- Feb 5, 2002
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Michel Houellebecq is a very gifted French cynic. He’s also one of my favorite writers. His novels are very far from being Christian, but he has at least three redeeming qualities. He’s not “woke.” He enjoys needling the vanity of self-described progressives. And every once in a while, he sees and speaks the truth with a ferocious candor. In other words, unlike so many of our civic and cultural leaders, and regrettably some of our religious leaders, he’s not a coward.
A month ago, in the French national daily Le Figaro, he wrote an article with the title, “How France Lost Her Dignity.” His target was a euthanasia bill pending in the French National Assembly. Here’s what he wrote:
When a country – a society, a civilization – gets to the point of legalizing euthanasia, it loses. . .all right to respect. It becomes, henceforth, not only legitimate but desirable to destroy it; so that something else – another country, another society, another civilization – might have a chance to arise.
He continued:
Catholics will do their best to resist but, sad to say, we have more or less gotten used to the idea that Catholics always lose. [On societal issues,] Muslims and Jews. . .think exactly the same as Catholics; [but] the media are generally in strong agreement about hiding this fact. Thus, I do not have a lot of illusions. These faiths will end up by giving way and submitting to the yoke of “republican law”. . . .[So] let’s be honest about that.
The French have many great virtues, but humility about their homeland is not typically one of them. This makes Houellebecq’s indictment all the more striking. But as he suggests, let’s be honest. We too should be honest. Andif we’re honest, his indictment could apply just as easily to current trends in our own country.
Continued below.
Our Real Pandemic - The Catholic Thing
A month ago, in the French national daily Le Figaro, he wrote an article with the title, “How France Lost Her Dignity.” His target was a euthanasia bill pending in the French National Assembly. Here’s what he wrote:
When a country – a society, a civilization – gets to the point of legalizing euthanasia, it loses. . .all right to respect. It becomes, henceforth, not only legitimate but desirable to destroy it; so that something else – another country, another society, another civilization – might have a chance to arise.
He continued:
Catholics will do their best to resist but, sad to say, we have more or less gotten used to the idea that Catholics always lose. [On societal issues,] Muslims and Jews. . .think exactly the same as Catholics; [but] the media are generally in strong agreement about hiding this fact. Thus, I do not have a lot of illusions. These faiths will end up by giving way and submitting to the yoke of “republican law”. . . .[So] let’s be honest about that.
The French have many great virtues, but humility about their homeland is not typically one of them. This makes Houellebecq’s indictment all the more striking. But as he suggests, let’s be honest. We too should be honest. Andif we’re honest, his indictment could apply just as easily to current trends in our own country.
Continued below.
Our Real Pandemic - The Catholic Thing
