“The crucifix creates discrimination”

[Synnical]

http://online.worldmag.com/2009/11/03/the-crucifix-creates-discrimination/

Despite an argument from the Italian government that the crucifix is a national symbol of culture, history, identity, tolerance, and secularism, Europe’s court of human rights ruled today that displaying the religious symbol in Italian public schools violates religious and education freedoms and could disturb non-Christian or atheist students. The Italian government plans to appeal immediately, and the Roman Catholic Church was not happy with the ruling, with the Italian Bishop’s Conference issuing a statement: “The multiple significance of the crucifix, which is not just a religious symbol but a cultural sign, has been either ignored or overlooked.”

The court stopped short of ordering the removal of crucifixes but did fine the Italian government €5,000 ($7,390), payable to Soile Lautsi, who brought forth the case after her children’s school refused eight years ago to remove crucifixes from classrooms.

“We believe the ruling is a positive signal from Europe to Italy, which seems to increasingly lose its secularism,” Lautsi’s husband, Massimo Albertin told the ANSA news agency. “The crucifix creates discrimination.”

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[semillama]

1. wait - the crucifix is a symbol of SECULARISM????

How'd they get to that conclusion?

[NMMNG]

2. They use that line of bullshit

whenever they want to keep their crucifix/cross/other religious monument on public property on the taxpayer dime. They claim it's a secular/cultural symbol when it suits their purpose. But if anybody questions it, touches it, damages it, etc. (such as when PZ Meyers "stole" and "desecrated" a communion wafer) it's right back to being a "sacred religious object" so they can claim they've been "persecuted". Nothing like playing both sides of the fence so they can have it all.

[laconicsax]

3. They asked Scalia