Church leaders call for EU politicians to consider Christian values
European church leaders encourage people to vote in the coming elections to the European Parliament, and urge politicians to involve Christian ethics in decision-making.
A statement created by the Conference of European Churches, Roman Catholic and Orthodox leaders was published in March, in preparations for the 6-8 June elections. It was co-signed by the Commission of Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union, the Conference of European Churches, the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, and the campaign group Together for Europe.
It reads: “Many people feel ignored because their Christian views aren’t being considered in decisions anymore. A large proportion of citizens, who confidently look at the European future through the prism of Christian values, now feel marginalised, without an opportunity to express their positions and opinions in an autonomous and distinct way. Values formerly taken for granted, such as peace, stability, prosperity, and the rule of law rather than rule by power, have now been torn apart — insecurity and fear dominate. Christian values are missing in EU discussions, but we’re ready to help plan a better future for Europe. We frequently notice the reality of parallel monologues…development of closed community groups in which opinions devoid of critical thinking and counter-argument are created. Christian values, shared by a large part of European citizens, can guarantee a safe approach to the changes and challenges we face.”
There are seven EU-wide parties, contesting 720 seats, including the Group of the European People’s Party – Christian Democrats, led by Manfred Weber, which currently holds 178 seats; and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, led by Iratxe García Pérez, which holds 141 seats. The European Christian Political Movement, which claims to be the only party “explicitly promoting Christian values” is also contesting.
Church leaders drew attention to increasing perils in their statement: “Fear motivates some citizens to seek solutions and spiritual support in an objectified and instrumentalised version of tradition — in such cases, the concepts of ‘homeland’ and ‘religion’ are weaponised, and dubious historical figures turned into heroes.. All this takes place in a divided public place, increasingly characterised by polarisation, and influenced by disinformation distributed in digital social networks. . . We frequently notice the reality of parallel monologues, as well as the development of closed community groups in which opinions devoid of critical thinking and counter-argument are created.”
Source: https://premierchristian.news/
