Europe Returning to Pagan Roots

NewsMax ^ | May 30, 2003 | Fr. Mike Reilly

[Hugenot]

NewsMax.com's religion editor, Fr. Mike Reilly, sees a disturbing trend in the latest news from the European Union.

Zenit News is reporting on the new Constitution for the European Union and the news is not good.

"Drawing inspiration from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, which, nourished first by the civilizations of Greece and Rome, characterized by spiritual impulse always present in its heritage and later by the philosophical currents of the Enlightenment, has embedded within the life of society its perception of the central role of the human person and his inviolable and inalienable rights, and of respect for law. ..."

Do you get the sense that there's something missing from the preamble? What "spiritual impulse" are they referring to? Could it be the Irish druids, who worshipped trees? Or perhaps the Norse gods like Thor and Loki? Maybe they mean ancient German legends about Siegfried coming from Valhalla.

Are these the "spiritual impulses" that united Europe, or rather was it something called Christendom?

"It borders on the ridiculous that the Preamble should make nominal reference to the Hellenistic and Roman component and jump directly to the 'philosophers of the Enlightenment,' omitting the Christian reference without which the Enlightenment is incomprehensible," Josep Miro i Ardevol, president of the Convention of Christians for Europe, said in a statement.

In an interview on Vatican Radio, Cardinal Roberto Tucci, a member of the executive council of the radio, said that "It was not a question of adherence [to Christianity], but of recognizing the historical fact of the enormous influence that Christian culture has had on European culture."

"The most unifying factor of Europe, which has been Christian culture, is missing" in the Preamble, he said.

The draft continues, "Conscious that Europe is a continent that has brought forth civilization; that its inhabitants, arriving in successive waves since the first ages of mankind, have gradually developed the values underlying humanism: equality of persons, freedom, respect for reason. ..."

Where do they think these values come from? What other civilizations espouse these values? The fact is that it was Christian culture which civilized and united tribal barbarians into what was left of the declining Roman Empire, which would eventually become modern Europe. That is why every modern tyrant has seen the need to attack and suppress Christianity.

This does not bode well for Europeans who treasure freedom. If our rights come from men, then men can take them away. Our founding fathers were wise enough to acknowledge that "man was endowed by his Creator with certain inalienable rights. ..."

Sadly, the leaders of Europe lack that insight.

[GaConfed]

Well, the end of the Peloponesian War certainly did seal the fate of Athens, but it took a few coups and counter coups to bring it down to the backwater that it was when Alexander's boys showed up. It was kind of like a grand old hotel that had become a flop house, with some of the old girl's former beauty showing through if she smiled the right way.

[TheAngryClam]

And I do recognize the irony of my apotheosis statement while I have the quote from De Rerum Natura as my signature.

[ArneFufkin]

George carried a grudge!

[TheAngryClam]

I have soupcans and wires too.

Maybe I should sell my "E-Meter Mark II" in the back of comic books and Boy's Life next to the hovercraft plans.

[ArneFufkin]

I prefer carrier pigeons jammed into floating bottles.

[ArneFufkin]

Nil igitur mors est ad nos neque pertinet hilum/quandoquidem natura animi mortalis habetur

That's my favorite Julio Iglesias song too.

[ffusco]

Scientologists tried to measure my aura with a voltmeter in LA. Better living through Radio Shack, the meter measures skin conductivity via perspiration. When I touched the 2 cans together and the buried the needle. My reading was over and I was asked to leave!


Not to worry, I think Apotheosis is pretty close to Valhalla and Ellysium, perhaps distinguished suburbs of Heaven? I'd better put on my asbestos now.

[ffusco]

; )

[Jim Noble]

I thought Germany already tried the return-to-paganism thing in the 1930s and '40s.

They did, and as the EU was the idea of the Man from Linz, perhaps it represents Germany's final victory.

[The Grammarian]

Actually, according to many theologians, no one is certain what the origins of it are. It's surmised that it comes from either religare or relegare, the one dealing with bonds/obligations and the other relationships.

Some suppose the term Religion to be derived from religando (Lactantius), others from relegendo (Cicero). According to the former derivation, religion signified the obligation rightly to worship God, or, that which imposes upon man obligations and duties. According to the latter etymology, religion is diligent attention to those things which pertain to the worship of God. (The Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church by Heinrich Schmid, D.D.)

[ffusco]

And yet the document creating the common market in 1957, the pre-cursor of the EU, is called the Treaty of Rome. Hmmmm.

[TheAngryClam]

There's the matter of the word religio, religionis more than the verbs, and that has a definite, and separate, meaning from them, and is the source of the modern word "religion."

[ArneFufkin]

Tom Cruise has some really disturbing audio requirements in every movie and promotional appearance. The Scientologists have an annual Radio Shack gizmo maintenance contract with Tom that fetches $10 million or so a year.

Illuminati, Trilaterals and Bildebergers my ass ... the Scientologists are even creepier than the Kennedys.

[ArneFufkin]

The EU as an economic alliance is understandable. As a political and legal umbrella ... Hyenas, meet your new friends the Three misunderstood Brothers from Lion Pride North. You all get to know each other. No spine crushing or throat tearing you guys!

[ffusco]

"Three misunderstood Brothers from Lion Pride North"

Please expound!

[ArneFufkin]

All religion is Evil

Religion is a profoundly human necessity. Everywhere on Earth from the day we found self-awareness of our life and mortality.

Religion is as vital to our species as water, food, oxygen and reproduction.

You keep it real simple like.

[ArneFufkin]

Sorry, the killing scrum is moving toward the Nile Crocodile "RiverDance" meet and greet. The big cats are rockin and rollin.

It's so wonderful watching Europe recreate themselves into a 200 million person Yugoslavian brotherhood.

[rmvh]

Re your # 7...I don't really see the problem- Christianity is just a neutered, tired religion.

All....repeat ALL.. religions eventually fade into obscurity and impotence.....Two or five thousand years is just a blip in time for any given religion ....They all eventually go.

[ffusco]

I think he means oppressive organized religeous institutions which have the same vices as any beuracracy and not true religeuos piety.

[ArneFufkin]

All....repeat ALL.. religions eventually fade into obscurity and impotence.....Two or five thousand years is just a blip in time for any given religion ....They all eventually go.

Thanks for narrowing that lifespan. You've put a lot of time and thought into this revelation. So, Christianity either disappeared into Jethro Tulls Y2K bunker or its going to expire sometime in 5000 A.D. I told my Pastor not to sign that lease until 5003.