No place for religion in EU constitution

Date: 06/02/03

By Elfriede Harth

THE European Union is a historically unique enterprise by sovereign states to peacefully sit down and negotiate the terms of political, economical and social interaction and cooperation.

This is done in the name of fundamental universal values: peace, human dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity, plurality, subsidiarity and democracy. Are these values Christian or otherwise religious? What sense does it make to speak about 'Christian peace' or 'Christian subsidiarity', or else Muslim or Buddhist human dignity?

Why mention God in the EU constitution currently being drafted? This will be the first constitution adopted on European soil in the 21st century. The God of the Bible has given us Ten Commandments, and one of these prescribes that the name of God is holy and to be used with the utmost discretion. So many wars have been launched 'in the name of God'. The last wars on the European continent at the end of the 20th century were essentially still religious wars.

Because I am a Roman Catholic, I cannot stress enough that I would feel profoundly betrayed if the EU constitution included a reference to specific religious values that would be taken as a signal that the current values of the European countries and communities are an outgrowth of Christian or religious roots.

In many ways, the policies and values exemplified in modern law and practice in Europe are a clear departure from the rigid inequities and injustices that are still practised in the name of religion, especially in the areas of gender, sexuality and reproduction.

I would be appalled if the EU constitution would reflect or adopt 'Roman Catholic human dignity' as the Vatican denies practically all human rights within its jurisdiction: gender equality, freedom to get married and have a family for its clergy, election of its leaders, and freedom of speech for its theologians. What value has human dignity for a violator of the Convention of the Right of the Child, like the Holy See, which has covered up for decades the sexual abuse of minors by members of its clergy? And why does the Holy See refuse to sign the European Convention on Human Rights?

What do women gain from having religion mentioned in the constitution? Which religion in the world has to this date taken a lead in the promotion of women's equality and emancipation, in the promotion of women's rights?

The source of legitimacy of a democracy is the sovereignty of the people. There are many other possible political regimes, based on other sources of legitimacy. Because we are a democracy, we are free to choose between democracy and another political regime, if the general consensus should be that another was more perfect or less imperfect.

But if we decide that the EU should be a democracy, all other sources of legitimacy have to be excluded. To mention God in the constitution would be to discard democracy as our political regime.

To abstain from mentioning God in our constitution does not mean that we faithful need to give up our belief that God is the source of everything: after all, democracy guarantees freedom of religion. But in order to ensure this freedom we must omit references to religion in general and Christianity in particular in the EU constitution.

If God's name is not mentioned, all 'constitutional' abuse of it will be avoided. And after all, persons of goodwill do not need God to be mentioned to do good - with or without a constitution.

• Elfriede Harth is the European representative of Catholics for a Free Choice. She lives in Versailles, France.

Author, who is the European representative of Catholics for a Free Choice, argues that there is no need to mention God in the new EU constitution.