It is interesting to see the effect of books like DaVinci Code, Jesus Lived in India, Flash Light, Contact etc on the society at large.
I found an interesting article in the Pioneer newspaper by the beginning of the year, about prophecies of North Dames. This says about the Clash of Civilisations - rather fight between Christians and Muslims. It also says that a country from Middle East can develop nuclear weapon and try to put it in an EU region, which will fail. He predicts that from 2006 to 2012 it will be a war between the two religious people. He predicts that the ’war’ will last for 29 years. It must be noted that the Developed (Christian) nations cannot stop the will power of brain washed people from Islam religion, as they have showed it through the destruction of WTC at New York and London/Madrid bombings. Otherwise, they will have to eliminate the entire Muslim race from earth which will be another Nazi movement.
It seems that even with warnings / predictions like this, people are all set to make them come true!!
When I visited Europe in 2005, mainly England and Wales, I found that church going people are becoming much lesser day-by-day. You might have seen news about old churches being converted into restaurants in Europe. The result is a value less society, without families (in Netherlands, majority of the young people prefer not to get married nor to have children) and skewed views on sex. Alcoholism, anxiety, depression (in cause for largest selling medication in UK) and suicide are the end results. It is pathetic to see the young people (legally, above 16!?) in the bars and pubs, engaged in all sorts of nasty things. Unfortunately they believe that that is freedom and happiness.
There could be many reasons - (sex) scandals by the priests, too much focus on (selfish) materialism, too much pride for the advancement science and technology or books like the ones which I have mentioned above.
It is sad to see civilisations disappear. Cultural traditions and rituals are becoming extinct. What is development ? Which is a developed nation ? Why should we follow the false notions of development and ’modern’ society and loose our own identity ? The UNESCO’s purpose is to ponder into these areas of issues of our societies. But how far our country, state and society is realising the significance of the problem ?