Protestant countries have higher employment rates…
Right, this is certain to throw the cat in amongst the pigeons. Before you read it, can I just remind people of the site’s commenting rules. Dr Feldmann, a lecturer in Bath University’s Department of Economics and International Development explains why he thinks his research shows a gap between employment rates in Protestant and Catholic countries.
…the impact of religion may be indirect, for example, in helping shape the national culture of a given society.” He continued: “In its early days, Protestantism promoted the virtue of hard and diligent work amongst its adherents, who judged one another by conformity to this standard. Originally, an intense devotion to one’s work was meant to assure oneself that one was predestined for salvation. Although the belief in predestination did not last more than a generation or two after the Reformation, the effect on work ethics continued. “This was particularly conducive to the rise of modern capitalism. It stimulated entrepreneurial spirits and helped to assimilate workers into the factory system. Most protestants today are likely to work not in order to attain certainty of salvation but because their parents taught them the virtue of work. The Protestant virtue of hard and diligent work has become part of a national culture of the relevant countries.”
Of course this is just one possible conditioning factor. Traditional extended family structures, including higher marriage rates and low cohabitation rates also persist in Catholic southern Europe, whilst the largely Protestant Nordic countries have migrated far from traditional family norms.
“As dire as you’d expect it to be in a country that only discovered the free market after generations of communist occupation.â€
Nothing at all like Lithuania then? ”
Lithunia. Population 3.5 million.
Poland. Population 38 million.
Reckon that is really a fair comparison?
In an argument about apples and oranges, why can’t i compare grapes and melons?
could it not be that other factors may be responsible. For example, could the wind falls of the northsea oil and gas not have some impact on the economic preformance of some northern european countries. Pure luck like have a wealth of mineral resources can hardly be blamed on the reformation, unless like feldmann you have some supremacist agenda to prove
‘Their existence is all to do with being an historic bulwark against Catholic Europe, ‘
The British/English Royal family/families were in existence long before the Reformation . English monarchs traditionnally were preocupied with defending England against any and all enemies including the Scots , Welsh and Irish not to mention Vikings , Normans etc . The Anglo Saxon aristocracy was virtually exterminated to a man by the Normans in 1066 and had it not been for the Black Death -England would probably be a French speaking country today . The conquests of Wales , Ireland and Scotland were consolidated by the late 17th century which then enabled England as ‘Brittania ‘ to pursue imperial aggrandisement around the world without having to look over their shoulders at the recalcitrant Scots and Irish . For the most part they roped Scots /Irish and Welsh into their overseas development corporation which continued to bring prosperity to the home countries until the middle of the 20th century.
As for the Monarchs powers being ‘minimal’ ? They have at least enough power to squeeze tens of millions of pounds out of the British taxpayer for their upkeep and maintenance .
The Brits are of course entitled to squander their hard earned sterling on this dysfunctional royal shower . If I was a Brit I’d want to see this dynasty of Greek Fritzies shipped back to Saxe Coburg & Gotha on the next ferry out of Harwich
I know this thread is dead but however:
Only ten states in the US have Catholic majorities. Eight of these states are amongst the richest 20 states including 3 of the richest 4 (Conn.,New Jersey and Mass. : ref. 2003 average salary figures).
Does this mean there is some type of Catholic work ethic at play? Not really more than likely it’s about geography and where certain immigrant groups settled.
Similarly differences in wealth in Europe are more to do with geography and history than any perceived Protestant work ethic.
“A new study shows that Protestant countries have higher employment rates than non-Protestant countries. And this is because of the Protestant work ethic, which makes subjects work hard…”
Once and for all we can put to bed the SF/IRA/SDLP’s claims that discrimination is the major reason why the Protestant Community have a higher percentage of it’s population in work than their Roman Catholic counterparts. I’ve been saying this for years and I’ve been vindicated in doing so…we are more likely to be harder workers. Nothing more. Nothing less.
It is in our (Protestant) psyche that we must work hard to better ourselves and our situation. Unfortunately, in the Roman Catholic community there have been generations who have believed they are “owed something” and if they aren’t given it then they must have been discriminated against because of their religion…generations of victimhood in other words.
Sectarian
Demonisation
Loyalist
People