primarily on churches, religious events, and Christmas markets. (read more)

I would be remiss if I did not add context to this report, literal boots on the ground reporting, something that many U.S. readers might find of interest.

The cultural crisis within the EU rests just under the surface.  It is very visible if you look with eyes to see and have discussions with native Europeans in almost every country.

The import of millions, actually tens-of-millions of Muslim oriented migrants is problematic for the domestic tranquility of multiple nations. The more “progressive” or multicultural minded the country’s political leadership, the greater the turmoil.

The issue is simply a percentage of extremism within the larger Islamic migrant population.  Not all Muslim immigrants are extremists, but a significant percentage of them reject even the concept of assimilation.  That percentage might only be around 25%, but when you think of the scale of the denominator, 25% of a large number is a very significant issue.

Very well-known Christian cathedrals and monuments are now essentially operating like guarded fortresses.  It is a very sad thing to witness, as this reality has turned the churches, synagogues and places of faith into risk zones.  Even the smaller churches and lesser known -albeit generationally old- houses of faith, have very visible security.

In almost all areas, the days of just walking into a civically positioned church, beautiful old churches built for the local population that eventually built houses around the church, are gone.

The doors of the church are locked, the grounds secured and only at scheduled times is the church available.

There’s another even more sad aspect to this, it’s become the new normal.

Again, to emphasize, the scale of the issue is directly proportionate to the ideology of the political structures that sit atop the society.  The more “progressive” or multicultural the emphasis of the political leadership, the stronger the security and threat around the churches.

France is the worst, and fear has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany and the rest of the Western EU all experience this fear/threat/security situation in varying degrees.

Additionally, and this is where it gets really interesting, the further North and East toward Russia you travel, the lesser the threat dynamic seems to show.  Belarus, Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia, and some of the Baltic states do not have as severe a Christian security problem.

Look at a map (with non-pretending eyes), plot the highest threats/incidences and you will clearly see the overlay.  Much of Europe is killing its own Christian faith simply by reacting to being threatened, taking security efforts and being politically/culturally correct, according to their own stages of pretense.

Remarkably, and this is where it becomes an astonishingly big lie, Russia…. Yes, RUSSIA, is the safest place for openly visible social/societal Christianity to exist.

In the former Soviet Union, cathedrals and massive places of Christian orthodox worship were essentially turned into warehouses and devalued.  Thankfully, these beautiful buildings and architectural masterpieces were not destroyed, they were just neglected.   However, in the past 20+ years something amazing has happened, and the people in almost every Russian region talk about what is happening with incredible optimism and fondness.

All of the old monuments and cathedrals are now considered as national cultural prizes.  The restoration and preservation are simply stunning, I mean drop your jaw on the ground stunning and overwhelming.   The beauty and Christian grandeur are bigger, brighter and feels more alive, cherished and respected than any place in Western Europe.

Yes, this perspective, this modern valuation, this incredible, remarkable and social celebration of Christianity that exists in Russia, far surpasses almost EVERY historic Christian monument and building in the EU in comparison to Russia.  It’s not just the building, it’s the way the social fabric of the people thinks about the values reflected within the represented imagery.

I don’t know when this modern Russia began to restore itself, and I have no concept of time to give it context.  But what I witnessed is nothing even remotely within the ballpark of what I previously imagined or believed.

Even the Muslims in Russia that don’t celebrate Christmas have found a way to enjoin themselves culturally to the representation of faith and values, in their celebration of the New Year.  I found this expressed and open religious cohesion/respect to be incredible and uplifting.  It reminded me… and this is going to sound really odd… of the United States many years ago.

Risking a little diminishment I will let you in on a secret, … I was so overwhelmed at times, while visiting these places more than once I had to leave, find a quiet place, and just sit still so I could openly cry with the sense of joy and wonderment – without anyone thinking I was weird.  When you feel close to God, you shrink… and nothing in a long time made me as irrelevant and miniscule as those moments of awe.

Socially the valuation system in St Petersburg Russia, formerly Leningrad, is nothing like what you might have been led to believe.  The value of the family structure is the apex of expressed social, public and governing policy.  Family values are celebrated, men are men, women are women and children are children, nurtured and protected.

Everything in Russian culture is very deliberate, very forceful, incredibly non-pretending, and that sentiment carries forth in the way the Christian religion is presented.

I guess the best way to encapsulate religion and this time of year in a way that most could understand, is to say: Christmastime in St Petersburg, Russia, is like traveling back to Christmastime in 1950’s USA.  The purity of it is overwhelming.

Merry Christmas!