Bible Belt (Netherlands)
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The Bible Belt (“De Bijbelgordel” in Dutch, although the English term is also commonly used) is the name given (patterned after the Bible Belt of the United States) to a strip of land in the Netherlands, which is inhabited chiefly by conservative Protestants. The Bijbelgordel stretches from Zeeland, through the West-Betuwe and Veluwe, to the northern parts of the province Overijssel. However, some communities with strong conservative Protestant leanings are situated outside the belt. For example, Urk, considered by many as one of the most traditional communities in the country, and some municipalities of Friesland have characteristics typical of the Bijbelgordel. Other places in this area are Yerseke, Tholen, Ouddorp, Opheusden, Kesteren, Barneveld, Nunspeet, Elspeet and Staphorst. Currently, the traditional Dutch churches have around 650,000 members in about 360 churches.
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[edit] History
When Flanders and North Brabant were reconquered by the Spanish army during the Eighty Years’ War, their Protestant inhabitants were required to either convert to Catholicism or leave. Many emigrated north of the border, particularly during the Twelve Years’ Truce of 1609 – 1621. Many of them later became staunch supporters of the pietist movement known as the nadere reformatie (further reformation). Following the 1832 schism, known as the Afscheiding (“Secession”) and the 1886 schism, Doleantie (“Sorrow”) led by Abraham Kuyper, they left the mainstream Dutch Reformed Church and founded their own, more conservative congregations, the most notable of which are the Christian Reformed Churches and the Reformed Congregations (“Gereformeerde Gemeenten”), known colloquially as zwarte-kousenkerken (“black stockings churches”).
The Bijbelgordel differs in many aspects from the traditionally Catholic provinces of Noord-Brabant and Limburg to the south (where regular church attendance averages between 3% and 9% of the population) and other parts of the Netherlands, which are traditionally mainline Protestant and increasingly, secular.
[edit] Life and tradition
The Church plays a central role in the life of Bijbelgordel communities and they typically oppose the liberal and tolerant ways of Dutch life, such as euthanasia, gay rights, abortion etc. In Bijbelgordel communities, strong religious tone in public life is accompanied by conservative outlook, preference for large families (the region has relatively high fertility rates), and an emphasis on traditional values. An aspect of Bijbelgordel society that has drawn the attention of the Dutch general public in recent years (when concerns of a measles epidemic emerged) is the suspicion of parents towards state-run vaccination programmes. [1] [2]
The Bijbelgordel provides a base of support for Christian Democratic parties, especially the two kleine Christelijke (“small Christian”) parties; SGP and ChristenUnie.
[edit] References
- Alexandra Hudson, “Seeking security, Dutch turn to Bible Belt”, (Reuters: March 13, 2007) at [3]
