Posted on 02/05/2003 2:34:58 AM PST by kattracks
London (CNSNews.com) - Citing the "increased secularization of morality and public life" in Europe, a British homosexual group is demanding that all references to God be left out of the preamble to a new European Union constitution.
Officials are currently in talks that will produce a draft constitution for the EU in advance of expanding the body from 15 to 25 members next year.
In a letter released this week, the British-based Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) urged EU convention delegates to leave out any religious references from the constitution's preamble.
"We are not opposed to a clause that would establish the freedom to practice religion," GALHA spokesman Terry Sanderson said Tuesday. "What we don't want to see is religion moving out of the area of freedom and becoming predominant right there in the beginning (of the constitution)."
Sanderson said that "religion is dying throughout Europe and we have to realize that."
The GALHA letter to convention delegates contends that "religious institutions already wield power out of proportion to the support they have" and accuses the Vatican of seeking to impose "ultra-conservative and cruel doctrines" through the United Nations and the European Union.
"The suffering callously and deliberately meted out to homosexuals by the church over the last millennium is immense." GALHA wrote.
"To include references to God or 'our Christian heritage' would be to start turning back on our 500-year journey from the Enlightenment," the group wrote. "Instead, we should be proud of our progress, and growing humanity."
The homosexual group suggested the following words be included in the preamble: "The Union is founded on the principles of secular rule of law: freedom, equality, democracy and pluralism. It guarantees the respect and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms."
European humanist and secular groups as well as several top politicians are supportive of the GALHA effort. The leader of the EU convention, former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, recently told a German magazine that he is against a reference to God in the new constitution.
But other delegates, along with Europe's main churches, argue that including God in a European constitution is necessary and would reflect the continent's Christian roots.
One delegate, John Bruton, has suggested that the following wording be included: "The Union values shall include the values of those who believe in God as the source of truth, justice, good and beauty as well as of those who do not share such a belief but respect these universal values arising from other sources."
The Vatican embassy in London declined to comment Tuesday, but a spokesman for the Catholic Bishops' Conference in England said that referring to religion in the constitution would be historically accurate.
"Europe does indeed have religious roots and it would be erroneous to leave out any religious element," the spokesman said.
"Christianity is still predominantly the religion followed by Europeans ... and it's very difficult to argue that religion does not have any place in Europe," he said. "It is a big influence."
A spokesman for the Anglican Church, the official state religion in England, agreed and said that references to God would underline Europe's "commitment to freedom of belief."
"It's a simple and undeniable historical fact," the spokesman said. The extent of religious belief in Europe is actually quite high and people have a deep and long-standing attachment to religious institutions."
"It's difficult to justify leaving out all religious references (from the preamble)," the spokesman said.
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No, it is this Godless hedonist's dream to see religion die in Europe.
Could you imagine something like this happening in 1787? What would our Constitution be like if every special interest group were allowed to have that kind of input?
That's exactly my take on the homosexualists themselves.
What he means is that Christianity is dying throughout Europe.
The EU will have sharia law within 50 years.
Mr. d'Estaing would not have liked Europe without Christianity. Would there have been a Europe without Christianity? Those who believe in nothing will fall for anything. How many mosques have been built in France in recent years? Over 200, courtesy of the friendly Saudis.
Yeah, well guess what fruitcake...the Enlightenment hasn't won yet. I think it's in store for a rather unexpected reversal in this century...
Yes, let's kill off God and become our own source of rights and freedoms. God is only for unenlightened folks who live in the dark ages. We're in the 21st century. The Age of Aquarius will be brought to pass through humanists' efforts. Yes, indeed.
Well, if they're going to kill off God in their constitution, they'll kill Him off in everything else they do. I wonder what God thinks about the whole thing. I wonder if He gets tired of being rejected and declared dead and irrelevant.
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