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European court: Italy must remove crosses
The court, which sits in Strasbourg, France, ruled in an appeal by a Finnish immigrant to Italy, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. Soile Lautsi, who is an Italian citizen and lives near Padua, had lost in Italian courts when she asked for the removal of crosses from classrooms in her children's schools.
The Italian government must pay Lautsi 5,000 euros ($7,350) in "moral damages," the court said.
The Vatican refused immediate comment on the decision, with officials saying they had not seen the ruling.
''I believe reflection is needed before commenting,'' said the Rev. Federico Lombardi, a spokesman for the Catholic Church.
Conservative politicians in Italy denounced the decision. Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini called classroom crucifixes ''a symbol of Italian tradition," not a Christian one.
Under current Italian law, local governments can decide whether to hang crucifixes in public buildings.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International
This news arrived on: 11/03/2009
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Posted Comments:
11-04-2009 18:01
Richard wrote:
I'm sickened by this story
I am sickened by the actions of which this story is about. For 65 years I grew up and lived as pretty much non-religious, but believing there is a God somewhere. After much consideration I decided I wanted to became Catholic. I was confirmed this past Easter. It took me two years of being ill and learning between hospital stays. I was given a 2% chance of survival the first time I was hospitalized. I was not Catholic at that time and I was in a coma for over a week. While in that coma my wife had the priest from our church visit me. He performed some sort of miracle because from that time on I started to recover soon afterward. Am I a believer? you bet I am. To get to the point, I prefer to believe in Jesus Christ, but I do not look at symbols of other religions as something I object to. I believe whatever your religion is you still pray to the same God as I do regardless of the name you give him or her.
11-04-2009 09:14
Bob wrote:
It is well know that to recruit outsiders into 1) the Christian fold and then 2)into their particular sect. The Catholics into Catholicism the Jehovah Witness' into their program, and the same for the Protestants, Mormons, Baptists, etc. Some sects do it overtly [the way I believe Jesus would do it] like the Witness. [Their is no secret why they are knocking at you door] Others do it covertly; like to invite you over to a friendly get-together which is really their secondary agenda; Their real primary agenda is to recruit you into following their path to Heaven by virtue or their particular sect's teachings. On the up side, in this day and age, they do NOT threaten to kill you if you do not convert as in centuries past.
The placing of cross' is clearly a covert recruitment tool. [Shame on you Italy and kudos to this judge's ruling.
Then you have the Muslims and their various sect. Either overtly or covertly it does not matter. You don't know if that particular sect 1) has to kill you for being a non-Muslim 2) have you pay taxes to them as in to be subserviant to that particular sect or 3) recruit you into their fold pasively.
I must say I find Judaism's approach bizarre or perhaps rather interesting: To quasi-quote Archie Bunker: 'Those Jews don't want even if you' meaning Jews are forbidden to recruit outside their own religion. Converts must want to convert and not for convenience.
The placing of cross' is clearly a covert recruitment tool. [Shame on you Italy and kudos to this judge's ruling.
Then you have the Muslims and their various sect. Either overtly or covertly it does not matter. You don't know if that particular sect 1) has to kill you for being a non-Muslim 2) have you pay taxes to them as in to be subserviant to that particular sect or 3) recruit you into their fold pasively.
I must say I find Judaism's approach bizarre or perhaps rather interesting: To quasi-quote Archie Bunker: 'Those Jews don't want even if you' meaning Jews are forbidden to recruit outside their own religion. Converts must want to convert and not for convenience.
11-04-2009 08:08
John wrote:
Atheist go back ware you came from and when you do tell the the rest of them to stay a way.
11-04-2009 03:56
Stacey wrote:
Italy
May l respectfully suggest the Finnish Immigrant to Italy go back to Finnland? As well as ALL immigrants everywhere who want to change the culture, laws and living habits of their adopted countries. If you don´t like it...go home!
11-04-2009 00:25
HERBY wrote:
CROSS IN SCHOOL
SCHOOLS ARE FOR EDUCATION, UTMOST IMPORTANT, AND ANY0NE WANTING RELIGION GO TO CHURCHS WITH MANY CROSSES ON SUNDAYS AND WEDNESDAY NIGHTS.
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