Mr. Vallianatos mentioned Jefferson and his appreciation for ancient Greek culture. Jefferson was not a Christian but a Deist. Deists rejected the claims of supernatural revelation and took no part in formal religious practices. www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10790 directs one to an article on the separation of church and state in the founding of the United States. It contains remarks on the attitudes of Jefferson and others toward religion. Other founders were also Deists. Perhaps they were freer of mind and could appreciate the spirit of enquiry present in ancient Greece because they shared it.

A friend of mine was the cultural attaché to the Greek embassy in London. He remarked that the introduction of Christianity furthered Greek cultural decline. It promoted the attitude that what you need to know is in the religion, and other knowledge is condemned as an unnecessary concern with things of this world.

The beginning of the Dark Ages was on 27 February 380 when Theodosius declared "Catholic Christianity" the only legitimate imperial religion. "The Closing of the Western Mind" by Freeman tells how the spirit of enquiry that existed in the classical world was criminalised at that point.

“Agora” which takes place in Alexandria in 391 is now in the cinema. It tells of Hypatia who was a brilliant woman and a teacher of astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy. The city's Christians, led by Ammonius and Cyril, gained political power, and attacked the great institutions of learning and governance. The Christians enforced public morality; first they saw the Jews as their obstacle, then women. Hypatia had no interest in faith; she was concerned about the movement of celestial bodies and the brotherhood of all. Christian monks scraped the flesh from her body with oyster shells.

I’m sure that in present day Greece there are people with minds every bit as capable as those of Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, Protagoras, Hypatia and others who made Greece glorious.

The weight of Christianity has been crushing Greek minds for almost 2,000 years. Free Greek minds by getting rid of Greek Christianity. It’s a step to restoring the ancient glory of Greece.

How will studying Greek classics, history, science etc. fix the corporate world?

As for Americans losing their homes en masse, there are also people who think that sub-prime loans were part of the cause, coupled with those same people borrowing over their means. From 2007, but still relevant: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7073131.stm

And how will protectionism and mono-culturalism save Greece? This sounds like a nationalist, anti-globalisation, anti-Christianity rant. Though I have to agree there is merit in exploring the taxing of the church (in Australia, because I have little knowledge of Greece). But what benefit is there in abolishing monasteries in Greece? You may not like them but plenty of peole do.

Plus, if you dislike the political system in Greece so much, as a Greek national you could easily go back and form a new political party.

But the last paragraph says it all: "Obama is the only one who can save the US." I do not consider myself a supporter or opponent of Obama but if you criticise everyone else, then criticise the US Democrats who go to the same universities as the US Republicans.

http://currentglobalperceptions.blogspot.com/

I've been saving loose change in an old jar in the kitchen. I'm glad I didn't buy Greece with it last week as I'm now getting a special deal, buy Greece and get Ireland free.