President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, attacks aggressive secularism whilst defending Christianity.
Christianity is one of the greatest strengths Europe has, and if it is lost, “we will be condemned to the erosion of the European spirit,” the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek has said.
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In an address at the European Prayer Breakfast, Mr Buzek, the former Prime Minister of Poland, and a Protestant, reminded his audience that “the founding fathers of the united Europe were active Christians”.
He went on: “At the same time, the question arises whether Christian heritage is still valuable, if it is not just another historical costume – respectable but useless?
“Let me be clear – a courageous testimony of Christians, present also in politics – tolerant and open to others – is one of the greatest strengths we have.
“If we give it up, we will be condemned to the erosion of the European spirit, digested by nationalism and atomisation; and also by increased feeling of spiritual emptiness – disease of a world of excessive consumption.”
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He said: “In this context, it is difficult not to notice that in Europe we have recently been witnesses of aggressive secularism. This is something I would call negative tolerance. One example can be the question of the cross in the public space.
“An aggressive, and in reality intolerant, minority would like to lock our faith in to the small box of our privacy.”
Such a move, he said “would mean to scrap the idea of religious freedom”.
Mr Buzek said: “History shows that the empty space left by the removed cross has always been conquered by totalitarian ideologies. The disappearance of the cross often resulted not in the release but the enslavement of man.
“I am convinced that we can not only save our faith, but through our attitude in a secularised world, we Christians can also be the salt of this earth and a light for everyone.”
January 13th, 2012 at 8:13 pm
How ironic would it be to have the E.U. morph into a loose federation of christian nations while the U.K. disintegrates into cultural tribalism and ethnic ghettos.