Most reactions to the shocking scenes at the opening of the Paris Olympics suggest that this is evidence of the decline of the West. This is also what Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated. However, if this is true, why did numerous objections and criticisms arise from the French themselves, particularly from moderates, families, and thousands of tweets, especially from the French right, who described what happened as disgusting and humiliating? As for Orbán, his motives are clear: a political dispute with Europeans regarding the war with Russia, where he saw this as a favorable opportunity to tarnish their image.
While some may find the scenes provocative, we are familiar with this phenomenon that billionaire Elon Musk termed the virus, vowing to eliminate it. Musk's comments about losing his son after his gender transformation were sad and impactful, as he recalled how he was deceived into signing papers that served as a death certificate for his son. However, Musk's stance and the opposition to the Olympic scenes counters the claim that these reflect the degenerate values of the West; on the contrary, we are witnessing a larger coalition of rational moderates opposing these extreme trends of gender diversity, the participation of muscular men in women's competitions, and the encroachment on women's restrooms. This extends to larger issues related to education and self-identification.
There is a semblance of madness and psychosis that allows individuals to classify themselves as they wish, whether as a man, woman, or identifying with a broad spectrum of fluid sexual identities, or even as a cat! (as claimed by a girl who says she was born in the wrong body). This virus that Musk referred to is not a reflection of Western culture but rather a manifestation of it. In France specifically, due to revolutions against the church's oppression, all boundaries have been surpassed, and the French constitution explicitly expresses individual freedom of expression, belief, and heresy, which cannot be infringed upon. This is understandable, but it is not the only face of France, which angered many who viewed what occurred at the Olympics as representative of the entire French nation.
However, we should not forget that in French history, great philosophers like Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Descartes emerged, breaking the rigidity of fundamentalists and elevating the value of reason, while also being believers who combined reason with moral and spiritual religion. From their bold pens emerged the age of Enlightenment, which continues to cast its influence on humanity today. A famous expression by Voltaire when he faced death was, "I worship God, hate superstition, love my friends, and do not hate my enemies." The descendants of this rational, humane, enlightened thought are the multitude of French individuals opposing what happened at the opening, believing in the freedom of criticism and expression, although it does not reflect the spirit, persona, and history of the nation.
Yet, it may reflect a post-modern stage of thought where nothing is sacred. We see the same mindset in the United States or the similar conflict between conservatives, who uphold a philosophical and moral understanding of religion, and those who do not believe in it but view it as a political and social phenomenon. Others see traditional concepts of marriage, sex, gender, family, and faith as remnants of the past that must be destroyed and rebuilt anew, forming a complete break with a past that allows mockery and ridicule.
If we note that the intensity of the current political conflict in the elections between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is igniting around contentious cultural ideas and not just immigration and economics, we find that in the chaos of our world, the best choice, in my opinion, is that of rational moderates in the West and the East. They believe in the deep value of religion, understanding it philosophically and humanely, and the value of life, happiness, and hope. Some scenes from the Olympic opening reflected aesthetic beauty and elegance. Why is this the best choice? Because people need a spiritual dimension and are connected to the metaphysical world; no movement has been able to eliminate this aspect because it does not answer the big questions. Part of human happiness is in materialism but also in spirituality. Humans are thinking and imaginative beings, always living in other worlds in their minds. It is impossible to sever this aspect of their identity.
Thus, religions and spiritualities gain momentum whenever they recede. In our modern world, many feel wildness, frustration, and depression, perceiving themselves as cogs in a never-stopping machine, searching for a caring spiritual hand to break their isolation and instill them with reassurance and hope. However, what philosophers have done is extract the essence of religions that fosters happiness and peace in the human heart, while simultaneously not conflicting with contemporary life or modern sciences. This represents the way of thinking of French dissenters, Musk, and Republicans in America, as well as a broad swath in the West. They share this reasoning and disagree with the claim of the decline of values and morals in the West.
But why is this statement repeated? For cultural and political purposes, to say that the West, which claims tolerance and venerates reason and produced civilization, is in decline and therefore cannot teach or provide a model for others. It’s a tactic to seep poison into the cups of water that young people swallow.
However, the notable irony is that political Islam groups in France did not raise their voices or express outrage this time, despite their leaders inciting against our moderate countries, which only seek to renew religious thought. The reason is simple: political interests take precedence over everything else. Their allies on the left support these celebrations, while their enemies on the right are angered by them. But for them, if given the choice between ideology and political interests, which one prevails? The answer is known: power and interest come first, even if it means embodying a gay Christ and covering his naked body in blue paint!
