Francis Berger
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Christian Freedom Versus Liberalism - Viktor Orbán

7/27/2019

4 Comments

 
"We are going to spend the next 15 years on the mission of our generation to confront the liberal spirit of the era and liberal internationalism."

"It's not about setting a goal for a certain time period, but rather about giving meaning to our lives within a period of time."

"Once liberal democracy started breaking the ties that bind man to reality and life, started questioning gender identity, devaluing religious identity, and deemed national affiliation to be redundant, it contents radically changed. This is the zeitgeist of the past 20-30 years in Europe."


"The lay of the land favors the liberals, but there is something on our side nonetheless that can be said to be beautiful, free and just; something that can be summed up as Christian freedom."

“Policies geared towards Christian freedom are about working to protect everything that liberals neglect, forget about, or despise."

These quotes were taken from a speech Viktor Orbán gave today at an annual gathering in Baile Tusnad, Transylvania, Romania. I have found Orbán's annual speeches at Baile Tusnad to be engrossing since I began following them four years ago. An interesting mix of politics, philosophy, and religion, Orbán uses the annual speech at Transylvania to reflect upon the year that has passed as well predict the course of the year to come as it regards Hungary and Europe. 

I am not a big fan of politics in general, but I am becoming increasingly convinced that Orbán not only understands things are coming to point, but has committed himself and the nation he serves to a side - a side flies in the face of Western liberal democracy and everything contemporary liberalism stands for. It was especially intriguing to listen to him contrast liberalism with what he termed "Christian liberties."

This year's Baile Tusnad speech was a truly hopeful one. I will work to get my hands on a transcript, which I will post here in its entirety, even if I have to translate it myself. 

4 Comments
bruce charlton
7/29/2019 21:04:55

Saying the right things is a necessary first step - but experience has taught me that until something significant happens (like Hungary leaving the EU) it really is 'just talk'.

And even then it is just politics, unless the change reflects a change in many Men's hearts - repentence and a new resolve.

We have an analogous thing going on in the UK with the new Prime Minister. Tough talk - but we've heard it all before. I won''t believe the UK has *really* left the EU until after I genuine change in my everyday life.

Things are very far gone now, there is tremendous inertia; and nothing short of an upheaval will mean anything substantive.

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Francis Berger
7/30/2019 08:45:16

I am inclined to agree with your overall skepticism and pessimism, Bruce, especially in the realm of politics, but I am holding out some extremely slight hope that Orbán might be the kind of figure Arkle alluded to GOC. (When I say extremely slight, I really do mean extremely slight).

Orbán does not want to leave the EU, but wants to change it from within, which to me seems pointless and absurd. Regardless, his actions could create inadvertent consequences that could lead to Hungary getting kicked out of the EU - now that would be something.

Much depends on the people here. Will there be an upheaval? Probably not, but time will tell. I give it fewer than five years to know the answer either way.

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Bookslinger
7/30/2019 03:35:27

He sounds a bit like Solzhenitsyn.
http://orthochristian.com/47643.html

Reply
Francis Berger
7/30/2019 08:48:27

@ BS - I would take that as a definite positive. Let's hope he has the same integrity as Solzhenitsyn, too.

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