Monday, December 21, 2009

Greek Church Warns New Government: Do not Remove Crucifixes and Icons from Schools

The head of the Greek Orthodox Church has warned Greece's new socialist government that it faces a major battle if it removes religious symbols from schools, the BBC website reports today.

Because the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France ruled several weeks ago that Italy must take down crucifixes in its classrooms, many Greeks fear that the Greek government may also order that crucifixes and icons be removed from schools.

Advocates of crucifixes and icons in Greece's schools say that these symbols represent peace, justice, and love, and are an essential reminder of faith in a difficult world. Moreover, they believe that the Court in Strasbourg is undermining Europe's Christian heritage.

On the other hand, opponents say that a child should be in a school environment, where he or she is under no pressure to choose one religion over another.

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