A century ago, Max Weber, founder of sociology, observed that the Protestant work ethic was what had made northern Europe and America rich. Recently, Niall Ferguson, a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford, and the Center for European Studies at Harvard, argued that recent economic stagnation in European countries owes much to the decline of religious belief and church attendance during the past four decades. The Protestant work ethic, he thinks, is dead. In a 1-2 page of reflective essay (Times New Roman font, size 11pt., double-space), argue if you agree with the statements above. Explain your reasons by using the evidence found by Barro and McCleary (2003) or other sources. Reference: Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. New York: Scribner, 1958. Barro, Robert J. and McCleary, Rachel M., Religion and Economic Growth (May 2003). NBER Working Paper No. w9682. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=406054