I've been studying Turkish history lately and I really don't understand how a nation that is 99% Muslim has passed sooo many anti-Islamic laws and become so "secular." How does a "head scarf" ban come about when virtually everyone is Muslim? How does the recognition of Islam as the official Turkish religion get completely removed from their constitution and replaced by a "freedom of religion" article (while there are sooo many Muslims)?
One person that I spoke with suggested that about 85% of Americans claim to be some sort of "Christian" yet we have abortion and other terrible things getting passed in this country. I'm not totally convinced of that argument because I don't believe that the majority of people who claim to be "born again" actually are. Is it just the case that the majority of Turkish Muslims are merely 'nominal' Muslims?
Any thoughts on this?
THANKS,
Matt

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Matthew Scheffer
Christ The Redeemer (non-denominational)
http://www.christredeemer.com
Spokane, WA

These articles may be of interest:

Secularism in Turkey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kemalist ideology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Andrew Myers
Husband of Jessica, Father of Jackson, Katie and Samuel
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church of Northern Virginia
Warrenton, VA USA
Editor, The Matthew Poole Project

"Let your Morning Thoughts, and your last Evening Thoughts, be what shall become of you to all Eternity." -- Matthew Poole

I was told that to understand Turkey, you have to understand that the military is the most powerful institution in the country, and they are very secular and nationalist in the vein of Ataturk.

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Eric
Woodgreen Presbyterian (PCA)
Calgary, Alberta CANADA

Hey, "thanks" for your responses.... I think the military strength in Turkey (and their secular ways) is a very good reason for why Turkey is soooo secular while 99% of the population is Muslim. I started thinking about S.Africa as well and how the minority was able to "rule" the majority --I find that to be an amazing thing.
Thanks,
Matt

__________________
Matthew Scheffer
Christ The Redeemer (non-denominational)
http://www.christredeemer.com
Spokane, WA

It's an amazing world, Matt, chuck full of sinners, I being the chief one.

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Ivan Schoen, Pastor * Maranatha Baptist Church * Poplar Grove, Illinois USA www.maranatha-sbc.org/
“One of the most important discoveries I have ever made is this truth: God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in him. This is the motor that drives my ministry as a pastor. It affects everything I do.” --- Dr. John Piper

But in South Africa only about eight percent of the country is Afrikaner, while in Turkey after Ataturk the overwhelming majority of people were ethnic Turks, except in Kurdish areas. If secularism wasn't popular among the general population that particular philosophy wouldn't have lasted 90 years. Don't forget most Muslims are secular, just as most Christians are.

Ataturk wasn't Turkish. He was Albanian and that brings in another complication, as in South Africa race was and is very important, but in Turkey there was a deliberate attempt to down play ethnicity, and to bring about a homogeneous society, where as in SA the exact opposite was true.

Afrikaners were able to rule the country as they are a first world people and built a first world military. In Turkey it isn't an identifiable minority who are running things.

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Tim Vaughan, 48 years old, member Redeemer OPC, Santa Maria CA.