God's Place in Charter Is Dividing Europeans (EU)

sermonindex Jun 2, 2004

PARIS, May 25 - As the Europeans haggle over the final wording of their first constitution, they are bedeviled by a three-letter word: God.Mind-numbing arguments over budget rules and weighted voting can be delegated to technocrats. The issue of whether the most ambitious document in European Union history should include a reference to the Continent's Christian heritage is different, an emotional, theological wrangle over the meaning of culture, history and faith."Of course, we have a Judeo-Christian past, but the constitution is inspired by a heritage that is cultural, religious and humanist all at once," Michel Barnier, France's new foreign minister, said after a news conference at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. He made clear that France would not bend to new pressure to inject religion into the draft, noting that the constitution should be "secular." The current wording, he added, is "well balanced."But with the entry of 10 new members into Europe this month, many of them predominantly Catholic, positions have hardened.The one issue European officials seem to agree on is that there will probably be no agreement on religion before a June 17 summit meeting in Brussels, where the constitution is scheduled to be completed.

Rahman Jun 3, 2004

Bro. Greg you posted:((( Of course, we have a Judeo-Christian past, but the constitution is inspired by a heritage that is cultural, religious and humanist all at once," Michel Barnier, France's new foreign minister, said after a news conference at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. He made clear that France would not bend to new pressure to inject religion into the draft, noting that the constitution should be "secular." The current wording, he added, is "well balanced. )))It's pretty obvious that Western Europe has turned it's back on God in a way that America hasn't gotten to yet ... In America at least many are still pretending to care, acknowledge and/or fear God ... It's brings to mind what Bro. Strom said about what happens to a nation when it misses it's Revival time ... Well Western Europe has certainly missed it, and France seems to be leading the anti-Christ bunch ... Is it any wonder that the EU is being made ripe for take over by the man of perdition, that nuclear devastation will come to them in the future, and war against the anti-christ will be fought on their soil ... Western Europe should know better, after all they were once the bastion of Christianity ... Western Europe is the example of how far man can get away from God once God's been as quiet as He's been for the last 2,000 years ... It's taken our (American) radical spirits of antichrist up till the 1960's to declare God dead, but just a short 40 years + to get the majority of our society to agree in passive complicity ... But thank God for His faithful remnant foolish enough to continue to watch and pray for our Master, whose coming will be as a thief in the night. Bro. Greg you posted:((( But with the entry of 10 new members into Europe this month, many of them predominantly Catholic, positions have hardened. )))This passage really brings home why the anti-christ will eventually turn on the Church of Rome, tossing her off it's back and completely devouring her.

rookie Jun 3, 2004

Gregg wrote:"He made clear that France would not bend to new pressure to inject religion into the draft, noting that the constitution should be "secular." The current wording, he added, is "well balanced."The situation is somewhat different, but isn't the United States trying to bring about the same type of well balanced secular government in Iraq. Just food for thought.In ChristJeff