Last November's ruling against the display of crucifixes in Italian schools has caused the most widespread opposition in the history of the European Court of Human Rights: 20 countries are officially opposed and have joined Italy in defense of the crucifix.The July 22 Italian edition of L'Osservatore Romano explains some reasons for this in an article written by Gregor Puppinck, director of the European Center for Law and Justice, a Strasbourg-based NGO committed to freedom of worship and thought, especially before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the United Nations.
Puppinck shows that opposition to the decision is not due only to political and juridical reasons, but also those of a spiritual character. "The debate on the legitimacy of the presence of the symbol of Christ in Italian society is the emblem of a will to secularize Europe," he warns in this interview with ZENIT, in which he reviews the arguments presented in the Vatican daily.
> Europe cannot face the future by renouncing Christ.
This conflict confronts the promoters of the total secularization of society and those who defend a Europe open and faithful to its profound identity. The crucifix has been for many the symbol of Christianity. People want to keep up high the Christian traditions and feel at ease when they can see on a regular base their symbols. If it is on walls, in the house, in schools or in the car, they like to see those statues of the cross, Jesus of the Holy Heart, St. Christopher, the rosemary, etc..
ReplyDeleteWith secularism, liberalism and relativism coming more to the forefront several Christians feel pushed in the corner or threatened by a modern disease. Lots of people do not stand still to check if those symbols are all right with the content of God Words. "Is it Biblically accepted?" is not so much of their concern. Though we as Christians would have to be careful to use certain symbols. The crucifix for example is the sign of Tamuz the god of evil. Should we really spread this symbol as a sign of following Jesus Christ? Would you put photographs of the car-wrack when your beloved son has been killed in it, all over the place? Though Christ Jesus was put to death on a pole, lots of Christians prefer the two beamed cross, reproducing this sign of the god of evil Tamuz. We better do away with it.