Hudson Valley Humanists
Should the European Union's new constitution
celebrate religion?
by Ed Poll
The European Union has created a constitution. One point of debate centered on religion. Should the document contain reference to god-characters, religion or spiritualism?
The strongest voices for injecting religious references came from the Vatican. The Roman Catholic association wanted its former dominion over Europe to be noted and celebrated. Creating democracy in Europe, however, required the defeat of theocratic authority.
It is not the duty of today’s European governments to serve as a promotional tool for religious associations. The work of promoting religion rests solely with the members of the group.
What about heritage? There is a history of religion in Europe, but the view that it is entirely Roman Catholic or Christian is simplistic. Europe’s god-characters include Wodin, Neptune, and Freya as much as Jesus of Nazareth, who was not a European after all! The history of any particular religious association and the god-characters fashioned by cultures are just that- history, the stuff of museums.
Events in the United States can serve as a warning to Europeans as to what can happen when religion is introduced into government documents. American clerics badgered the framers of our constitution to include references to both God and Christianity. The framers wisely refused. Even so, American fundamentalists continually claim ownership of our heritage, constitution, and laws. The word “Creator” in the Declaration of Independence has been used as a starting point to argue against issues like family planning, stem cell research and dying with dignity.
To their credit, the Europeans avoided any reference to god-characters or religion in their constitution. Its wording is secular. They have made the correct choice and will not regret it. Europe will be a freer place because they have made this commitment to church/state separation.
July 4, 2003
Ed Poll is Director of Hudson Valley Humanists