Merkel takes up the cross to force it on the rest

Continuing from the previous post on the EU.


Well, she is pushing forward with the EU constitution.


And it is going to be a Christian event.



From Merkel:

"The period of secularisation was important, but I see us living in a changed world where it is incumbent on politicians and political documents to spell out more clearly their spiritual roots," Merkel said in a speech on Europe to members of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

And you thought the Christian in the CDU was in reference to Christian Slater.

"If we are honest, we often lack the strength to clearly state what our beliefs are and that makes us less credible to others with different beliefs and values."

Sigh. Again, no. It is not that you don't wear a cross on your sleeve that makes you weaker. It is being so eager to molly coddle others. It is about making law, setting standards, and then hold them up. A weak willed Christian leader is just as unimpressive as weak willed secular leader, but the religious one is more sanctimonious...so they are still worse, I guess.

What really pisses me off is that this is the guff that a number of European religious leader have been trying to sell. The Muslim's hate us for being too secular. We need to break from the secular, and work with Muslims. Great, let us do that. Wonderful. Turning on the secular side of society worked so well, for medieval Islamic society. They started with the offensive Greek thoughts, then it didn't improve from there.

"I can't deny that I would have preferred to see a clearer reference to God based on Christian ideals in the constitution," Merkel said.

Now we get down to the truth of it. And isn't that plain selfish? Using your power to make Europe over in your image. That has never been a good look on German leaders, not that I want to go there. But I find her offensive.

She added, however, that the European Union was not a "Christian club" and stressed the need for tolerance of all religions in the bloc.

Yeah. We are all welcomed...to Christian Europe...and don't you forget whose god is supreme! And how generous. She will demur enough to tolerate the rest of us. We all are welcomed, in Christian Europe.

Great. Whose example do they turn to America's godless constitution? No. Islamic nations? Oh, fuck yeah! The people who are terrifying you? The ones panicking you? You want to go all Christian to counter them? Isn't that how we end up in crusades?

Plans to include a reference to Europe's Christian roots in the original EU constitutional treaty were blocked by French President Jacques Chirac.

Merkel, as holder of the EU's rotating presidency, is in the process of reviving that treaty, which was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.

She has vowed to present an outline and timetable for a new document at a June summit in Brussels.

Some countries, notably Poland, favour reintroducing a reference to Christianity in the new charter.

French conservative presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy, who has criticised France's official secularism as too rigid, may also support such a campaign if elected, some German officials are hoping.

Europe! Is this who you want to be? What happened to you, man? You used to be so cool!