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Post by leslie on Mar 24, 2007 16:17:28 GMT -7
Does President Kaczynski consider he is also the President of the EU with unassailable powers? The following is taken from the Polish Radio News site of 24 03 07 suggesting that he is telling the EU what they must do/must not do about religion in the EU. I support neither side - I think it was Joan that said that one's religion is the concern only of the individual, not the State nor Union.
President Kaczynski - Christianity is the EU foundation
24.03.2007
Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski, in an article for the tabloid 'Fakt' that:
'The Union cannot build its future with no reference to the centuries old history of Europe and European roots. This is why it is so difficult for us to accept opposition to a reference to Christian values in the preamble to the future Constitutional Treaty.'
The Berlin Declaration is to be signed in the capital city of Germany, as part of events marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome and the birth of the EU.
The declaration is to play a key role in drafting the preamble to the bloc’s new Constitutional Treaty.
President Kaczynski said that the Union must continue to expand.
“For Poland it is obvious that the European Union, if it wants to retain its dynamics and to count on a global scale – it must be an open union”.
On behalf of the bloc’s 27 member states, the Berlin Declaration will be signed tomorrow by the German Chancellor, the European Parliament and the European Commission leaders.
Poland’s foreign minister Anna Fotyga is on leave and will not take part in the ceremony.
Leslie
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Post by rdywenur on Mar 24, 2007 17:57:20 GMT -7
Speaking of religion if anyone has cable and sees this in time the life story of John Paul II is on EWTN right now. Very interesting.
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Post by bescheid on Mar 24, 2007 20:27:44 GMT -7
Leslie
I do agree with both you and Joan on the religion question. It leads to possible issues of which religion is to be dominant.
Is there a church tax in Poland? Or how is the church supported other then in direct donations?
In the UK, also do you have a church tax? I was just curios for I actually do not know.
charles
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scatts
Cosmopolitan
Posts: 812
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Post by scatts on Mar 25, 2007 12:03:04 GMT -7
No church tax as far as I'm aware, Charles. I suppose it is funded from the zillions of people giving their money away every weekend and perhaps 0.0000000000000001% of the interest payable on the RC church's not inconsiderable private fortune in savings accounts around the world.  Leslie. He and his gang got elected by being pro-religion so he can't stop now. God help us if he ever did have unassailable powers, even here, let alone the EU. |
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Post by pieter on Mar 25, 2007 12:31:34 GMT -7
I think it's essential that the European Constitution is secular, because religion and politics,
church and state should be separated. In Europe's history religion or differant religions were
the cause of deep conflicts, long term division and bloodshed.
If you mention Christian values, then you have also to mention the headen (Slav, Germanistic,
Celtic), Jewish (Ashkenazi and Sephardi), Islamic (Spain; Islamic scientific influence in midieval
Europe), Humanist, Liberal, Conservative and Socialist influences.
I come from a country which knows what religious devidance was (Protestant & Catholic)
and is (between the Non-Muslim majority and the Islamic minority nowadays).
I have nothing though against the mentioning of the Christian and Humanist (enlightenment)
roots of Europe in the European constitution whatsoever?
I don't know why there is such a strong opposition against that in Western-Europe?
Sometimes it seems that there is a secular/atheist fundementalism in Western Europe
next to the differant forms of religious fundementalism.
I keep my faith in the European continental model of a liberal democracy.
Pieter
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jeanne
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Post by jeanne on Mar 25, 2007 18:36:53 GMT -7
Leslie,
It sounds to me like Kaczynski is just echoing what John Paul II said about wanting some reference to the historical impact of Christianity on the development of European civilization included in the constitution. I don't think he's trying to dictate a "state religion."
Jeanne
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Post by bescheid on Mar 25, 2007 20:50:35 GMT -7
No church tax as far as I'm aware, Charles. I suppose it is funded from the zillions of people giving their money away every weekend and perhaps 0.0000000000000001% of the interest payable on the RC church's not inconsiderable private fortune in savings accounts around the world. Leslie. He and his gang got elected by being pro-religion so he can't stop now. God help us if he ever did have unassailable powers, even here, let alone the EU. Thank you Scatts, I was wondering if so with Poland. Charles |
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Post by Eric on Apr 12, 2007 5:14:28 GMT -7
I agree - religion should be the choice of the individual, not of the state. With so many different religions existing within the borders of the EU, it would be a very serious mistake to recognize the dominance of one over the others.
First, Poland blocks an EU meeting with Russia, and now Poland wants to dictate religion to the rest of the EU. What's next... moving the EU headquarters to Warsaw?
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Post by pieter on Jun 10, 2007 14:42:40 GMT -7
I agree - religion should be the choice of the individual, not of the state. With so many different religions existing within the borders of the EU, it would be a very serious mistake to recognize the dominance of one over the others. First, Poland blocks an EU meeting with Russia, and now Poland wants to dictate religion to the rest of the EU. What's next... moving the EU headquarters to Warsaw? Good idea Eric! ;D ;D ;D European headquarters that are actually in Central Europe, between Berlin and Moscow and Helsinki and Rome!  Pieter |
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